pstack explained

Unofficial reading aid. Not affiliated with poteto, pstack, or Cursor. Upstream source

Say the goal. pstack does the careful part.

pstack is poteto’s Cursor plugin for coding agents. You describe a task. /poteto-mode matches a playbook and runs the skills as the steps fire. You steer by saying a principle name.

Start

Three commands in a Cursor chat. Install, pick models, then give /poteto-mode one real task. You do not name a playbook or list skills.

Install the plugin

Cursor confirms when it is installed.

/add-plugin pstack

Pick the models

Writes ~/.cursor/rules/pstack-models.mdc. Start a new chat after it finishes.

/setup-pstack

One real task

Say the goal and how you will know it is done. This one routes to Feature.

/poteto-mode add a --json flag to this command. text output stays byte-identical. verify both.
Reach for itA defect, a feature you can verify, a cited question, or work you will leave running.
Skip itA one-line edit you already understand.
Name a skill to overrideUse /how, /interrogate, or /bro when you want that move only.

How the pieces fit

You talk in goals. pstack supplies the recipe, the moves, and the standing rules.

playbooks
A recipe for one kind of task

/poteto-mode copies the matched playbook into the todo list before any work starts. Twenty-three of them, plus a fallback when none fit.

skills
Named moves

/how, /architect, /tdd. The playbook calls them. Type one when you want that result without the full route.

principles
Standing rules

Twenty-three rules in five families. You do not invoke them. You say their names to steer.

/poteto-mode matches a playbook, skills fire as steps, principles steer, and the reply names what it checked.

What to type

Pick the situation and copy the prompt. Swap in your own paths and finish condition.

Which one

Pairs people mix up. Open the side that matches the job.

If it drifts

One sentence redirects the run. Expect the reply to name the decision that sentence changed.

Try a task

Type a task and this page lights up a playbook. Keyword matching, not the real router.

Examples

Playbooks

A recipe for one kind of job. Open a row for when it applies and what to type.

Skills

Individual moves. /poteto-mode runs most of them. Reach for one when you want that result only.

Principles

Twenty-three rules. Say the name to redirect an agent mid-task.

Models per role

A different model can own each role. You only override the roles you care about.

Run /setup-pstack to detect your models and write the rule. A role with no line keeps the skill default. auto and inherit-parent mean the parent chat model.

Official guide

Ten short chapters. Read them in order the first time. Guide index

  1. Set up pstackInstall the plugin, choose models, and run your first task.
  2. Route work through /poteto-modeWrite a goal that lets the front door choose the playbook.
  3. Understand the codeUse /how, /why, /teach, and /recall before editing.
  4. Design before you write code/architect, /arena, /swarm, and /interrogate.
  5. Build and clean the changeChoose a build playbook, then keep the diff reviewable.
  6. Verify the result and open a PRProve behavior on the real app, then drive the PR to merged.
  7. Run work while you sleepA checkable finish, an isolated worktree, and a decision log.
  8. Steer with principle namesUse the 23 names to redirect an agent mid-task.
  9. Make it yoursA personal mode, a skill you author, and a test of its changes.
  10. Recipes and pitfallsPrompts worth copying, and the mistakes that recur.

pstack also ships the poteto-agent and Comment Sicko subagents, plus a dormant benny Slack-issue automation pack. /deslop, control-cli, and control-ui live in the separate cursor-team-kit plugin.