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Frequently Asked Questions

General

How is this different from just asking ChatGPT to “think step by step”?

“Think step by step” is a hint. ReasonKit is a process.

Each ThinkTool has a specific job:

  • GigaThink forces 10+ perspectives
  • LaserLogic checks for logical fallacies
  • ProofGuard triangulates sources

You see exactly what each step caught. It’s structured, auditable reasoning—not just “try harder.”

Does this actually make AI smarter?

Honest answer: No.

ReasonKit doesn’t make LLMs smarter—it makes them show their work. The value is:

  • Structured output (not a wall of text)
  • Auditability (see what each tool caught)
  • Catching blind spots (five tools for five types of oversight)

Run the benchmarks yourself to verify.

Who actually uses this?

Anyone making decisions they want to think through properly:

  • Job offers and career changes
  • Major purchases
  • Business strategies
  • Life decisions

Also professionals in due diligence, compliance, and research.

Can I use my own LLM?

Yes. ReasonKit works with:

  • Anthropic Claude
  • OpenAI GPT-4
  • Google Gemini
  • Mistral
  • Groq
  • 300+ models via OpenRouter
  • Local models via Ollama

You bring your own API key.

Technical

What models work best?

Recommended:

  • Anthropic Claude Opus 4 / Sonnet 4 (best reasoning)
  • GPT-4o (good balance)
  • Claude Haiku 3.5 (fast, cheap, decent)

Good alternatives:

  • Gemini 2.0 Flash
  • Mistral Large
  • Llama 3.3 70B
  • DeepSeek V3

Not recommended:

  • Small models (<7B parameters)
  • Models without good instruction following

How much does it cost to run?

Depends on your profile and provider:

Profile~TokensClaude CostGPT-4 Cost
Quick2K~$0.02~$0.06
Balanced5K~$0.05~$0.15
Deep15K~$0.15~$0.45
Paranoid40K~$0.40~$1.20

Local models (Ollama) are free but slower.

Can I run it offline?

Yes, with local models:

ollama serve
rk-core think "question" --provider ollama --model llama3

Performance won’t match cloud models but works for privacy-sensitive use.

Is my data sent anywhere?

Only to your chosen LLM provider. ReasonKit itself:

  • Doesn’t collect telemetry
  • Doesn’t store your queries
  • Runs entirely locally except for LLM calls

Can I customize the prompts?

Yes. See Custom ThinkTools for details.

You can modify existing tools or create entirely new ones.

Usage

When should I use which profile?

DecisionProfileWhy
“Should I buy this $50 thing?”QuickLow stakes
“Should I take this job?”BalancedImportant but reversible
“Should I move cities?”DeepMajor life change
“Should I invest my life savings?”ParanoidCan’t afford to be wrong

Can I use just one ThinkTool?

Yes:

rk-core gigathink "Should I start a business?"
rk-core laserlogic "Renting is throwing money away"
rk-core proofguard "8 glasses of water a day"

What questions work best?

Great questions:

  • Decisions with trade-offs (“Should I X or Y?”)
  • Claims to verify (“Is it true that X?”)
  • Plans to stress-test (“I’m going to X”)
  • Complex situations (“How should I think about X?”)

Less suited:

  • Pure factual lookups (“What year was X?”)
  • Math problems
  • Code generation
  • Creative writing

How do I interpret the output?

Focus on:

  1. BrutalHonesty — Usually the most valuable section
  2. LaserLogic flaws — Arguments you might have accepted uncritically
  3. ProofGuard sources — Are claims actually verified?
  4. GigaThink perspectives — Especially ones that make you uncomfortable

Pricing

Is the free tier really free?

Yes. The open source core includes:

  • All 5 ThinkTools
  • PowerCombo
  • All profiles
  • Local execution
  • Apache 2.0 license

You only pay your LLM provider (or use free local models).

What’s in Pro?

Pro ($15/week) adds:

  • Advanced modules (AtomicBreak, HighReflect, etc.)
  • Team collaboration
  • Cloud execution
  • Priority support

What’s in Enterprise?

Enterprise ($45/week) adds:

  • Unlimited usage
  • Custom integrations
  • SLA guarantees
  • On-premise deployment option
  • Dedicated support

Troubleshooting

“API key not found”

Make sure the key is exported:

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="your-key"
echo $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY  # Should print your key

Analysis is slow

Try:

  1. Use --quick profile for faster results
  2. Use a faster model (Claude Haiku 3.5, GPT-4o-mini)
  3. Check your internet connection

Output is too long

Use output options:

rk-core think "question" --summary-only
rk-core think "question" --max-length 500

Model gives poor results

Try:

  1. A better model (Claude Opus 4, GPT-4o)
  2. A more specific question
  3. The --deep profile for more thorough prompting

Contributing

How can I contribute?

See Contributing Guide:

  • Report bugs on GitHub Issues
  • Propose features in Discussions
  • Submit PRs for fixes and features
  • Improve documentation

Can I create custom ThinkTools?

Yes! See Custom ThinkTools.

Share your creations with the community.