Skill.md
Poor Charlie's Almanack: Munger's Mental Models & Worldly Wisdom
This skill distills Charlie Munger's complete decision-making framework from Poor Charlie's Almanack into an interactive AI analysis tool. Munger's central claim is that relying on a single model guarantees systematic error — you need a latticework of big ideas from mathematics, psychology, physics, biology, economics, and history, all working together. This skill makes that latticework operational across five concrete dimensions.
Core Framework: 5 Dimensions
| # | Dimension | One-Line Rule |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latticework of Mental Models | Draw on 80–90 big ideas from 7 disciplines; refuse the "man with a hammer" trap |
| 2 | 10 Investing Principles | Risk, Independence, Preparation, Humility, Rigor, Allocation, Patience, Decisiveness, Change, Focus |
| 3 | 25 Psychological Tendencies | From incentive-caused bias to the Lollapalooza effect — the complete misjudgment checklist |
| 4 | Inversion | Enumerate failure causes first; assess the upside only after |
| 5 | Circle of Competence | Know the boundary between "understand" and "don't understand"; use the too-hard basket without guilt |
Supported Query Types
- Investment evaluation: "Analyze X using Munger's framework" → Circle of competence + inversion + multi-model analysis + 10-principle scorecard + bias check
- Bias diagnosis: "Why did X bubble/scandal/collapse happen?" → Active tendencies identified + Lollapalooza check + antidotes
- Decision review: "Am I being influenced by a cognitive bias here?" → 25-tendency scan + Munger prescription
- Cross-disciplinary thinking: "Look at X from multiple angles" → Parallel output from relevant disciplines
How to Use
- Describe your investment, decision, or situation directly — no need to specify which framework to apply
- The skill automatically selects the relevant dimensions based on your question
- For stock analysis, include current valuation data (P/E, P/B) for more precise output
- The skill will explicitly tell you when a question falls outside a reasonable circle of competence
Limitations
This skill provides Munger's framework as a structured analytical lens — it does not constitute personalized investment advice. Consistent with Munger's own practice, the skill will recommend the "too-hard basket" when information is insufficient to support a judgment. Investing involves risk; all decisions should reflect your own research and circumstances.