# Growth Scout

> >-

- **Type:** Skill
- **Install:** `agentstack add skill-008993368-yaz-growth-scout-growth-scout`
- **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior
- **Seller:** [008993368-yaz](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/008993368-yaz)
- **Installs:** 0
- **Category:** [Content & Media](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/content-and-media)
- **Latest version:** 0.1.0
- **License:** MIT
- **Upstream author:** [008993368-yaz](https://github.com/008993368-yaz)
- **Source:** https://github.com/008993368-yaz/Growth-Scout

## Install

```sh
agentstack add skill-008993368-yaz-growth-scout-growth-scout
```

Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent.

## About

# Growth Scout

**Tagline:** Scout opportunities before you write code.

Growth Scout is the AI growth strategist that lives inside your codebase and tells your coding agent what to build next.

## Agent-agnostic skill

This file is the **canonical** instruction set. It does not depend on Cursor, Claude, Copilot, or any specific tool.

| Entry | Purpose |
|-------|---------|
| [SKILL.md](SKILL.md) | Full workflow (this file) |
| [AGENTS.md](AGENTS.md) | Short entry for agents that auto-read project instructions |
| [integrations/README.md](integrations/README.md) | Optional setup for Cursor, Claude Code, Codex, Copilot, OpenCode, Aider |

**Minimum usage:** copy SKILL.md plus supporting folders into a product repo and ask the agent to follow it.

## When to activate

Use this skill when the user asks things like:

- "What should I build next?"
- "What feature should we add?"
- "Find product growth opportunities"
- "Analyze competitors and suggest gaps"
- "What is missing from this product?"
- "Create a growth roadmap"
- "Turn this opportunity into a PRD"
- "Prioritize features based on market demand and codebase fit"
- "Scout the market before we build"

## Core question

> What should we build next that has the highest chance of helping this product grow?

## Behavior rules (non-negotiable)

1. **Evidence-first** — Label every claim as **known**, **inferred**, or **unknown**.
2. **No invented market data** — Do not claim demand, competitor behavior, or trends without evidence.
3. **Tool limits** — If browsing/search tools are unavailable, state that external analysis is limited and rely on repo context plus user-provided material.
4. **No trend-chasing** — Do not recommend features only because they are fashionable.
5. **No blind copying** — Competitor features may be table-stakes, differentiation, or noise. Classify before recommending.
6. **MVP bias** — Prefer small experiments that validate growth hypotheses quickly.
7. **Codebase fit** — Prefer recommendations the current architecture can support.
8. **Context gaps** — Flag when the product lacks enough context to recommend confidently.
9. **Stale evidence** — Flag old or missing sources; recommend refresh or validation.
10. **Always include** — A success metric for each recommendation and a **Why not build this** section for top picks.

## Output modes

Pick the mode that matches the request. Use templates from `templates/`:

| Mode | Template | When to use |
|------|----------|-------------|
| Product Scan | `templates/product-map-template.md` | First pass on an unfamiliar repo |
| Competitor Gap Report | `templates/competitor-matrix-template.md` | User names competitors or asks for gaps |
| Market Signal Report | `templates/evidence-ledger-template.md` | User wants demand/trend validation |
| Growth Opportunity Report | `templates/opportunity-report-template.md` | Default for "what to build next" |
| Prioritized Roadmap | `templates/opportunity-report-template.md` | Multi-quarter sequencing |
| Growth PRD | `templates/growth-prd-template.md` | User picks a feature to spec |
| GitHub Issue Breakdown | `templates/github-issues-template.md` | User wants execution tasks |
| Validation Plan | `references/validation-experiments.md` | Weak evidence or high-risk bets |

See realistic outputs in `examples/`.

---

## Workflow

Track progress with this checklist:

```
Growth Scout Progress:
- [ ] Phase 1: Understand the product
- [ ] Phase 2: Map current capabilities
- [ ] Phase 3: Scout external signals
- [ ] Phase 4: Identify opportunities
- [ ] Phase 5: Score opportunities
- [ ] Phase 6: Recommend next features
- [ ] Phase 7: Execution artifacts (if requested)
```

### Phase 1: Understand the product

Read available context in this order:

1. README, docs, changelog, issues/PRs
2. Package manifests (`package.json`, `pyproject.toml`, `Cargo.toml`, etc.)
3. Routes, pages, API endpoints, CLI commands
4. Database schema, migrations, models
5. Tests (what behavior is enforced)
6. Config, env examples, deployment files
7. Auth, billing, analytics, integrations

Extract and record:

| Field | Status (known/inferred/unknown) |
|-------|----------------------------------|
| Product category | |
| Target user | |
| Core workflow | |
| Current features | |
| Monetization model | |
| Maturity stage (idea/MVP/growth/mature) | |
| Constraints (team, stack, compliance) | |

**Output:** Product map using `templates/product-map-template.md`.

Deep guidance: `references/codebase-product-mapping.md`.

