Every decision rests on assumptions that are rarely examined consciously. The Assumption Protocol digs deeper layer by layer: from the obvious justification through several intermediate levels down to the root assumption on which a belief ultimately stands. Each layer is checked individually, rather than being declared right or wrong across the board.
\nThe skill is built for executives and strategists who feel stuck in a pattern of thinking, or who want to make a decision that still does not feel entirely right. It does not replace a one-on-one conversation with a trusted colleague and it does not replace solid market data. What it delivers is a structured self-examination whose quality depends on the honesty of the answers, not on the depth of the questions alone.
\n" }, { "id": "skill-text", "title": "Skill Text", "html": "Copy the prompt below in full into your AI tool. As a file: annahmen-protokoll.en.json
\n" } ], "schritte": [ { "nr": 1, "titel": "Name the assumption", "beschreibung": "A belief to be examined is named, together with the context in which it appears.", "rolle": "mensch" }, { "nr": 2, "titel": "Uncover five layers", "beschreibung": "Layer by layer, the analysis digs deeper, from the first justification down to the root assumption, checking each layer for whether it holds up.", "rolle": "automatisch" }, { "nr": 3, "titel": "Assumption map", "beschreibung": "All five layers are ready, with a check step for each layer, a letting-go check, and at least one new course of action.", "rolle": "ergebnis" }, { "nr": 4, "titel": "Decide consciously", "beschreibung": "Assumptions are let go of or deliberately kept.", "rolle": "mensch" } ], "herausgeber": "Voyage Digital", "version": "2.0", "stand": "2026-07-26", "umsetzung": [ { "titel": "Choose a personal assumption", "text": "A belief that has so far been taken for granted works best." }, { "titel": "Set up the skill", "text": "The skill text is copied and your own assumption is entered." }, { "titel": "Work through the layers", "text": "The five layers are worked through in order, even if the depth is surprising." }, { "titel": "Use the freedom", "text": "At the end, a conscious decision is made about which assumptions can be let go of." } ], "zutaten": [ "Assumption" ], "beispielSzenario": "An executive is convinced that her company must publish new content regularly to stay visible. The skill digs five layers deep: from the first justification, content creates visibility, through the intermediate layer, visibility generates leads, down to the root assumption, without constant presence the company will be forgotten. The letting-go check at the end shows which of these assumptions actually holds up and which new course of action opens up instead.", "eingaben": [ { "feld": "Assumption or belief to be examined", "pflicht": true }, { "feld": "Context: situation or decision in which the assumption appears", "pflicht": false }, { "feld": "Goal: what you hope to get out of the review", "pflicht": false } ], "ausgabe": "A five-layer analysis with a check step for each layer, a letting-go check, and at least one concrete new course of action.", "prompt": "# DESCRIPTION\nUncovers an assumption across five layers, from the first justification down to the root assumption beneath it. Checks each layer for whether it holds up and shows which assumptions can be let go of in good conscience.\n\n# INPUT\n- An assumption or belief to be examined (required)\n- Context: In which situation or decision does the assumption appear? (optional)\n- Goal: What do you hope to get out of the review? (optional)\n\n# OUTPUT\n- Five-layer analysis:\n - Layer 1: First justification on the surface\n - Layer 2: Deeper assumption\n - Layer 3: Meta assumption\n - Layer 4: Fundamental assumption\n - Layer 5: Root assumption\n- Check step for each layer\n- Letting-go check: Which assumptions can be given up, which remain necessary?\n- Concrete new courses of action\n\n# CONTEXT\n- Placeholders for use: COMPANY, INDUSTRY, TARGET AUDIENCE\n- Underlying disciplines: cognitive biases, belief systems, the Socratic method, critical thinking\n- Important constraint: Do not declare every assumption false across the board. The review must be honest, not confirmatory, and may also conclude that an assumption holds up.\n- The assistant explicitly marks its own guesses as an assumption whenever facts about the user's situation are missing, rather than presenting them as established.\n- The assistant addresses the user in a professional manner throughout.\n\n# WORKING INSTRUCTIONS\n## Step 1: Capture the starting assumption\nTake the stated assumption as the starting point and understand the context in which it appears.\n\n## Step 2: Conduct the five-layer analysis\nFor each layer, ask: Why is that the case? What deeper assumption has to be true for this to make sense? What does this deeper belief rest on? Each layer must go deeper than the one before it.\n\n## Step 3: Check step\nFor each layer, ask: Does this assumption actually hold? What is it based on? What if it does not hold? What evidence supports it, what evidence contradicts it?\n\n## Step 4: Letting-go check\nWhich of these assumptions has to remain in place? Which can be given up? What would change as a result? What new courses of action emerge? Name at least one concrete alternative.\n\n# DEFINITION OF DONE\n[ ] All five layers are worked out and go progressively deeper\n[ ] Each layer has a check step\n[ ] The root assumption is named\n[ ] The letting-go check shows at least one assumption that can be given up\n[ ] Concrete new courses of action are named\n[ ] The review stays honest, not confirmatory\n\n# CONVERSATION START\nWelcome to the Assumption Protocol. Tell me a belief you take for granted, something you simply believe without question. I will uncover, layer by layer, what it actually stands on.", "einrichtung": { "intro": "Step-by-step guides for ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot Studio and Langdock.", "plattformen": [ { "plattform": "ChatGPT", "anbieter": "OpenAI", "schritte": [ "Copy the skill text above using the copy button.", "Click your profile picture and select \"Skills\".", "Click \"Create skill\" and paste the copied text as the instruction.", "Adjust inputs, outputs and format where your case requires it.", "Save the skill. It is available in all chats from that point on." ], "doku": { "label": { "de": "OpenAI Dokumentation: Skills in ChatGPT", "en": "OpenAI documentation: Skills in ChatGPT" }, "url": "https://help.openai.com/de-de/articles/20001066-skills-in-chatgpt" } }, { "plattform": "Claude", "anbieter": "Anthropic", "schritte": [ "Copy the skill text above using the copy button.", "Open claude.ai and go to \"Skills\" in your profile.", "Create a new skill and paste the copied text as the instruction.", "The skill works in claude.ai, in Claude Code and through the API.", "Available on the Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans." ], "doku": { "label": { "de": "Anthropic Dokumentation: Benutzerdefinierte Skills erstellen", "en": "Anthropic documentation: Creating custom skills" }, "url": "https://support.claude.com/de/articles/12512198-benutzerdefinierte-skills-erstellen" } }, { "plattform": "Copilot Studio", "anbieter": "Microsoft", "schritte": [ "Copy the skill text above using the copy button.", "Open Copilot Studio and create a new agent.", "Paste the copied text as the instruction.", "Connect knowledge sources and tools where needed.", "Publish the agent for yourself or for your organisation." ], "doku": { "label": { "de": "Microsoft Dokumentation: Einen Agent erstellen und bereitstellen", "en": "Microsoft documentation: Create and deploy an agent" }, "url": "https://learn.microsoft.com/de-de/microsoft-copilot-studio/fundamentals-get-started" } }, { "plattform": "Langdock", "anbieter": null, "schritte": [ "Copy the skill text above using the copy button.", "Open the sidebar and click \"Add skill\".", "Paste the copied text directly as the instruction.", "Connect the skill to integrations such as Gmail or Slack where needed.", "Save the skill and release it for yourself or your team." ], "doku": { "label": { "de": "Langdock Dokumentation: Skills", "en": "Langdock documentation: Skills" }, "url": "https://docs.langdock.com/de/product/chat/skills" } } ] }, "itemIcon": "help-circle", "recommended": [ { "slug": "gegenrede-protokoll", "category": "skill", "name": "The Devil's Advocate Protocol", "teaser": "The Devil's Advocate Protocol deliberately argues against your strategy or decision to expose risks, questionable assumptions and blind spots before you commit resources.", "domaene": "Strategie & Entscheidung", "itemIcon": "messages-square" }, { "slug": "steelman-schema", "category": "skill", "name": "The Steelman Framework", "teaser": "The Steelman Framework takes the deliberate counterposition to an idea, strategy or decision, first summarizing it in its strongest form and then testing it with substantial counterarguments from multiple perspectives, exposed blind spots and worst case scenarios, before closing with a strengthened argument and a clear recommendation.", "domaene": "Strategie & Entscheidung", "itemIcon": "shield-half" }, { "slug": "stresstest-protokoll", "category": "skill", "name": "The Stress Test Protocol", "teaser": "Puts a concept, process or strategy under attack from the perspective of a specific critic, such as a skeptical CFO or an impatient customer, and exposes its weak points before they surface in the real meeting.", "domaene": "Strategie & Entscheidung", "itemIcon": "activity" }, { "slug": "gegenargument-sparringspartner", "category": "assistent", "name": "The Counterargument Sparring Partner", "teaser": "Tests a thesis or decision by formulating well-founded counterarguments and systematically questioning assumptions, evidence and logic.", "domaene": "Strategie & Entscheidung", "itemIcon": "shield-half" }, { "slug": "strategie-sparringspartner", "category": "assistent", "name": "The