add /rp-why skill blog post (#6997)

Co-authored-by: Angie Jones <jones.angie@gmail.com>
2026-07-17 12:56:20 +02:00 · 2026-02-06 13:03:55 -05:00
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+---
+title: "Level Up Your AI Game with rp-why"
+description: "A goose skill that measures the cognitive complexity of your AI collaboration using the Gas Town × DOK framework."
+date: 2026-02-06
+authors:
+  - dakota
+---
+
+![rp-why skill banner](rp-why-banner.png)
+
+## What is rp-why?
+
+rp-why is your personal AI collaboration coach. It answers two critical questions:
+
+1. **Are you using the most effective AI tools for your work?**
+2. **Are you asking questions that demonstrate cognitive depth?**
+
+Think of it as a fitness tracker for your AI practice—it shows you where you are, where you could be, and how to get there.
+
+**Want the theory?** Check out [Measuring the Cognitive Complexity of Human-AI Collaboration](https://engineering.block.xyz/blog/-gas-town-x-webbs-dok).
+
+**Want to use it?** Keep reading.
+
+<!-- truncate -->
+
+## The Problem
+
+**Without rp-why**
+
+* Teams use powerful AI agents for simple tasks, wasting resources.
+* Lack of usage visibility creates blind spots.
+* No feedback loop keeps people stuck and stagnant.
+* Sophisticated tools get burned on trivial work, killing ROI.
+
+**With rp-why**
+
+* Teams match tools to task complexity, driving real efficiency.
+* Usage data makes patterns visible and actionable.
+* Smart nudges help people level up continuously.
+* Progress is tracked over time, turning effort into measurable growth.
+
+## The Two Dimensions
+
+### Dimension 1: Gas Town Stage (Tool Sophistication)
+
+Where are you on the AI adoption ladder?
+
+| Stage | Level | Description |
+|-------|-------|-------------|
+| 1-2 | Chatbot Curious | Basic web chatbots, occasional use |
+| 3-4 | IDE Integrated | Copilot, chat in your editor |
+| 5 | Agent Autonomous | CLI tools like goose running independently |
+| 6-8 | Multi-Agent Master | Orchestrating multiple AI agents, agentic workflows |
+
+### Dimension 2: DOK Level (Question Depth)
+
+How complex are your prompts?
+
+| Level | Name | Example Prompts |
+|-------|------|-----------------|
+| DOK 1 | Recall | "What is X?" "List Y" "Define Z" |
+| DOK 2 | Apply | "How would I...?" "Compare A and B" |
+| DOK 3 | Strategic | "Design a system for..." "Analyze trade-offs..." |
+| DOK 4 | Extended | "Research over multiple sessions..." "Create a framework..." |
+
+---
+
+## The Quadrant Map
+
+Find yourself on the map:
+
+```
+                      LOW DOK                    HIGH DOK
+                 (Simple Questions)         (Complex Questions)
+              ┌────────────────────────┬────────────────────────┐
+   HIGH       │                        │                        │
+   STAGE      │    UNDERUTILIZING      │       FRONTIER         │
+  (Powerful   │                        │                        │
+   Tools)     │  You have a Ferrari    │  You're pushing        │
+              │  and you're driving    │  boundaries!           │
+              │  to the mailbox.       │  Document what you     │
+              │  → Level up your       │  learn.                │
+              │    questions!          │  → Share your          │
+              │                        │    discoveries!        │
+              ├────────────────────────┼────────────────────────┤
+   LOW        │                        │                        │
+   STAGE      │    LEARNING ZONE       │    THINKING AHEAD      │
+  (Basic      │                        │                        │
+   Tools)     │  Natural starting      │  Your brain exceeds    │
+              │  point. Focus on       │  your tools!           │
+              │  learning the tools.   │  → Time to upgrade     │
+              │  → Try one new         │    your AI toolkit!    │
+              │    capability today!   │                        │
+              └────────────────────────┴────────────────────────┘
+```
+
+**Goal:** Move toward the **FRONTIER** quadrant (top-right)
+
+---
+
+## What the Output Looks Like
+
+```
+╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
+║                    SESSION ANALYSIS                              ║
+╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
+
+GAS TOWN STAGE: 5 (Agent Autonomous)
+
+DOK DISTRIBUTION
+────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+DOK 1 (Recall):      ████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  17%
+DOK 2 (Apply):       ████████████░░░░░░░░  52%
+DOK 3 (Strategic):   ██████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  26%
+DOK 4 (Extended):    █░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░   5%
+
+QUADRANT: Underutilizing
+────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+You have a Ferrari and you're driving to the mailbox.
+→ Level up your questions!
+
+GROWTH NUDGES
+────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+1. Shift 2-3 DOK 2 prompts to DOK 3 by adding "analyze trade-offs"
+2. Before simple queries, ask: "Can I make this more strategic?"
+3. Try one DOK 4 extended investigation this week
+
+🪞 REFLECTION
+────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+What's the most strategic question you could ask right now?
