Ken-You-Think MCP - TypeScript Edition 🚀

A metacognitive MCP server for vibe coding - gives coding agents thinking superpowers through a single, powerful tool.

Version 3.0: Pure TypeScript, Zero Python Dependencies!

What's New in v3.0?

• No Python Required - Built with the official @modelcontextprotocol/sdk
• No pip, No UV, No Permission Issues - Just npm install and go
• Works Everywhere - If Node.js runs, Ken-You-Think runs
• Same Powerful Thinking Tool - All the metacognitive features you love

Installation

One-Line Install (Claude Code)

claude mcp add ken-you-think -s user -- npx -y ken-you-think@3

That's it! No Python setup, no permission errors, just works.

Claude Desktop

Add to your configuration file:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ken-you-think": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "ken-you-think@3"]
    }
  }
}

Key Features

• Single Tool Architecture: Just one think tool that does everything
• Rich Thought Content: Each thought contains detailed implementation insights
• No Synthesis Step: The final thought IS your implementation plan
• Coding-Focused: Tailored specifically for software implementation thinking
• Minimal Parameters: Only 5 essential parameters vs 13+ in other MCPs

Usage

The MCP provides a single think tool with these parameters:

• thought (required): Your current thinking content (should be rich and detailed)
• thoughtNumber (required): Current thought number (1, 2, 3...)
• totalThoughts (required): Total thoughts planned for this problem
• isInvestigating (optional): Set to true when researching/investigating
• investigationArea (optional): What you're investigating
• branchReason (optional): Reason for branching to alternative approach
• confidence (optional): Your confidence level (0.0-1.0)

Example Flow

// First thought - Understanding
think({
  thought: "Understanding dark mode toggle request. Need: UI component, theme state management, CSS architecture, persistence mechanism.",
  thoughtNumber: 1,
  totalThoughts: 3,
  isInvestigating: true,
  investigationArea: "existing UI patterns"
})

// Middle thought - Investigation results
think({
  thought: "Found: React Context for state, CSS variables for theming, localStorage for persistence. Will create ThemeContext with useTheme hook.",
  thoughtNumber: 2,
  totalThoughts: 3,
  confidence: 0.95
})

// Final thought - Implementation plan
think({
  thought: `Implementation plan:
    1. Create contexts/ThemeContext.jsx with ThemeProvider and useTheme hook
    2. Build components/ui/ThemeToggle.jsx using existing Button component  
    3. Add CSS variables to :root for --bg-color, --text-color
    4. Integrate: Wrap App in ThemeProvider, add toggle to Header
    5. Test: Verify persistence, smooth transitions, existing component compatibility`,
  thoughtNumber: 3,
  totalThoughts: 3
})

Resources

The MCP also provides resources for introspection:

• thinking://current - View current thinking session
• thinking://history - See all thoughts from current session

Development

To modify or extend Ken-You-Think:

1. Clone the repository
2. