Knowledge Synthesis Skill
Extract the reusable from the specific. Store at the highest level that remains true.
The Synthesis Process
1. Abstract — Strip project-specific details
| Before (project-specific) | After (abstracted) |
|---|---|
| "In Alex extension, synapses.json breaks when files are renamed" | "Connection metadata breaks when target files are renamed" |
| "We migrated knowledge files to skills/" | "When reorganizing knowledge files, update all internal references" |
| "Alex's dream runs brain-qa.ps1" | "Automated health checks should run validation scripts" |
Test: Would this insight help someone who's never seen this project?
2. Generalize — Find the abstraction level
| Level | Example | Store As |
|---|---|---|
| Project-specific | "Alex uses synapses.json" | Don't store globally |
| Technology-specific | "JSON schema files break silently on rename" | GI-* insight |
| Architecture pattern | "Self-referencing metadata needs rename-aware tooling" | GK-* pattern |
| Universal principle | "Metadata that references other files is fragile by nature" | GK-* (high value) |
Store at the highest level that remains true. If generalizing makes it wrong, stay specific.
3. Connect — Link to existing knowledge
Before creating new knowledge, check: does this extend an existing pattern?
| Signal | Action |
|---|---|
| "We solved this before in project X" | Extend existing GK-* with new example |
| "This is the third time I've seen this" | Promote from insight (GI-) to pattern (GK-) |
| "This contradicts what we knew" | Update existing pattern, note the exception |
| "This is entirely new" | Create new GI-* insight, observe before promoting |
4. Store — Right format, right location
| Type | Prefix | Criteria | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pattern | GK-* | Proven in 2+ projects, abstracted, actionable | patterns/ |
| Insight | GI-* | Single observation, timestamped, may not generalize | insights/ |
Quality bar: 10 great patterns > 100 mediocre notes.
Pattern Triggers
| Signal During Work | Synthesis Opportunity |
|---|---|
| "We did this before" | Recurring solution → pattern candidate |
| Same bug in different context | Missing knowledge → capture the fix pattern |
| "This works everywhere" | Universal principle → high-value pattern |
| "I wish I'd known this earlier" | Onboarding knowledge → insight worth capturing |
| "This is not obvious" | Non-obvious insight → capture the why |
Promotion Checklist (Insight → Pattern)
Before promoting a GI-* insight to GK-* pattern:
- • Abstracted from original project context
- • Named with clear, searchable slug
- • Tagged with relevant categories
- • Connected to existing patterns (if related)
- • Includes at least one concrete example
- • The generalization is still true (not over-abstracted)
Anti-Patterns
| Don't | Why | Do Instead |
|---|---|---|
| Store every learning | Creates noise, reduces signal | Filter for non-obvious insights |
| Copy-paste project specifics | Not reusable outside original context | Abstract first |
| Create near-duplicates | Fragments knowledge | Extend existing patterns |
| Over-generalize | "Always do X" is usually wrong | Include scope and exceptions |
| Skip examples | Abstract knowledge is hard to apply | Include 1-2 concrete examples |
Synthesis During Meditation
Phase 2 of meditation is the natural synthesis point:
- •Review session insights (Phase 1 output)
- •For each insight: Abstract → check if existing pattern covers it → extend or create
- •Connect new entries via synapses to related skills
- •Verify the global knowledge index is updated
Synapses
See synapses.json for connections.