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Pstack Skills for Coding Agents · Lauren Tan (poteto)

Pstack skills are Lauren Tan’s (poteto) skill set for rigorous AI coding: the same workflow she uses to ship less, but better, code. This page is the install and first-run entry: the Cursor plugin, the Claude Code marketplace and the standalone mirror via npx. After install, run setup, then /poteto-mode, which picks a playbook and calls the other skills as needed.

Install pstackFirst run steps

Not to be confused with

pstack (Linux)
The command that prints a running process’s stack. Unrelated.
gstack
Garry Tan’s separate skill pack, with its own install. Do not swap commands.
Unslop (UI skill)
heydamir’s UI redesign skill. pstack’s own /unslop cleans up writing, not UI.

Install pstack skills

Not yet tested by AgentSkillsDir. These are the upstream commands as written in the READMEs fetched on 1 Nov 2026; we have not run the installs, setup or /poteto-mode ourselves.

CursorOfficial

Cursor plugin

Run in Cursor chat (official README, “install”)

/add-plugin pstack

The official path. Pick /poteto-mode from the / menu and press option+enter (alt+enter on Windows) to keep it on across turns as a custom mode.

Claude CodeOfficial

Claude Code marketplace

Run inside Claude Code (official README, “install”)

/plugin marketplace add cursor/plugins
/plugin install pstack@cursor-plugins

Claude Code prefixes plugin commands: /poteto-mode becomes /pstack:poteto-mode and setup becomes /pstack:setup-pstack. Auto-update is off for third-party marketplaces; enable it under /plugin → marketplaces → cursor-plugins, or update by hand with claude plugin update pstack@cursor-plugins.

Codex · Pi · OpenCode · othersCommunity mirror

Standalone mirror (skills CLI)

Run in your terminal (mirror README, “Install”)

npx skills add backnotprop/pstack

backnotprop/pstack is a community mirror kept in sync with cursor/plugins for Claude Code, Codex, Pi, Cursor, OpenCode and other agents. The CLI lets you pick skills and agents. The mirror rewrites Cursor-specific skills to work in any harness, so it is not byte-identical to upstream. Its sponsor badges (Plannotator) are mirror sponsorship, not a required install.

First run: setup, then /poteto-mode

Two steps from the official README. In Claude Code, use the prefixed name on the right.

  1. /setup-pstackClaude Code: /pstack:setup-pstack

    Pick a reasoning budget and which models play each role. In Claude Code it writes the choices to ~/.claude/rules/pstack-models.md.

  2. /poteto-modeClaude Code: /pstack:poteto-mode

    Start any task that needs rigor with it. It matches the task to a playbook, opens a todo list from that playbook’s steps and calls the other skills as the steps need them.

  3. /poteto-helpClaude Code: /pstack:poteto-help

    Stuck, or unsure which skill fits? It asks what you are trying to do and hands back a prompt to type.

What it is, and what it is not

  • It is a pack of plain Agent Skills (skills/<name>/SKILL.md) plus /poteto-mode, a router that matches your task to a playbook and runs the other skills when a step needs them.
  • It is not the Linux pstack utility, not gstack, and not a hosted service. AgentSkillsDir does not host poteto-mode sessions or run multi-model panels for you.
  • The README says there are no planning skills on purpose; Cursor’s plan mode or /poteto-mode covers planning when you want it.

Skill map

/poteto-mode is the entry point; it calls these when a step needs them. You can also type any of them directly. A sample, not the full list:

Paraphrased from the official README. Full instructions live in each SKILL.md.
CommandWhat it does
/arenaN parallel attempts at the same thing, then keep the best parts of each.
/interrogateDifferent models try to break a diff; only findings a run proves are kept.
/tddWrite the failing test first, then the fix, when a cheap local test path exists.
/unslopCleans up writing by removing AI tells (prose, not UI).
/reflectAfter a long task lands, captures the recipe as a skill edit.
/howA walkthrough of how a subsystem works.
/swarmN parallel workers across slices, then one aggregated report.

See every skill in the official README

Upstream claims, not reproduced

The README states the following. We list them so you know what to expect; we have not reproduced any of them.

  • /poteto-mode ships twenty-three playbooks (bug fix, perf, feature, refactoring, shipping, autonomous run and more).
  • Twenty-four one-rule principle skills that /poteto-mode indexes at task start.
  • Out of the box, code work goes to grok and the hardest changes, prose and judgment go to opus 5.5; the default review panel is opus 5.5 / grok. /setup-pstack changes any of it.

Before you install

  • This is third-party code that can spawn subagents and run commands in your repository. Read the SKILL.md files before you install.
  • Listed ≠ audited. AgentSkillsDir has not reviewed this code for security.
  • Multi-model steps use the models you configure, and that usage may cost money with your providers.

FAQ

What are pstack skills?

Lauren Tan’s (poteto) open skill pack for rigorous AI-assisted engineering. Install it once, run setup, then start tasks with /poteto-mode so its playbooks invoke the other skills as needed.

Is this the Linux pstack command?

No. Linux pstack prints the stack trace of a running process. This page is about an AI coding skill pack that shares the name.

How is pstack different from gstack?

gstack is a separate skill pack by Garry Tan with its own install. Do not swap their commands; each has its own page in this directory.

Is pstack’s /unslop the same as the UI Unslop skill?

No. pstack’s /unslop cleans up writing and voice. The separately listed Unslop skill by heydamir redesigns UI. Same word, different jobs.

How do I install pstack in Cursor?

The official README gives /add-plugin pstack. We have not tested it ourselves yet.

How do I install pstack in Claude Code?

Add the cursor/plugins marketplace, then install pstack@cursor-plugins. Commands then carry a /pstack: prefix, such as /pstack:poteto-mode. We have not tested it ourselves yet.

What is npx skills add backnotprop/pstack?

The install for the standalone community mirror, for Codex, Pi, OpenCode and other agents. The official source remains the pstack folder in cursor/plugins.

Will AgentSkillsDir run /poteto-mode for me?

No. This is a source-linked directory entry. We do not host, run or proxy pstack or any multi-model panel. Listed ≠ audited.

Do I need Plannotator or another sponsor tool?

No. Plannotator sponsors the mirror. It is not a pstack dependency.

Are the star counts and playbook numbers guaranteed?

No. The source card shows the GitHub counts at the time we last checked; they change daily. Playbook and principle counts are what the upstream README says, not something we reproduced.

Corrections and suggestions

Spotted something out of date, or want to suggest a skill? Email a correction. To suggest a resource, submit it for manual review.