Disagreement Crux Finder
Untangle a stuck disagreement: steelman each side, find shared ground, name the crux, and agree a fair test or decision rule.
Before & after
Same prompt, same agent — the only difference is the skill.
It's smart to think through what could go wrong before launching in a new market. There are usually regulatory considerations, market fit questions, and execution risks. You'll want to consider competition, pricing, and whether your product actually solves a problem there. It's hard to predict everything, but doing a risk review is definitely better than just shipping and hoping. What's your go-to-market strategy—direct sales, partnerships, or self-serve? That affects what could fail.
RISK REPORT: EU MARKET LAUNCH (Q1 2027) CRITICAL FAILURE MODE 1 → REGULATORY BLOCKERS Scenario: GDPR compliance gaps discovered mid-launch Root cause: Data residency requirements not met, privacy policy vague Impact: Can't accept new customers, service suspended, legal liability Mitigation FIRST: Audit data storage locations (EU only vs global) Workaround: Spin up separate EU data center (4-week lead time, 50K cost) Red flag: If you haven't run legal review by December, delay launch CRITICAL FAILURE MODE 2 → PAYMENT PROCESSING UNAVAILABLE Scenario: Stripe doesn't support company registration type in Germany/France Root cause: Assumed Stripe covers all EU entity structures (false) Impact: Can't process payments, revenue = zero, can't scale Mitigation FIRST: Test payment flow with actual EU customer before launch Workaround: Add alternative processor (Adyen) as fallback Red flag: Test this THIS MONTH, not January CRITICAL FAILURE MODE 3 → WRONG PRODUCT FIT FOR MARKET Scenario: EU competitors have better feature parity, customers choose incumbents Root cause: Didn't validate that feature X resonates in EU workflows Impact: Low signups, burn cash on marketing with no return Mitigation FIRST: Interview 10 EU prospects on actual workflow needs Workaround: Add EU-specific features (multi-language, local terminology) Red flag: If feedback is "nice to have" not "must have", market not ready MIDDLE-LEVEL RISKS (execution) → Translation quality (automated copy reads broken to EU audience) → Time zone support (your support hours don't match EU business hours) → Tax/VAT complexity (invoicing rules different by country) ACTION ITEMS (by date) Dec 1: Legal/compliance audit complete Dec 15: Payment processor testing locked in Dec 31: Prospect interviews done, product roadmap finalized Jan 15: Launch decision GO/NO-GO
About this skill
Most stuck arguments are several disagreements tangled together. This skill separates them, shows what both sides already agree on, and finds the one question that would actually change minds.
What it does
- Steelmans each position so its holder would sign it, and flags secondhand accounts
- Separates stated positions from the interests behind them
- Tags each sub-disagreement as facts, prediction, values, definitions, risk tolerance, or authority
- Finds the crux: what each side would need to see to change their mind
- Proposes a resolution path: agreed data, a test with a pre-set threshold, a decision rule, or the decider
What you get
A neutral map of the dispute: the question in neutral words, both steelmen, what is already agreed, a sub-disagreement table with cruxes and resolution paths, and questions for the next conversation.
Best for
Cofounders, leadership teams, and cross-functional leads stuck in a recurring argument, or anyone torn between two views.
SKILL.md preview
---
name: common-ground-crux-finder
description: Untangle a disagreement between two or more positions - cofounders, teams, stakeholders, or two options the user is torn between - by steelmanning each side until its holder would sign it, separating positions from underlying interests, naming the type of disagreement, finding the crux that would change minds, and proposing a test or decision rule both sides can accept. Use when the user says "my cofounder and I can't agree", "help us find common ground", "we keep arguing about this", "what are we actually disagreeing about?", "steelman both sides", "mediate this", or "I'm torn between two views".
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# Common Ground Crux Finder
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