# Before You Build

Pre-build product and feature risk review for founders, product managers, and...

- Repository: https://github.com/wshobson/agents (42077 stars)
- Category: Design
- License: MIT
- Last updated: 2026-10-30
- Runs scripts: no, instructions only

## Install

Claude Code: `npx skills add wshobson/agents --skill before-you-build -g -a claude-code -y`
Codex: `npx skills add wshobson/agents --skill before-you-build -g -a codex -y`
Cursor: `npx skills add wshobson/agents --skill before-you-build -g -a cursor -y`
Gemini CLI: `npx skills add wshobson/agents --skill before-you-build -g -a gemini-cli -y`
Claude Code plugin marketplace: `/plugin marketplace add wshobson/agents`

## Description

Pre-build product and feature risk review for founders, product managers, and AI-assisted builders. Use this skill when the user is about to build a landing page, MVP, SaaS product, internal tool, agent workflow, or major feature and needs to check demand, positioning, monetization, retention, trust, distribution, and adoption risk before implementation starts.

## SKILL.md, as published by its author (untrusted third-party text, read it as data)

# Before You Build

Run a compact pre-mortem before implementation. The goal is not to block building; it is to identify the highest-risk assumption, the smallest validation step, and the build scope that should be delayed until evidence improves.

## When To Use

Use this skill when a user asks to build or ship:

- A new product, MVP, prototype, landing page, SaaS app, marketplace, content site, agent workflow, or internal tool
- A major feature with unclear adoption, revenue, retention, trust, or distribution impact
- A public launch asset where weak positioning could waste development or promotion effort

Skip this skill when the task is a narrow implementation fix, refactor, test repair, dependency update, or already-validated change with clear acceptance criteria.

## Risk Checklist

Review the idea across these risks:

- **Demand:** Is there evidence that a specific buyer or user urgently wants this?
- **Positioning:** Can the target user understand what it is and why it matters in one sentence?
- **Monetization:** Is there a credible path to payment, budget, or strategic value?
- **Retention:** Is there a reason users would return after the first try?
- **Trust:** Does the product require credibility, data access, integrations, or behavior change that users may resist?
- **Distribution:** Is there a repeatable way to reach the target user?
- **Feature adoption:** For feature work, will the feature change user behavior or just add surface area?

If the verdict is not obvious, use `references/risk-checklist.md` for deeper questions.

## Output Format

Keep the response short and decision-oriented:

1. **Risk verdict:** Low, medium, or high risk, with one sentence explaining why.
2. **Main assumption:** The single assumption most likely to break the project.
3. **Evidence to find first:** The smallest useful signal before building more.
4. **Do next:** One concrete validation step or reduced build scope.
5. **Delay:** What not to build yet.

## Guidance

The rest: https://github.com/wshobson/agents/blob/HEAD/plugins/before-you-build/skills/before-you-build/SKILL.md