--- model: claude-sonnet-4-0 allowed-tools: Task, Read, Write, Bash(*), Glob, Grep argument-hint: [--audit-depth=] [--challenge-method=] [--scope=] description: Fundamental premise challenging with alternative framework generation --- # Assumption Audit Engine Systematically identify, examine, and challenge fundamental assumptions to reveal hidden constraints and generate alternative frameworks for breakthrough thinking. Transform taken-for-granted beliefs into explicit, testable hypotheses that can be validated or replaced with superior alternatives. ## Audit Depth Framework ### Explicit Level (Stated assumptions and declared premises) [Extended thinking: Surface assumptions that are openly stated but rarely questioned. These are visible premises that organizations or individuals acknowledge but don't critically examine.] **Identification Targets:** - **Declared Constraints**: Explicitly stated limitations that may be negotiable - **Policy Premises**: Organizational rules based on assumptions about efficiency or necessity - **Method Assumptions**: Stated beliefs about why certain approaches work best - **Resource Limitations**: Declared scarcity that may reflect historical rather than current reality - **Timeline Constraints**: Stated deadlines based on assumptions about dependencies and priorities **Audit Questions:** - "What explicit constraints are we stating, and why do we believe they're absolute?" - "Which policies exist because of assumptions that may no longer be valid?" - "What stated limitations might be more flexible than we assume?" - "Which declared 'requirements' are actually preferences or historical artifacts?" - "What timeline constraints are based on assumptions versus proven dependencies?" ### Implicit Level (Unstated but operating assumptions) [Extended thinking: Uncover hidden assumptions that guide behavior and decision-making without conscious recognition. These are often the most powerful constraints because they operate below awareness.] **Identification Targets:** - **Cultural Defaults**: Unspoken beliefs about "how things are done" in organization or domain - **Success Definitions**: Unstated assumptions about what constitutes good outcomes - **User Behavior Models**: Hidden beliefs about how people will interact with systems - **Market Assumptions**: Unstated beliefs about customer needs and competitive dynamics - **Technology Premises**: Hidden assumptions about what's possible or practical **Audit Questions:** - "What behaviors do we exhibit that reveal unstated beliefs?" - "What are we optimizing for that we never explicitly decided to prioritize?" - "What user behaviors are we assuming without validation?" - "Which market conditions do we treat as permanent that might be temporary?" - "What technological limitations do we accept without questioning their necessity?" ### Structural Level (Framework and methodology assumptions) [Extended thinking: Challenge the fundamental frameworks and methodologies being used. Question not just the content of thinking but the structure of thinking itself.] **Identification Targets:** - **Analytical Frameworks**: Assumed models for understanding and analysis - **Decision-Making Processes**: Unstated assumptions about how choices should be made - **Problem-Solving Approaches**: Hidden beliefs about effective methodology - **Measurement Systems**: Assumptions about what should be measured and how - **Organizational Structures**: Unstated beliefs about how work should be organized **Audit Questions:** - "What analytical framework are we using, and why is it the right one?" - "What assumptions underlie our decision-making process?" - "Are we solving the right problem, or just the problem we know how to solve?" - "What are we measuring, and what does that reveal about our assumptions?" - "How does our organizational structure reflect assumptions about human nature and work?" ### Paradigmatic Level (Worldview and philosophical premises) [Extended thinking: Question fundamental worldview assumptions that shape entire approaches to problems. Challenge the deepest philosophical premises about reality, human nature, and possibility.] **Identification Targets:** - **Reality Models**: Basic assumptions about how the world works - **Human Nature Beliefs**: Fundamental assumptions about motivation, capability, and behavior - **Value System Premises**: Unstated beliefs about what matters most - **Progress Assumptions**: Hidden beliefs about development, improvement, and change - **Possibility Boundaries**: Assumptions about what's achievable or impossible **Audit Questions:** - "What fundamental beliefs about reality underlie our entire approach?" - "What assumptions about human nature shape our strategies?" - "Which values are we prioritizing without conscious choice?" - "What beliefs about progress and improvement guide our decisions?" - "What do we assume is impossible that might actually be achievable?" ## Challenge Methodology Framework ### Evidence Examination Protocol [Extended thinking: Systematically demand proof for assumptions, testing their factual foundation and empirical support.] **Evidence Validation Process:** 1. **Source Identification**: Where did this assumption originate? 