Batch Cognition

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name: batch-cognition version: 1.0.0 description: Process bulk prompt batches with alternating play/think cognitive loops. Use when user says "batch incoming", "multiple prompts incoming", "corpus incoming", or dumps multiple prompts separated by blank lines. Also use for Google Drive dumps, file-based prompt lists, or any bulk input requiring item-by-item execution with inference. Handles save-first (never lose input), stop-start cognition (PLAY execute then THINK infer), checkpointing, value discovery, and self-improving batch docs.

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Batch Cognition

Process bulk prompts with stop-start play/think cycles. Save first, lose nothing, discover value.

Activation

User signals: "batch incoming" / "multiple prompts incoming" / "corpus incoming"

Respond: 🔁 BATCH MODE — send them. I'll save everything first, then process one-by-one.

Step 1: SAVE (mandatory, before any processing)

Parse input into individual prompts (split on blank lines or ---). Write entire batch to workspace/systems/batch-cognition/batches/YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS.md. Read prior value-stack.md and last batch's meta-think for cross-batch context. Format:

# Batch: [timestamp]
Source: [telegram|file|drive|paste]
Total: [N]
Status: SAVED
1. [first 60 chars of prompt]
[ ] PENDING
> [full prompt text]
2. [next prompt]
[ ] PENDING
> [full prompt text]

Confirm to user: "✅ Saved [N] prompts to batch doc. Starting processing."

Step 1.5: PRE-SCAN & CLASSIFY (per item, before processing)

Read first 100 chars of each item. Classify type and assign depth budget:

| Type | Signal | Depth | |------|--------|-------| | INSTRUCTION | imperative verb, "do X", question | 500-5,000 tokens | | IDEA | "what if", speculative, future-oriented | 1,000-5,000 tokens | | MODEL_OUTPUT | AI-generated structure, assistant voice | 200-500 tokens (extract idea only) | | SYSTEM_LOG | timestamps, paths, JSON, errors | 100-200 tokens (scan for facts) | | HALF_THOUGHT | fragment, trails off, no clear action | 500-1,000 tokens (complete + infer) | | REFERENCE | links, citations, docs | 100 tokens (catalog) | | NOISE | duplicates, filler, "test" | 10 tokens (tag 🔴, skip) | | UNKNOWN | can't classify | 1,000 tokens (deeper read) |

Add type + depth to batch doc under each item header.

Step 2: PLAY (per prompt)

Execute the prompt. Not summarize — EXECUTE. The depth must match the item:

| Item Type | PLAY means | Minimum output | |-----------|-----------|----------------| | INSTRUCTION (build X) | Build it or write the code/artifact | Working artifact or complete spec | | INSTRUCTION (research X) | Actually research, cite sources | Findings with URLs/evidence | | IDEA (product/business) | Scope: prototype cost, token budget, hours, revenue math | Numbers, not vibes | | MODEL_OUTPUT | Extract core, check if already done, assess current relevance | Decision: act/park/discard with reason | | HALF_THOUGHT | Complete the thought, find the value path | Fleshed-out version with next step |

Prototype cost formula (for any buildable idea):

Website/app: hours × $0 (we build) + API costs + hosting. Estimate tokens for AI-assisted build.

Script/tool: lines of code estimate → token estimate (1 LOC ≈ 10-20 tokens to generate)

Research: number of searches + fetches × ~500 tokens each

Total = build tokens + test tokens + fix tokens (budget 30% extra for iteration)

"Solid" means tested. First pass is never solid. Flag items that need a second pass.

Append output under the prompt entry. Update status to [~] PLAYING. Take factual notes: what was done, what was produced, what was discovered.

Step 3: THINK (per prompt, immediately after PLAY)

Answer 5 questions (keep tight, 1-2 lines each): 1. Learned: factual takeaway 2. Pertinent: relevant to user's current projects/goals? 3. Value: creative thinking → value creation → money path? 4. Act?: yes/no — if yes, smallest next step 5. Future: park / discard / investigate deeper

Tag: 🟢 ACT NOW | 🟡 PARK | 🔴 DISCARD | 🔵 INVESTIGATE

Update status to [x] DONE with tag.

Step 4: CHECKPOINT (every 5 prompts)

Brief summary: what's covered, patterns emerging, top value items so far. Ask: "Continue, pause, or pivot?" — if no response in 30s, continue.

Step 5: META-THINK (on "done" or batch exhausted)

Review all Think notes. Produce: 1. Value Stack — ranked by expected value 2. Patterns — themes, connections 3. Action Items — concrete next steps 4. Park List — not now but maybe later 5. Discard List — safe to ignore (1-line reason each)

Append to batch doc. Update status to COMPLETE. Append 🟢 items to systems/batch-cognition/value-stack.md. Append 🟡 items to systems/batch-cognition/parked.md. Append 🔴 items to systems/batch-cognition/discarded.md. Log any cross-batch connections to systems/batch-cognition/connection-graph.md.

Commands (user can say anytime)

skip — skip current prompt | deeper — spend more tokens | park — park for later pause — stop, resume later | resume — continue paused batch | status — show progress value stack — show current ranked items | done — trigger meta-think + close

Context Management

Rolling decay memory — each checkpoint creates a new block in a chain. Items decay 20% per block. Referenced items reset to full weight. Below 0.2 = archived (never lost). See references/rolling-decay-memory.md for full spec.

At each checkpoint: 1. Score all items: salience *= 0.8, re-referenced items → 1.0 2. Drop items below 0.2 threshold (write tombstone, archive to disk) 3. Carry forward: rolling summary + surviving high-salience items + value stack 4. New block header written to chain file

Cross-batch: last batch's survivors enter new batch at 0.8, connect to new items → reset to 1.0.

See references/drive-mode.md when processing Drive folder dumps.

Self-Improvement

After each batch, append to workspace/systems/batch-cognition/learnings.md:

What worked / what was wasted / grouping improvements / play-think split effectiveness

Update this skill if any rule changes warranted.

Key Rules

SAVE FIRST — never process before saving full batch to file

Never lose input — if Telegram truncates or splits, wait for "done" before processing

Play and Think are separate — don't blend execution with inference

Notes are mandatory — both Play notes and Think notes, every prompt

Prompts aren't always instructions — some are ideas, half-thoughts, value discovery. THINK phase handles these.

PLAY means EXECUTE, not summarize — if it says build, build. If it says research, research with sources. If it's an idea, scope it with real numbers.

First pass is never final — flag items that need deeper work. A 🟢 tag without execution is just a bookmark.

Prototype cost is mandatory for buildable ideas — hours, tokens, API costs, hosting. Not vibes.