Superpowers Skills Uses Too Many Tokens? Try grill-with-docs First

2026-09-01 · AI · Tools · Agent Skills · 中文

After using Superpowers Skills for a while, I came away with a simple feeling: it is careful and thorough, but it can use a lot of tokens.

You may only want to change one small feature. Superpowers may first discuss the idea, write a design, make a plan, split the work, and run several checks. That is useful for a large project. For a tiny change, it can feel like holding a travel meeting before walking to the shop next door.

I later noticed that the real problem was often not the AI's ability to write code. The problem was that I had not explained what I wanted clearly enough.

Instead of starting a full process right away, I now prefer to begin with grill-with-docs.

What does grill-with-docs do?

Think of it as a careful teammate who keeps asking useful questions:

  • What problem are you really trying to solve?
  • What must be included now, and what can wait?
  • What should happen in an unusual situation?
  • Does this new idea conflict with an old project rule?

It does not rush into writing code. It first helps you make the idea clear. It can also save the important answers in your project notes, so you do not have to explain everything again in the next chat.

Why can this save tokens?

AI often wastes the most tokens when it has to guess what you mean.

It builds a first version. You say it is not right. It starts again. Halfway through, both of you discover that two earlier choices do not fit together. The chat grows longer, and the project becomes harder to understand.

grill-with-docs follows a simpler rule: ask first, build later.

The questions still use some tokens, but the answers become useful project notes. That is often cheaper than building the wrong thing several times.

How is it different from Superpowers?

They are two different kinds of helpers:

Tool What it feels like Best time to use it
Superpowers Skills A full work process Large changes, many files, or costly mistakes
grill-with-docs A careful teammate asking questions Early ideas that still need to become clear

grill-with-docs does not replace every Superpowers feature. It will not do all your testing, code checking, and final proof by itself.

A better approach is to use it first, then choose only the extra steps your task truly needs.

How do I install grill-with-docs?

The easiest way is to ask the AI itself to install it. You do not need to guess where its skill folder is.

Send this message to Codex, Claude Code, or another AI tool that supports Skills:

Please install grill-with-docs for me.
When it is done, tell me where it came from, where you installed it,
and how I should use it.

If the AI cannot find it, include the source:

Please install grill-with-docs from this GitHub project:
https://github.com/leejianrong/claude-skills/tree/main/grill-with-docs

First check which Skills folder my tool uses. Then install and verify it.
Do not remove or replace any of my other Skills.

After installation, open a new chat and check whether grill-with-docs appears in the skill list. Different AI tools may store Skills in different places, so asking the AI to inspect your setup is safer than copying one fixed command.

How do I use it?

When you have an idea but do not yet know all the details, say:

Please use grill-with-docs to help me make this idea clear:
I want to add email subscriptions to my blog.

The AI will ask questions one at a time. You only need to answer honestly. You do not need to write a perfect request at the start.

If your project already has notes and code, try:

Please use grill-with-docs. Read the current project notes and code first,
then check whether my new idea has any missing parts or conflicts.

What do I use now?

My rule is simple:

  • For a text change, a color change, or a tiny fix, ask the AI to do it directly.
  • If the idea is still unclear, use grill-with-docs first.
  • If the change touches many files or a mistake would be serious, add the planning, testing, and checking parts of Superpowers that you need.

A complete tool does not have to be used in full for every task. A good tool should make simple work easier, not heavier.

Final thought

Superpowers Skills is not a bad tool. It is a good fit for work that needs careful planning and checking.

For personal projects and everyday changes, starting with grill-with-docs often feels more natural and uses fewer tokens.

In one line:

Do small things directly, talk through unclear ideas, and save the full process for big work.

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