Record external observations, ecosystem trends, and creative inspiration into .feature-radar/references/. MUST use this skill when the user mentions something interesting from outside their project — other tools, articles, approaches, or trends. Even casual mentions like "I saw a cool thing in X" should trigger this skill. Use when the user: - Says "I saw this cool thing in X's API", "check out how X handles this" - Shares a URL, article, talk, or research finding with relevant insights - Notes an ecosystem trend: new tools, standards, community patterns - Mentions a related project shipping a notable feature - Wants to bookmark external inspiration: "interesting approach", "save this" - Says "add reference", "log observation", "track this project" Do NOT use for internal learnings/patterns — that's feature-radar-learn's job. Do NOT use for prioritizing features — that's feature-radar's job.
Resources
1Install
npx skillscat add runkids/my-skills/feature-radar-ref Install via the SkillsCat registry.
Add Reference
Record external observations into .feature-radar/references/.
Deep Read
Read and follow `../feature-radar/references/DEEP-READ.md` — complete all 6 steps before proceeding.Behavioral Directives
Read and follow `../feature-radar/references/DIRECTIVES.md`.Workflow
- Identify the source — ask the user what they observed:
- Interesting project, technique, or creative approach?
- Ecosystem trend or emerging pattern?
- Notable feature or solution from a related project?
- User comparison, feedback, or question?
- Research, article, or talk with relevant insights?
- Gather context — URL, date, key details. If the user provides a GitHub URL, fetch the issue/PR for full context.
- Classify — determine the right file:
- Existing reference file → append a new entry
- New topic → create
.feature-radar/references/{topic}.md
- Assess impact:
File Format
Use the format defined in ../feature-radar/references/SPEC.md § 3.5 (references/{topic}.md).
Naming Convention
Name by the subject being tracked, not the event:
- Good:
vercel-skills-ecosystem.md,agent-path-conventions.md,cli-ux-patterns.md - Bad:
2026-02-18-update.md,interesting-finding.md
Guidelines
- Always cite source URLs and dates for traceability.
- Append new entries chronologically to existing files — don't create a new file per observation.
- Be objective. Record what happened, then assess implications separately.
- If the observation reveals an unmet need or innovation opportunity, proactively suggest creating an opportunity.
- Look for creative inspiration, not just feature gaps — how others solve problems can spark new ideas.
Example Output
→ Appended to references/cli-ux-patterns.md
→ Suggested: new opportunity "interactive config wizard"
→ Updated base.md: references 3 → 3 (appended, not new file)Completion Summary
Follow the template in ../feature-radar/references/DIRECTIVES.md, with skill name "Ref Complete".