research-first-dev
Research-first development methodology that investigates existing solutions, brainstorms alternatives, and evaluates trade-offs before any implementation begins.
npx skills add a5c-ai/babysitter --skill research-first-dev --agent claude-code
Same command for any agent — swap --agent for codex, cursor, copilot.
Weekly change comes from our own snapshots, not the repository page — it measures attention, not adoption.
- Parse the request into specific technical requirements - Identify the domain and relevant technology stack - List known constraints (time, resources, compatibility) - Define success criteria ### 2. Existing Solution Search - Search GitHub for similar implementations - Check package registries (npm, PyPI, crates.io, etc.) - Review documentation for framework-specific solutions - Identify relevant design patterns - Check for known anti-patterns to avoid ### 3. Alternative Brainstorming - Generate at least 3 alternative approaches - Include a "build" option and at least one "buy/reuse" option - Consider unconventional approaches ### 4. Trade-Off Evaluation - Complexity: implementation effort, learning curve - Time: development timeline, time-to-value - Risk: failure modes, dependency risks, maintenance burden - Scalability: growth limits, performance under load - Score each alternative on all 4 axes ### 5. Recommendation - Rank alternatives by composite score - Provide clear recommendation with justification - Include risk mitigation plan for chosen approach - Define go/no-go criteria ## Iterative Retrieval - Start broad, narrow based on findings - Use confidence scoring to decide w
- 2. Existing Solution Search
- 3. Alternative Brainstorming
- 4. Trade-Off Evaluation
- 5. Recommendation
- Iterative Retrieval
- When to Use
- Agents Used
What does the research-first-dev skill do?
Research-first development methodology that investigates existing solutions, brainstorms alternatives, and evaluates trade-offs before any implementation begins.
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add a5c-ai/babysitter --skill research-first-dev --agent claude-code` — it drops the skill into your project so the agent can pick it up. Swap the --agent value for codex, cursor or copilot if you use one of those.
Where does this skill come from?
From a5c-ai/babysitter, a repository with 1,642 stars. We read it straight from the repository tree rather than a submitted listing, so what you see here is what is actually published.
Is a popular skill a good skill?
Not necessarily. Stars measure attention, not adoption — a repository can trend for a week and be abandoned. That is why we show the weekly change from our own snapshots next to the total, instead of a single flattering number.