superpowers Core Skills Overview - A Workflow That Turns AI Into a Senior Engineer
superpowers Core Skills Overview - A Workflow That Turns AI Into a Senior Engineer
A plain AI writes code like a smart intern: enough knowledge, no method — starts coding immediately, skips tests, guesses at bugs. superpowers' eight core skills encode a senior engineer's working method into a process the AI can follow. And they're not eight isolated switches — they're a connected, end-to-end workflow.
One spine: from idea to merge
1.Think it through 2.Isolate workspace 3.Plan 4.Execute 5.Gate & wrap up
brainstorming → using-git-worktrees → writing-plans → subagent-driven-dev → code-review + verification
Plus two "ground-level disciplines" that run throughout:
- test-driven-development: the rhythm of the implementation phase — write the test, watch it fail, then the minimal code.
- systematic-debugging: cut in whenever a bug appears at any stage — find the root cause before acting.
The eight skills at a glance
In workflow order — click through for each deep dive:
| Stage | Skill | In one line |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Think it through | brainstorming | One question at a time, talk a fuzzy idea into a clear design |
| 2. Isolate workspace | using-git-worktrees | An isolated sandbox per feature, no polluting the main dir |
| 3. Plan | writing-plans | Break into 2-5 minute steps a zero-context person could follow |
| 4. Execute | subagent-driven-development | A clean subagent per task + spec-then-quality review |
| Rhythm | test-driven-development | Write the test, watch it fail, then minimal code to turn it green |
| Debugging | systematic-debugging | Find the root cause first; 3 failed fixes = question the architecture |
| 5. Review | code-review | Request + independent subagent review + rational reception (no mindless agreement) |
| 5. Wrap up | verification-before-completion | Run the command for evidence before saying "done" |
Recommended learning order
- First look: walk the spine 1->2->3->4->5 once and you'll grasp the whole superpowers workflow.
- Hands-on fast: start with brainstorming (the mandatory first step for any creative work) and test-driven-development (the core implementation rhythm) — highest payoff.
- Reference as needed: hit a bug -> systematic-debugging; about to merge -> code-review and verification-before-completion.
In one line
superpowers = a senior engineer's way of working, broken into eight executable skills and strung into a loop: think -> isolate -> plan -> execute -> gate. So the AI stops flailing like an intern and works with method, like a pro.