2. **Recency Assessment**: How current is the supporting evidence? 3. **Context Relevance**: Does evidence from other contexts apply here? 4. **Sample Size Evaluation**: Is evidence based on sufficient data? 5. **Alternative Explanation Testing**: What other factors might explain observed patterns? **Evidence Quality Framework:** - **Primary vs. Secondary**: Direct observation versus reported findings - **Quantitative vs. Anecdotal**: Statistical data versus individual stories - **Independent vs. Interested**: Unbiased sources versus stakeholder claims - **Recent vs. Historical**: Current conditions versus past circumstances - **Comprehensive vs. Limited**: Broad sampling versus narrow examples ### Alternative Generation Engine [Extended thinking: Create competing premises and frameworks that could replace existing assumptions with potentially superior alternatives.] **Alternative Development Process:** 1. **Assumption Inversion**: What if the opposite assumption were true? 2. **Context Shifting**: How would this assumption change in different environments? 3. **Stakeholder Rotation**: What would this look like from different perspectives? 4. **Time Projection**: How might this assumption evolve with changing conditions? 5. **Constraint Removal**: What becomes possible if we eliminate this assumption? **Alternative Categories:** - **Incremental Variations**: Small modifications to existing assumptions - **Orthogonal Approaches**: Completely different frameworks for same problem - **Paradigm Shifts**: Fundamental worldview changes that transform everything - **Hybrid Models**: Combinations of existing and alternative assumptions - **Future-State Projections**: Assumptions appropriate for anticipated future conditions ### Edge Case Testing Framework [Extended thinking: Find boundary conditions and extreme scenarios where assumptions break down, revealing their limitations and appropriate scope.] **Boundary Exploration:** - **Scale Extremes**: What happens at very small or very large scales? - **Performance Limits**: At what point do assumptions cease to function? - **Resource Variations**: How do assumptions change with different resource levels? - **Context Extremes**: What conditions would make assumptions invalid? - **Stakeholder Diversity**: How do assumptions work for different user types? **Failure Mode Analysis:** - **Graceful Degradation**: How do assumptions fail when conditions change? - **Cascade Effects**: What happens when assumption failure affects other assumptions? - **Recovery Mechanisms**: How can systems adapt when assumptions prove incorrect? - **Warning Signals**: What indicators suggest assumption validity is declining? - **Alternative Activation**: How quickly can alternative assumptions be implemented? ## Execution Examples ### Example 1: Product Development Assumption Audit ```bash assumption_audit "Our users want more features" --audit-depth=implicit --challenge-method=evidence --scope=comprehensive ``` **Implicit Assumption Identification:** - **Hidden Premise**: "Feature quantity correlates with user satisfaction" - **Unstated Belief**: "Users can effectively utilize additional complexity" - **Cultural Default**: "Progress means adding capabilities" - **Success Definition**: "Customer requests indicate true needs" - **User Behavior Model**: "Power users represent our core market" **Evidence Examination:** - **Request vs. Usage Analysis**: Do users actually use requested features? - **Satisfaction Correlation**: Does feature count correlate with user satisfaction scores? - **Competitive Analysis**: Do feature-rich competitors have higher user retention? - **Behavior Tracking**: How do users interact with existing feature sets? - **Churn Analysis**: Do users leave because of missing features or overwhelming complexity? **Alternative Framework Generation:** - **Alternative 1**: "Users want better execution of core features rather than new features" - **Alternative 2**: "Different user segments have completely different feature priorities" - **Alternative 3**: "Users want easier workflows, which might mean fewer, not more features" - **Alternative 4**: "Feature requests reflect user workarounds for poor core functionality" ### Example 2: Organizational Structure Assumption Audit ```bash assumption_audit "Hierarchical management improves coordination" --audit-depth=structural --challenge-method=alternative-generation --scope=organizational ``` **Structural Framework Challenge:** - **Management Hierarchy**: Assumes information flows efficiently up and down command chains - **Decision Authority**: Assumes people closest to authority make best decisions - **Coordination Mechanism**: Assumes central coordination prevents conflicts and duplication - **Accountability Structure**: Assumes clear reporting lines improve responsibility - **Information Flow**: Assumes managers effectively filter and distribute information **Alternative Generation Process:** - **Network Model**: Self-organizing teams with peer-to-peer coordination - **Market Model**: Internal teams compete and collaborate like external vendors - **Community Model**: Shared ownership and collective decision-making - **Platform Model**: Central infrastructure with autonomous product teams - **Hybrid Models**: Different