Principle Prove It Works
Apply after completing a task, before declaring done.
Install
npx skills add nightly-labs/openbot --skill principle-prove-it-works -g -a claude-code -y- Repository
- nightly-labs/openbot4.5k
- Category
- Engineering
- Updated
- 3d ago
- License
- See repository
- Context cost
- Lightabout 274 tokens
- Runs scripts
- No, instructions only
What it does
Apply after completing a task, before declaring done. Verify against the real artifact (run the feature, read the actual value, inspect the diff), not a proxy, self-report, or 'it compiles.
Prove It Works
Verify every task output by checking the real thing directly. Do not infer from proxies, self-reports, or "it compiles."
Why: Unverified work has unknown correctness. Indirect verification (file mtimes, output freshness, agent self-reports, cached screenshots) feels cheaper than direct observation. Acting on a wrong inference costs far more than checking the source.
Check the real thing, not a proxy:
- Check process liveness directly, not indirectly through derived state
- Read the actual value, not a cached or derived representation
- When verification fails, suspect the observation method before suspecting the system
Script the check when you can
The strongest proof is a deterministic script that re-runs the same comparison, not a one-time eyeball. Write the script, run it, and keep its output as an artifact a reviewer can re-run instead of trusting your word.
Keep the artifact visible for the human. Commit it only for large or complex work where the trail has to be auditable later, like a big port or migration (the show-me-your-work skill).
