Optimize
Coach on Claude Code usage - are you using it effectively?
What to Analyze
Skills vs Sub-agents vs Hooks
Check if the user is using the right mechanism:
| Mechanism | Purpose | Use when |
|---|---|---|
| Skill | Workflow instructions | Orchestration, multi-step processes, templates |
| Sub-agent | Isolated Claude instance | Tool restrictions, fresh context, parallel/background work |
| Hook | Automated script | Deterministic automation, no LLM reasoning needed |
Signs a skill should be a sub-agent:
- •Needs tool restrictions (read-only, no writes)
- •Needs isolated context (fresh perspective)
- •Should run in background
Signs something should be a hook:
- •Deterministic (same input → same output)
- •Should run automatically on events
- •Doesn't need LLM reasoning
Skill Naming Conventions
- •Actions:
validate-*,generate-*,analyze-*(verb-first for things that do something) - •Workflows:
*-workflow,*-process(for multi-step orchestration) - •Analysis:
reflect,optimize,review(introspective skills)
Avoid generic names like helper, util, misc.
Prompting Patterns
- •Are instructions clear and specific?
- •Could tasks be batched or parallelized?
- •Are they using plan mode for complex tasks?
- •Are they over-specifying or under-specifying?
Tool Usage
- •Are they using the right tools? (e.g., Glob vs Bash find)
- •Are sub-agents being used for parallelizable work?
- •Are hooks being used for automation?
- •Is the scratchpad being used for temp files?
Repository Setup
- •Is there a CLAUDE.md with project conventions?
- •Are skills defined for repeatable workflows?
- •Is the .claude/ structure well-organized?
- •Are there hooks for common operations?
Workflow Efficiency
- •Are they context-switching unnecessarily?
- •Could doc-validator prevent rework?
- •Are they using /init, /compact, /clear appropriately?
- •Is work being persisted properly between sessions?
Process
- •Use
/ask-claudeto get current best practices for the patterns you're evaluating (e.g.,/ask-claude when should I use sub-agents vs skills?) - •Compare best practices against observed usage in this conversation
- •Identify gaps and underutilized features
- •Prioritize suggestions by impact
Note: This skill composes with /ask-claude. Don't skip step 1.
Output Format
code
## Usage Analysis ### What You're Doing Well - [effective pattern observed] ### Opportunities #### High Impact - [significant improvement] - Current: [what you're doing] - Better: [recommended approach] #### Quick Wins - [small change, easy to adopt] ### Repository Improvements - [specific setup suggestion] ### Commands/Features to Try - [underutilized feature]