structures for different types of work **Edge Case Testing:** - **Rapid Change**: How does hierarchy handle fast-moving, uncertain environments? - **Creative Work**: Does hierarchical oversight help or hinder innovation? - **Expert Knowledge**: How does hierarchy work when subordinates have more domain expertise? - **Crisis Response**: Which structure responds more effectively to emergencies? - **Scale Variations**: At what organizational size do different models work best? ### Example 3: Technology Architecture Assumption Audit ```bash assumption_audit "Microservices improve system maintainability" --audit-depth=paradigmatic --challenge-method=paradigm-shift --scope=technical ``` **Paradigmatic Challenge:** - **Modularity Paradigm**: Assumes breaking systems into smaller pieces improves understanding - **Independence Ideal**: Assumes loose coupling always improves system properties - **Distributed Systems Philosophy**: Assumes network-based coordination is manageable - **Service Ownership Model**: Assumes team boundaries should match service boundaries - **Technology Diversity Belief**: Assumes freedom to choose different technologies per service is beneficial **Paradigm Shift Exploration:** - **Monolithic Excellence**: What if we made monoliths so good that splitting them became unnecessary? - **Deployment-Only Microservices**: What if we kept logical modularity but deployed as single unit? - **Data-Centric Architecture**: What if we organized around data flows rather than service boundaries? - **Function-Based Systems**: What if we organized around mathematical functions rather than services? - **AI-Coordinated Complexity**: What if AI agents managed distributed system coordination? **Worldview Assumption Testing:** - **Complexity Management**: Is distributed complexity easier to manage than centralized complexity? - **Human Cognitive Limits**: Are service boundaries artificial constraints on human understanding? - **System Evolution**: Do systems naturally want to be distributed or unified? - **Development Team Dynamics**: Do small teams always produce better software? ## Advanced Audit Features ### Assumption Interdependency Mapping [Extended thinking: Identify how assumptions depend on each other and how challenging one assumption might cascade to others.] **Dependency Analysis:** - **Foundation Assumptions**: Core premises that support multiple other assumptions - **Chain Dependencies**: Linear sequences where each assumption depends on the previous - **Circular Dependencies**: Assumptions that mutually reinforce each other - **Hierarchical Support**: How high-level assumptions justify lower-level premises - **Cross-Domain Connections**: How assumptions in one area affect other areas ### Cultural Context Assessment [Extended thinking: Understand how assumptions are shaped by and embedded in specific cultural, organizational, or professional contexts.] **Context Evaluation:** - **Industry Culture**: How professional norms shape assumptions - **Organizational History**: How past experiences create current assumptions - **Geographic Influence**: How location and culture affect premises - **Generational Differences**: How assumptions vary across age groups - **Educational Background**: How training and education embed assumptions ### Assumption Evolution Tracking [Extended thinking: Monitor how assumptions change over time and predict future assumption shifts.] **Evolution Patterns:** - **Historical Progression**: How assumptions have changed in the past - **Trigger Events**: What events cause assumption shifts - **Gradual Drift**: Slow assumption evolution without explicit recognition - **Revolutionary Shifts**: Rapid, dramatic assumption changes - **Cyclical Patterns**: Assumptions that periodically return in new forms ## Success Optimization ### Audit Quality Indicators - **Assumption Discovery**: Identification of previously unrecognized premises - **Evidence Rigor**: Thorough testing of assumption foundations - **Alternative Creativity**: Generation of genuinely different frameworks - **Challenge Depth**: Willingness to question fundamental premises - **Implementation Readiness**: Practical pathways for assumption replacement ### Breakthrough Potential Assessment - **Constraint Liberation**: Freedom from limiting beliefs - **Innovation Opportunity**: New possibilities revealed through assumption challenging - **Competitive Advantage**: Unique approaches unavailable to assumption-bound competitors - **Problem Reframing**: Better problem definitions through assumption questioning - **Solution Space Expansion**: Broader range of possible solutions ### Risk Management - **Assumption Replacement Safety**: Ensuring new assumptions are better than old ones - **Change Management**: Managing transition from old to new assumption sets - **Validation Methodology**: Testing new assumptions before full commitment - **Rollback Planning**: Preparing for assumption change failure - **Stakeholder Communication**: Explaining assumption changes to affected parties The assumption_audit command reveals hidden constraints and creates breakthrough opportunities by systematically challenging fundamental premises and generating alternative frameworks that expand solution possibilities.