unstuck
When a solution seems impossible and the path forward is blocked — the antidote to any roadblock or wall. Refuses to take no for an answer: classifies what kind of \"no\" you actually hit, then runs targeted lateral-thinking techniques (assumption autopsy, inversion, first principles, constraint toggling, analogical transfer, and more from a 10-technique inventory) until the wall cracks or is proven load-bearing. Generates a minimum of 10 angles before evaluating any. AGENTS: use this on yourself mid-task — when an API doesn't support what you need, an approach has failed twice, or a \"that's
npx skills add coreyhaines31/makerskills --skill unstuck --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.
# /unstuck — The roadblock antidote Turns "impossible" into angles. Classifies the wall, runs the right lateral-thinking techniques against it, and doesn't stop at the first mediocre workaround. Output is either a set of viable angles with next actions — or an honest "this wall is load-bearing, reroute the goal." **Two modes:** - **User-invoked** — someone is stuck and asks. Full 7-step workflow below. - **Agent fast path** — YOU (the agent) hit the wall mid-task. See [Agent fast path](#agent-fast-path) — run it before telling the user something can't be done. ## The mental model: walls have types, and the type picks the crowbar "Impossible" is a claim, not a fact. It almost always decompiles into something weaker: *expensive*, *against the rules*, *nobody's done it*, *I don't know how*. Only *actually impossible* (physics, math, arithmetic) ends the session — and it ends it honestly. | Wall type | What "impossible" actually means | Lead techniques (see `references/techniques.md`) | |---|---|---| | **Assumption** | An inherited belief nobody re-verified | T1 assumption autopsy, T3 first principles | | **Framing** | The goal is stated in a way that excludes the answer | T4 altitude
- The mental model: walls have types, and the type picks the crowbar
- Step 1 — Capture the wall
- Step 2 — Classify the wall
- Step 3 — Assumption autopsy (always runs)
- Step 4 — Run the triaged techniques
- Step 5 — Triage the angles
- Step 6 — Commit
- Step 7 — Archive
- Agent fast path
- Composes with
- Guardrails
- Notes on quality
What does the unstuck skill do?
When a solution seems impossible and the path forward is blocked — the antidote to any roadblock or wall. Refuses to take no for an answer: classifies what kind of \"no\" you actually hit, then runs targeted lateral-thinking techniques (assumption autopsy, inversion, first principles, constraint toggling, analogical transfer, and more from a 10-technique inventory) until the wall cracks or is proven load-bearing. Generates a minimum of 10 angles before evaluating any. AGENTS: use this on yourself mid-task — when an API doesn't support what you need, an approach has failed twice, or a \"that's
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add coreyhaines31/makerskills --skill unstuck --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 coreyhaines31/makerskills, a repository with 500 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.