Builds structured abstraction ladders that translate high-level principles into concrete, actionable examples across 3-5 levels. Bridges communication gaps, reveals hidden assumptions, and tests whether abstract ideas work in practice. Use when explaining concepts at different expertise levels, moving between abstract principles and concrete implementation, identifying edge cases by testing ideas against scenarios, designing layered documentation, decomposing complex problems into actionable steps, or bridging strategy-execution gaps.
The ladder uses 3-5 levels connecting universal principles to concrete details. Example:
constructor(private repo: IUserRepository) {}Copy this checklist and track your progress:
Abstraction Ladder Progress:
- [ ] Step 1: Gather requirements
- [ ] Step 2: Choose approach
- [ ] Step 3: Build the ladder
- [ ] Step 4: Validate quality
- [ ] Step 5: Deliver and explain
Step 1: Gather requirements
Ask the user to clarify topic, purpose, audience, scope (suggest 4 levels), and starting point (top-down, bottom-up, or middle-out). This ensures the ladder serves the user's actual need.
Step 2: Choose approach
For straightforward cases with clear topics → Use resources/template.md. For complex cases with multiple parallel ladders or unusual constraints → Study resources/methodology.md. To see examples → Show user resources/examples/ (api-design.md, hiring-process.md).
Step 3: Build the ladder
Create abstraction-concrete-examples.md with topic, 3-5 distinct abstraction levels, connections between levels, and 2-3 edge cases. Ensure top level is universal, bottom level has measurable specifics, and transitions are logical. Direction options: top-down (principle → examples), bottom-up (observations → principles), or middle-out (familiar → both directions).
Step 4: Validate quality
Self-assess using resources/evaluators/rubric_abstraction_concrete_examples.json. Check: each level is distinct, transitions are clear, top level is universal, bottom level is specific, edge cases reveal insights, assumptions are stated, no topic drift, serves stated purpose. Minimum standard: Average score ≥ 3.5. If any criterion < 3, revise before delivering.
Step 5: Deliver and explain
Present the completed abstraction-concrete-examples.md file. Highlight key insights revealed by the ladder, note interesting edge cases or tensions discovered, and suggest applications based on their original purpose.
For communication across levels:
For validation:
For design:
Do:
Don't:
resources/template.mdresources/methodology.mdresources/examples/api-design.md, resources/examples/hiring-process.mdresources/evaluators/rubric_abstraction_concrete_examples.json