+```
+
+---
+
+## Instant Upgrades for Your Prompts
+
+### Transform DOK 1 → DOK 2
+
+| Before | After |
+|--------|-------|
+| "What is a microservice?" | "How would I decide between microservices and a monolith for my project?" |
+
+### Transform DOK 2 → DOK 3
+
+| Before | After |
+|--------|-------|
+| "How do I set up CI/CD?" | "Design a CI/CD strategy that balances speed, reliability, and team workflow for a 5-person team." |
+
+### Transform DOK 3 → DOK 4
+
+| Before | After |
+|--------|-------|
+| "Design a caching strategy" | "Over the next few sessions, help me research, prototype, and document a caching architecture. Start by analyzing our current bottlenecks." |
+
+
+
+## Weekly Workflow Integration
+
+### Monday: Fresh Start
+- Run `/rp-why init` (or `/rp-why compare` if you already have a baseline)
+- Set intention: "This week I'll aim for 30% DOK 3+ prompts"
+
+### Daily: Quick Check
+- End each session with `/rp-why current`
+- 30 seconds to see your patterns
+
+### Friday: Reflect
+- Run `/rp-why compare`
+- Celebrate progress, identify next week's focus
+
+
+## Gamify Your Growth
+
+### Achievements to Unlock
+
+| Badge | Achievement | Criteria |
+|-------|-------------|----------|
+| 🥉 | Bronze | Reduce DOK 1 prompts below 25% |
+| 🥈 | Silver | Achieve 35%+ DOK 3 prompts in a session |
+| 🥇 | Gold | Complete a DOK 4 multi-session project |
+| 💎 | Diamond | Reach the Frontier quadrant consistently |
+
+### Personal Challenges
+
+| Challenge | Description |
+|-----------|-------------|
+| "No DOK 1" Day | Every prompt must be DOK 2+ |
+| "Strategic Session" | Aim for 50%+ DOK 3 prompts |
+| "Deep Dive Week" | One DOK 4 project across 5 sessions |
+
+
+## Start Now
+
+### Installation
+
+Install the skill:
+
+```bash
+npx skills add https://github.com/block/agent-skills --skill rp-why
+```
+
+Make sure you have the built-in [Skills extension](/docs/mcp/skills-mcp/) enabled in goose.
+
+### Step 1: Initialize Your Baseline
+
+```
+/rp-why init
+```
+
+This analyzes your conversation history and creates your personal baseline. Takes ~30 seconds.
+
+### Step 2: Check Your Current Session
+
+```
+/rp-why current
+```
+
+See how this session compares to your typical patterns. Are you stretching or coasting?
+
+### Step 3: Track Your Progress
+
+```
+/rp-why compare
+```
+
+Compare today against your baseline. And ask yourself:
+
+> "What's the most strategic question I could ask right now?"
+
+That's the rp-why mindset.
+
+
+## FAQ
+
+**Q: How long does baseline generation take?**
+A: About 30 seconds. It analyzes your available conversation history.
+
+**Q: Will this slow down my workflow?**
+A: No! The commands take seconds. Think of it as a quick glance at your fitness tracker.
+
+**Q: What if I'm in the "Underutilizing" quadrant?**
+A: That's the most common position for goose users! It means you have powerful tools—now it's time to ask bigger questions.
+
+**Q: How often should I check?**
+A: Daily `/rp-why current`, weekly `/rp-why compare`. Takes under a minute total.
+
+**Q: Can I share my progress with my team?**
+A: Yes! The output is designed to be shareable. Screenshot or copy the quadrant visualization.
+
+---
+
+## Attribution
+
+- **Gas Town Framework**: Steve Yegge, ["Welcome to Gas Town"](https://steve-yegge.medium.com/welcome-to-gas-town-4f25ee16dd04) (January 2026)
+- **DOK Levels**: Norman Webb (1997)
+- **Full Framework Deep-Dive**: [Measuring the Cognitive Complexity of Human-AI Collaboration](#) (Block Engineering Blog)
+
+<head>
+  <meta property="og:title" content="Level Up Your AI Game with rp-why" />
+  <meta property="og:type" content="article" />
+  <meta property="og:url" content="https://block.github.io/goose/blog/2026/02/06/rp-why-skill" />
+  <meta property="og:description" content="A goose skill that measures the cognitive complexity of your AI collaboration using the Gas Town × DOK framework." />
+  <meta property="og:image" content="https://block.github.io/goose/blog/rp-why-skill/rp-why-banner-d3fdd6f674e8e308169e30efe6379735.png" />
+  <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" />
+  <meta property="twitter:domain" content="block.github.io" />
+  <meta name="twitter:title" content="Level Up Your AI Game with rp-why" />
+  <meta name="twitter:description" content="A goose skill that measures the cognitive complexity of your AI collaboration using the Gas Town × DOK framework." />
+  <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://block.github.io/goose/blog/rp-why-skill/rp-why-banner-d3fdd6f674e8e308169e30efe6379735.png" />
+</head>
@@ -208,3 +208,9 @@ matt:
    linkedin: matt8p
    github: matteo8p
    x: mcpjams
+
+dakota:
+  name: Dakota Fabro
+  description: Software Engineer, Engineering Fellowship
+  avatar: https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/148207179?v=4
+