questflowai
Install Marks Cycles
Pick your agent. Every command is ready to paste.
npx skills add questflowai/investorskills --skill marks-cyclesThe open skills CLI detects your agents (Claude Code, Cursor, Codex and 70+ more) and installs to the right folder. Add -g to install globally.
01
Install it
Run the command above, or upload the folder in Claude.
02
Ask naturally
Describe the task. Your agent loads marks-cycles when the request matches its description.
03
Name it if needed
If it does not trigger, say “use the marks-cycles skill”. In Codex, type $marks-cycles.
The skill itself
SKILL.md
Howard Marks Cycles
Use this skill to apply Howard Marks-style cycle and risk judgment: identify where markets are in the cycle, compare price to value and risk premium, and decide whether to be defensive or aggressive.
When To Use
Use this skill when the user asks for:
- Market cycle diagnosis
- Credit spread and risk premium review
- Second-level thinking on a crowded view
- Defensive or aggressive portfolio posture
- Whether risk is being rewarded or ignored
Trigger phrases include Howard Marks, cycle, second-level thinking, risk premium, credit cycle, defensive, aggressive, and market psychology.
Do Not Use When
- The user needs a precise technical entry only.
- There is no market, valuation, credit, or sentiment context.
- The user asks for a prediction without uncertainty ranges.
- The setup requires leverage or forced timing.
Inputs Needed
- Asset class or market
- Valuation, yield, spread, or risk premium data
- Credit conditions, liquidity, default risk, and refinancing risk if relevant
- Sentiment, positioning, and consensus view
- Portfolio exposure and drawdown tolerance if posture is requested
Process
- Identify the cycle: early, mid, late, stressed, panic, recovery.
- Separate first-level view from second-level view.
- Compare price, value, and risk premium.
- Assess market psychology: fear, greed, complacency, forced selling.
- Decide posture: defensive, neutral, opportunistic, or aggressive.
- Size by margin for error, not confidence alone.
Output Format
# Marks Cycle View: [Market]
## Verdict
Defensive / Neutral / Opportunistic / Aggressive / Stand Down
## Cycle Position
## First-Level vs Second-Level View
## Risk Premium
## Market Psychology
## Portfolio Posture
## What Would Change The View
## Missing Data
Guardrails
- Do not forecast with false precision.
- Do not treat high returns as low risk.
- Do not become aggressive when risk is underpriced.
- Do not become paralyzed during panic if compensation is attractive.
- Always ask what is already in the price.
Questflow Use
In Questflow, this skill is best used as a portfolio posture and cycle-risk module across Funds, asset classes, and market regimes.
Tips for Marks Cycles
- • Start a fresh session after installing so your agent picks up the new skill.
- • It is part of a pack with 40 skills. Install only the ones you need with --skill to keep triggers precise.
- • If two skills overlap, mention the one you want by name.
Questions about Marks Cycles
What does the Marks Cycles skill do?
Use when evaluating markets through Howard Marks-style second-level thinking, credit cycles, risk premiums, market psychology, and defensive versus aggressive posture.
How do I install Marks Cycles?
Run "npx skills add questflowai/investorskills --skill marks-cycles" in your project. The skills CLI installs it for Claude Code, Cursor, Codex and 70+ other agents. In Claude on the web, upload the skill folder as a ZIP under Customize > Skills.
Does Marks Cycles work in Cursor and Codex?
Yes. Marks Cycles uses the open SKILL.md format, so it works in Claude Code, Claude, Cursor, OpenAI Codex, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and other agents that support agent skills.
Is Marks Cycles free?
Marks Cycles is open source on GitHub under the MIT license. It is free to install; check the license before commercial use.
Who made Marks Cycles?
Marks Cycles is published by questflowai in the questflowai/investorskills repository, together with 39 other skills.