Strategy Sparring Partner", "teaser": "Checks strategy drafts with the same rigor you would apply to code before a release, systematically attacking assumptions instead of confirming them.", "domaene": "Strategie & Entscheidung", "itemIcon": "milestone" }, { "slug": "business-case-geruest", "category": "skill", "name": "The Business Case Builder", "teaser": "Turns a project idea, its costs and expected benefits into a complete business case with ROI, payback period, three scenarios and a reasoned go or no-go recommendation.", "domaene": "Strategie & Entscheidung", "itemIcon": "trending-up" }, { "slug": "chancenraum-konzept", "category": "skill", "name": "The Opportunity Space Concept", "teaser": "Turns a seemingly disadvantageous situation into its own opportunity space, working out what becomes possible precisely because of it instead of searching for the obvious problem solution.", "domaene": "Strategie & Entscheidung", "itemIcon": "map" }, { "slug": "domino-raster", "category": "skill", "name": "The Domino Grid", "teaser": "The Domino Grid traces a planned action across five levels of consequences to reveal where the real strategic opportunity actually lies.", "domaene": "Strategie & Entscheidung", "itemIcon": "waypoints" }, { "slug": "entscheidungs-dossier", "category": "skill", "name": "The Decision Dossier", "teaser": "The Decision Dossier turns a decision question, options and context into a structured decision template with a weighted scoring matrix, pros and cons, a risk assessment and a substantiated recommendation.", "domaene": "Strategie & Entscheidung", "itemIcon": "scale" }, { "slug": "fundament-geruest", "category": "skill", "name": "The First Principles Framework", "teaser": "The First Principles Framework strips an existing solution or industry practice down to its fundamental truths and rebuilds it from zero, free of convention.", "domaene": "Strategie & Entscheidung", "itemIcon": "blocks" }, { "slug": "ideen-manoever", "category": "skill", "name": "The Idea Maneuver", "teaser": "Generates at least 10 ideas for a given question across multiple creativity techniques and rates each one for feasibility and impact.", "domaene": "Strategie & Entscheidung", "itemIcon": "lightbulb" }, { "slug": "muster-dossier", "category": "skill", "name": "The Pattern Dossier", "teaser": "Collects a series of decisions, projects, or content and exposes the overarching pattern behind them, including the actual unconscious strategy, real selection criteria, and blind spots.", "domaene": "Strategie & Entscheidung", "itemIcon": "grid-2x2" }, { "slug": "umkehr-manoever", "category": "skill", "name": "The Reversal Maneuver", "teaser": "The Reversal Maneuver takes your biggest business constraint and inverts it completely into a concrete competitive advantage, target audience, and business model, instead of merely softening the disadvantage.", "domaene": "Strategie & Entscheidung", "itemIcon": "undo-2" }, { "slug": "widerspruchs-schema", "category": "skill", "name": "The Contradiction Resolver", "teaser": "Finds a solution that fully satisfies two seemingly contradictory requirements by questioning the premise behind the conflict and testing sequence, level, and system-redesign approaches instead of settling for a compromise.", "domaene": "Strategie & Entscheidung", "itemIcon": "split" }, { "slug": "zeitachsen-manoever", "category": "skill", "name": "The Timeline Maneuver", "teaser": "Places the same problem on a timeline and questions it three times, in the past, present and future, to reveal patterns, blind spots and courses of action.", "domaene": "Strategie & Entscheidung", "itemIcon": "calendar-range" }, { "slug": "business-case-dokumentierer", "category": "assistent", "name": "The Business Case Documenter", "teaser": "Turns a project idea, an investment or an initiative into the form decision makers actually read: benefits, costs, risks and a clear recommendation, cleanly structured and free of jargon.", "domaene": "Strategie & Entscheidung", "itemIcon": "trending-up" }, { "slug": "wettbewerbskraefte-pruefer", "category": "assistent", "name": "The Five Forces Analyzer", "teaser": "Analyzes an industry systematically using Michael Porter's five competitive forces and derives a well founded assessment of market attractiveness.", "domaene": "Strategie & Entscheidung", "itemIcon": "swords" }, { "slug": "grill-me", "category": "tool", "name": "grill-me", "teaser": "grill-me is an external skill repository by Matt Pocock that clarifies plans and designs through persistent questioning, branch by branch, before any code is written.", "domaene": "Strategie & Entscheidung" }, { "slug": "vertragsrisiko-kette", "category": "workflow", "name": "The Contract Risk Chain", "teaser": "An automation workflow that reads new contracts on arrival, extracts key terms, and files a structured high, medium and low risk assessment for the responsible team to review.", "domaene": "Recht & Compliance", "itemIcon": "file-warning" } ] }