You are not just a "user." You are a Thinker. Your goal is not to click buttons; it is to understand complex systems and make decisions. This guide maps your fundamental psychological needs to the tools we build.
They do not play for the Snapshot.
"Current State" is a lagging indicator. They obsess over the Derivative (Rate of Change). If a tool solves today's problem but blocks tomorrow's evolution, it is a trap.
Grounded In
They reject Zero-Sum mechanics.
Winning at the expense of the system is a loss. They look for "Cooperative Equilibriums" where tools compound their intelligence rather than just consuming it.
Grounded In
They analyze the Ruleset, not just the board.
Every UI is a set of incentives. They decode the "Mechanism Design" behind the interface. "Who benefits if I click this?" is their default query.
Grounded In
We start with the universal law: Self-Determination Theory (SDT). Deci and Ryan proved that every human mind requires three things to function at its peak:
But "Autonomy" is abstract. As a Thinker working in complex domains, you have specific, concrete requirements. We call these the 5 Needs of the Thinker.
We translate the physics of SDT into the engineering of our tool. Every feature we build must satisfy one of these needs.
The ability to execute ideas without resistance. You need interactions that feel invisible, letting your intent flow directly into the system.
Freedom from holding everything in your head. You need the system to remember the details so you can focus on the strategy.
Knowing exactly where you are and what affects what. You need a map that updates as fast as reality does.
The power to be understood. You need terms and structures that mean the same thing to everyone.
Trusting that the map matches the territory. You need data that is accurate, timely, and safe.
How do we know if we are succeeding? We look for the "Villains"—the anti-patterns that emerge when your needs are starved.
When you feel frustration, it is usually because a Villain has entered the room. Identify the Villain to find the missing Need.
| If you feel... | The Villain is... | You need... |
|---|---|---|
| "I'm fighting the UI." | Friction | Coherent Action |
| "My brain is full." | Overwhelm | Cognitive Offloading |
| "I'm lost." | Fog | Situational Awareness |
| "We aren't aligned." | Babel | Shared Language |
| "Is this true?" | Delusion | Grounding in Reality |
Beyond psychological needs, the Thinker has Cognitive Operations—the actual activities they perform during problem-solving. These are the raw "wants" that drive engagement with complex systems.
"What am I looking at?"
Defining what's IN and what's OUT. Drawing the membrane around the problem to prevent scope creep and establish focus.
Transforming a monolithic thought into N discrete intents. Each part can then be reasoned about independently.
"What's in here?"
Drilling down into a sub-boundary. What was an intent becomes the new problem space, and the process repeats.
Mapping the limits, constraints, and dangerous drop-offs. Knowing where NOT to go is as important as knowing where to go.
Wandering without a destination. Generating possibilities, making unexpected connections, and resisting premature closure.
"Where should I go?"
Selecting the optimal route through the possibility space. Minimizing waste while maximizing progress toward the goal.
Confirming that the destination is correct before optimizing the path. Avoiding the trap of solving the wrong problem perfectly.
"Is it worth it?"
Estimating the expected value of a direction before committing resources. Filtering out dead ends early.
Weighing potential upside against potential downside. Understanding irreversibility and optionality.
"How do I improve?"
Reflecting on the thinking process itself. Learning to learn. Upgrading the mental operating system.
Maintaining connection to physical and psychological foundations. You cannot think well if you are hungry, tired, or anxious.
Every tool we build should amplify one of these operations. If a feature doesn't make Scoping, Decomposition, Exploration, Pathfinding, or Meta-Cognition easier, it probably doesn't belong. The Thinker's workflow is the compass.