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Level Up Your AI Game with rp-why

· 6 min read
Dakota Fabro

rp-why skill banner

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.

Want to use it? Keep reading.

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?

StageLevelDescription
1-2Chatbot CuriousBasic web chatbots, occasional use
3-4IDE IntegratedCopilot, chat in your editor
5Agent AutonomousCLI tools like goose running independently
6-8Multi-Agent MasterOrchestrating multiple AI agents, agentic workflows

Dimension 2: DOK Level (Question Depth)​

How complex are your prompts?

LevelNameExample Prompts
DOK 1Recall"What is X?" "List Y" "Define Z"
DOK 2Apply"How would I...?" "Compare A and B"
DOK 3Strategic"Design a system for..." "Analyze trade-offs..."
DOK 4Extended"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​

BeforeAfter
"What is a microservice?""How would I decide between microservices and a monolith for my project?"

Transform DOK 2 → DOK 3​

BeforeAfter
"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​

BeforeAfter
"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​

BadgeAchievementCriteria
🥉BronzeReduce DOK 1 prompts below 25%
🥈SilverAchieve 35%+ DOK 3 prompts in a session
🥇GoldComplete a DOK 4 multi-session project
💎DiamondReach the Frontier quadrant consistently

Personal Challenges​

ChallengeDescription
"No DOK 1" DayEvery 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:

npx skills add https://github.com/block/agent-skills --skill rp-why

Make sure you have the built-in Skills extension 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​