### Phase 2: Map current capabilities

Build a feature inventory:

- **Shipped** — In UI, API, or docs as available today
- **Partial** — Stubbed routes, feature flags, TODO comments, unused schema
- **Missing table-stakes** — Expected for this category but absent
- **Technical foundations** — Auth, payments, notifications, jobs, analytics, i18n, etc.

Note what the codebase already makes cheap to build.

### Phase 3: Scout external signals

Research when tools allow. Sources and strength ratings: `references/market-signal-sources.md`.

If the user names a vertical, consult `references/industry-packs/.md` (e.g. `b2b-saas`, `developer-tools`, `consumer-mobile`).

**If live browsing is unavailable:** use only repo context and user-provided links/docs. Mark all external claims as **inferred** or **unknown**. Recommend validation before building.

**Never invent competitor evidence.**

**Work-item demand signals (MCP, ask-first):** When MCP is connected and the user wants issue-tracker demand evidence:

1. Call `preview_work_item_mine` first — show scope summary to the user (metadata/count only).
2. Wait for explicit approval ("Yes, proceed"), a file path (`.growth-scout/work-items.json`), or skip.
3. Only then call `mine_work_item_signals` with `preview_id` + `confirmed: true`.
4. Never auto-detect provider from git remote without user confirmation.
5. If user declines → use manual evidence only; cap **Demand Strength** per rubric.
6. Never mine during bootstrap install (`install-growth-scout.mjs`).

See [`integrations/mcp.md`](integrations/mcp.md) for the full ask-first flow.

For competitor research, organize findings into:

| Bucket | Meaning |
|--------|---------|
| Table-stakes | Users expect it; absence hurts conversion/retention |
| Differentiation | Meaningful gap you could own |
| Competitor weaknesses | Pain points users complain about elsewhere |
| Copy-dangerous | Looks good on a matrix but wrong for your positioning |
| Ignore/noise | Hype, enterprise-only, or irrelevant to your ICP |

Method: `references/competitor-analysis.md`.

Maintain an evidence ledger: `templates/evidence-ledger-template.md`.

### Phase 4: Identify opportunities

Generate candidate features across growth levers. Taxonomy: `references/growth-taxonomy.md`.

| Lever | Example opportunity types |
|-------|---------------------------|
| Acquisition | SEO pages, integrations marketplace, free tier hook |
| Activation | Onboarding checklist, templates, time-to-value shortcuts |
| Retention | Notifications, saved state, habit loops |
| Revenue | Usage limits, seat billing, premium tiers |
| Referral | Invite credits, shared workspaces |
| Expansion | Team features, API, admin controls |
| Trust | SSO, audit logs, status page, export |
| Differentiation | Unique workflow, vertical focus |
| Table-stakes | Missing baseline capability |
| Operational efficiency | Admin tools, support deflection |

Aim for 8–15 raw ideas before scoring. Merge duplicates.

### Phase 5: Score opportunities

Use the Growth Opportunity Score model. Full rubric: `references/opportunity-scoring.md`. Recommendation bands (Build now, Validate first, Park, Ignore): see the **Recommendation thresholds** table in that file.

```
Growth Opportunity Score =
  Demand Strength
+ Competitor Gap
+ Strategic Fit
+ Growth Leverage
+ Revenue/Retention Impact
+ Codebase Feasibility
+ Time-to-Learn Advantage
- Implementation Complexity
- Product Risk
- Maintenance Burden
```

Score each factor **1–5** unless the user specifies otherwise.

| Factor | Definition |
|--------|------------|
| Demand Strength | Evidence users want this |
| Competitor Gap | Competitors lack it, do it poorly, or users expect it |
| Strategic Fit | Matches positioning and ICP |
| Growth Leverage | Improves acquisition, activation, retention, revenue, referral, or expansion |
| Revenue/Retention Impact | Likely business impact |
| Codebase Feasibility | Current architecture supports it |
| Time-to-Learn Advantage | Speed to validate the hypothesis |
| Implementation Complexity | Engineering cost (subtract) |
| Product Risk | UX confusion, scope creep, distraction (subtract) |
| Maintenance Burden | Long-term cost (subtract) |

When evidence is weak, cap **Demand Strength** at 2 and recommend **validate first**.

