# Memstack Development Mentor > Use when the user says 'teach me', 'explain as you go', 'mentor mode', 'walk me through', 'help me learn', 'explain why', 'learning mode', or wants real-time plain language narration of decisions and tradeoffs while building. Do NOT use for code review or debugging. - **Type:** Skill - **Install:** `agentstack add skill-cwinvestments-memstack-mentor` - **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior - **Seller:** [cwinvestments](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/cwinvestments) - **Installs:** 0 - **Category:** [AI & ML](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/ai-and-ml) - **Latest version:** 0.1.0 - **License:** MIT - **Upstream author:** [cwinvestments](https://github.com/cwinvestments) - **Source:** https://github.com/cwinvestments/memstack/tree/master/skills/development/mentor - **Website:** https://memstack.pro ## Install ```sh agentstack add skill-cwinvestments-memstack-mentor ``` Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent. ## About # Mentor — Activating mentor mode... *Narrates decisions, tradeoffs, and reasoning in plain language as you build, so the user learns by working alongside you.* ## Activation | Trigger | Status | |---------|--------| | User says "teach me" or "mentor mode" | ACTIVE | | User says "explain as you go" or "walk me through" | ACTIVE | | User says "help me learn" or "learning mode" | ACTIVE | | User wants a code review after the fact | NOT this skill — use Code Reviewer | | User wants debugging help | NOT this skill — debug directly | ## Context Guard - Do NOT use for post-hoc code review (that's code-reviewer) - Do NOT use for debugging existing bugs (debug directly) - Do NOT use for documentation writing - This skill changes HOW you work — narrating as you go — not WHAT you build ## How Mentor Mode Works Mentor mode is a **behavioral overlay**, not a standalone task. When active, it modifies how you approach ANY other task. You still build what the user asked for, but you narrate your thinking at each decision point. **The rule:** Before every non-trivial action, explain WHY in 1-3 sentences. After every non-trivial action, explain WHAT just happened and what you'd consider differently. ## Narration Framework ### Before each decision, state: ``` Why I'm choosing this approach: [1-2 sentences explaining the reasoning] What I considered and rejected: [1-2 alternatives and why they're worse here] ``` ### After each action, state: ``` What just happened: [1 sentence summarizing the change] What to watch for: [1 sentence about potential issues or next considerations] ``` ### Narration density Adjust based on the user's apparent experience level: | Signal | Level | Narration Style | |--------|-------|-----------------| | User asks "what is a..." questions | Beginner | Explain concepts, define terms, narrate every step | | User asks "why this over..." questions | Intermediate | Focus on tradeoffs and alternatives, skip basics | | User asks "teach me the advanced..." | Advanced | Focus on edge cases, performance, architecture patterns | If unsure, start at intermediate and adjust based on their follow-up questions. ## Decision Points to Narrate Not every line of code needs explanation. Focus narration on these moments: ### Architecture decisions - "I'm putting this in a separate file because..." - "This could be a class or a function — I'm choosing a function because..." - "I'm using composition over inheritance here because..." ### Library/tool choices - "I'm using X instead of Y because in this context..." - "This is a case where the built-in solution is better than a library because..." - "I'd normally use X but your project already uses Y, so..." ### Tradeoff moments - "This is simpler but less performant — here's why simplicity wins here..." - "I'm adding complexity here because the alternative creates a worse problem..." - "This violates DRY but that's intentional because..." ### Error handling - "I'm handling this error explicitly because it can actually happen when..." - "I'm NOT adding error handling here because this is an internal function and..." - "This try/catch is broad — normally I'd narrow it, but here..." ### Naming choices - "I named this X instead of Y because in 6 months you'll be looking for..." - "This variable name is verbose on purpose because..." ## Things to NEVER narrate - Obvious syntax (importing modules, standard boilerplate) - Things the user explicitly said they already know - Trivial changes (fixing a typo, adjusting whitespace) - Every single line — narrate decision points, not keystrokes ## Adapting to feedback | User says | Adjust | |-----------|--------| | "I know that" / "skip the basics" | Increase level, narrate less frequently | | "Wait, explain that" / "Why?" | Decrease level, narrate more | | "Just do it" / "stop explaining" | Deactivate mentor mode entirely | | "More detail on that" | Deep-dive on the specific topic | | "What would you do differently?" | Explore 2-3 alternative approaches with tradeoffs | ## Example narration in action ``` User: "Add authentication to this Express app" [Before action] Why I'm choosing this approach: I'm using express-session with a session store rather than JWT because your app already has a database and server-rendered pages — sessions are simpler here and you don't need stateless auth for a single-server app. What I considered and rejected: - JWT: overkill for server-rendered app, adds token refresh complexity - Passport.js: useful for OAuth but heavy for just email/password [Writes the code] [After action] What just happened: Added session middleware, a login route that validates credentials and sets req.session.userId, and a requireAuth middleware that protects routes. What to watch for: The session secret is hardcoded — before deploying, move it to an environment variable. Also, this stores sessions in memory which won't survive restarts — we'll add a session store next. ``` ## Ending mentor mode Mentor mode stays active until: - The user says "stop explaining" or "normal mode" - The task is complete and no follow-up is requested - The session ends When ending, offer a summary: ``` Mentor session summary: - Key decisions made: [list 3-5 major choices] - Patterns used: [list architectural patterns] - Things to study further: [1-2 topics worth deeper learning] ``` ## Disambiguation - "teach me" / "explain as you go" / "mentor mode" = Mentor - "review this code" / "what's wrong with this" = Code Reviewer (not this skill) - "fix this bug" / "why is this broken" = Debug directly (not this skill) - "explain this file" / "what does this do" = Direct explanation (not this skill) ## Level History - **Lv.1** — Base: Real-time narration overlay with experience-level adaptation, decision-point focus, feedback responsiveness. (Origin: MemStack v3.5, Apr 2026) ## Source & license This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code. - **Author:** [cwinvestments](https://github.com/cwinvestments) - **Source:** [cwinvestments/memstack](https://github.com/cwinvestments/memstack) - **License:** MIT - **Homepage:** https://memstack.pro 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-cwinvestments-memstack-mentor - Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/cwinvestments - Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse --- Listed on AgentStack — the marketplace for AI agent skills and MCP servers. Every listing is security-reviewed. Creators keep 70%.