spike
Run throwaway prototypes to validate feasibility, compare approaches, and report a verdict.
npx skills add Health-Yang/MineEcho --skill spike --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.
# Spike Use when the user wants to test an idea before committing to a real build: "spike this", "quick prototype", "is this possible", "compare A/B", "before we build". Do not use when reading docs/code can answer the question, or when the user clearly asked for production implementation. Loop 1. Question: state the concrete feasibility question. 2. Research: read enough docs/source to choose credible approach. 3. Build: create the smallest runnable artifact that validates or invalidates the idea. 4. Stress: try one edge case or failure mode. 5. Verdict: `VALIDATED`, `PARTIAL`, or `INVALIDATED`. Output shape - Default workspace: `.tmp/openclaw-spikes/<slug>` unless user asks for a tracked repo-local path. - Repo-local option: `spikes/<NNN-slug>/` with `README.md` and minimal code. - Prefer runnable CLI, tiny HTML, one endpoint, or focused test. - Avoid package sprawl, Docker, env files, app frameworks, and production cleanup. Multi-spike ideas - Split into 2-5 independent questions. - Run the riskiest question first. - For A/B comparisons, keep inputs equal and measure the same dimensions. - Ask before building all variants if the work is more than a small prototype. Verdict forma
What does the spike skill do?
Run throwaway prototypes to validate feasibility, compare approaches, and report a verdict.
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add Health-Yang/MineEcho --skill spike --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 Health-Yang/MineEcho, a repository with 248 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.