define-problem

Stop solving the wrong problem.

An agent skill that asks you questions until your problem is sharp — then searches the web, papers, and repos for how others framed and solved it.

Runs in Claude Code, Codex CLI, Cursor, Zed, Windsurf, and Gemini CLI — anything that reads the AGENTS.md standard.

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What it looks like

You:    /define-problem my app feels slow

Claude: Slow where — load, navigation, or a specific action?
You:    the dashboard takes forever

Claude: How long, and on what — first load or every visit?
You:    ~8s every visit, it refetches everything

Claude: So the problem isn't "slow app." It's:
        "The dashboard refetches all data on every visit,
         costing 8s even when nothing changed."

        That's cacheable. Here's how 3 teams solved it →
        [evidence from the wild]

One vague itch → one precise, solvable problem.

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Install

Claude Code:

/plugin marketplace add drmarceloclipi-star/define-problem
/plugin install define-problem@define-problem

Restart Claude Code. Done.

Codex CLI · Cursor · Zed · Windsurf · Gemini CLI: grab the portable entrypoint files — no plugin system needed:

curl -fsSLO https://raw.githubusercontent.com/drmarceloclipi-star/define-problem/main/AGENTS.md
curl -fsSLO https://raw.githubusercontent.com/drmarceloclipi-star/define-problem/main/GEMINI.md

Drop in your project root, or in ~/.codex/ / ~/.gemini/ to enable it everywhere. Details below.

Alternative: install via Cargo

Copies the skill into ~/.claude/skills:

cargo install --git https://github.com/drmarceloclipi-star/define-problem
define-problem

Re-run define-problem anytime to update.

Other agents — Codex CLI, Cursor, Zed, Windsurf, Gemini CLI

The lens ships as portable entrypoint files at the repo root:

Agent	File	How to use
Codex CLI, Cursor, Zed, Windsurf	AGENTS.md	Copy to your project root, or to ~/.codex/AGENTS.md for every project
Gemini CLI	GEMINI.md + AGENTS.md	Copy both to your project root, or to ~/.gemini/

# one-liner: grab both files into your current project
curl -fsSLO https://raw.githubusercontent.com/drmarceloclipi-star/define-problem/main/AGENTS.md
curl -fsSLO https://raw.githubusercontent.com/drmarceloclipi-star/define-problem/main/GEMINI.md

Any agent that reads the open AGENTS.md standard picks it up automatically — no plugin system required.

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Use it

Type /define-problem — or just mention the problem and let it trigger:

what's the problem · frame the problem · problem statement · before I build

It stops only when the problem fits in one sentence and you say "yes, that's exactly it."

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How it works

1. Ask — questions until the problem is defined, not assumed.
2. Constrain — a sharp problem statement is the constraint that frees creativity.
3. Evidence — search articles, blogs, repos, and papers for how others solved it.

A vague problem produces a thousand mediocre solutions. A precise problem produces one great one.

Update the plugin

/plugin update define-problem@define-problem

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Dr. Marcelo Cavalcanti · @drmarceloclipi-star MIT License