### Phase 6: Recommend next features

Output **3–7 ranked opportunities**. For each include:

- Feature name
- Growth lever
- Problem
- Target user
- Evidence (with confidence)
- Competitor insight
- Why now
- MVP scope
- Codebase fit
- Estimated effort (S/M/L)
- Risks
- Success metric
- Suggested validation
- **Recommendation:** Build now | Validate first | Park | Ignore

**Required sections in the report:**

1. Executive summary (top pick + runner-up)
2. Ranked opportunities table with scores
3. Score breakdown for top 3
4. Evidence summary (known vs inferred vs unknown)
5. **Why not build this** for top 2–3 recommendations
6. Validation plan for anything not "Build now"

Template: `templates/opportunity-report-template.md`.

### Large repository mode

Use this **multi-turn** sequence when the codebase is too large to read in one pass (monorepos, >~50k LOC, or context limits). Do not attempt all phases in a single turn.

| Turn | Scope | Output |
|------|-------|--------|
| **1** | Phases 1–2 only | Product Scan + capability map (`templates/product-map-template.md`). No scoring yet. |
| **2** | Phase 3 + Phase 4 (light) | External signals summary + opportunity **longlist** (8–15 titles with one-line problem statements). No full GOS tables. |
| **3** | Phase 5–6 (top 5) | Full GOS scoring and ranking for **top 5** longlist items only. |
| **4** | Phase 7 on demand | Deep dive on **#1** only; PRD / GitHub issues **only if the user requests**. |

Between turns, carry forward the product map and longlist as context. Flag **unknown** where the repo was not re-read. Recommend running `node scripts/repo-inventory.mjs` on the product repo when Phase 1 needs a fast skeleton (tooling ships with the Growth Scout package).

### Phase 7: Turn selected opportunity into execution artifacts

When the user selects a feature, produce as requested:

| Artifact | Template / reference |
|----------|---------------------|
| Growth PRD | `templates/growth-prd-template.md` |
| GitHub issue breakdown | `templates/github-issues-template.md` |
| Technical implementation plan | Inline in PRD or separate section referencing repo patterns |
| Test plan | Acceptance criteria + regression areas |
| Launch checklist | Rollout plan section in PRD |
| Metrics plan | Success metrics + event names if analytics exist |
| Validation experiment | `references/validation-experiments.md` |

Example PRD: `examples/example-growth-prd.md`.

---

## Quick reference

| Topic | File |
|-------|------|
| Growth levers | `references/growth-taxonomy.md` |
| Scoring rubric | `references/opportunity-scoring.md` |
| Competitor method | `references/competitor-analysis.md` |
| Signal sources | `references/market-signal-sources.md` |
| Industry packs | `references/industry-packs/` (`b2b-saas`, `developer-tools`, `consumer-mobile`) |
| Codebase mapping | `references/codebase-product-mapping.md` |
| Validation options | `references/validation-experiments.md` |
| Optional MCP scout | `integrations/mcp.md` — competitor + work-item tools (`mcp/growth-scout-mcp/`) |
| Product scan example | `examples/example-product-scan.md` |
| Opportunity report example | `examples/example-opportunity-report.md` |

## Minimum viable run (time-boxed)

If the user wants a fast answer:

1. Skim README + routes + package file (5 min equivalent)
2. List top 5 existing features + 3 obvious gaps
3. Score 3–5 ideas with explicit unknowns
4. Recommend one **Build now** and one **Validate first**

Still include success metrics and evidence labels.

## Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

- **Author:** [008993368-yaz](https://github.com/008993368-yaz)
- **Source:** [008993368-yaz/Growth-Scout](https://github.com/008993368-yaz/Growth-Scout)
- **License:** MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.

## Pricing

- **Free** — Free

## Security capabilities

Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access:

- **Network access:** no
- **Filesystem access:** no
- **Shell / process execution:** no
- **Environment & secrets:** no
- **Dynamic code execution:** no

*"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.*


## Versions

- **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source.

## Links

- Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/skill-008993368-yaz-growth-scout-growth-scout
- Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/008993368-yaz
- Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse

---
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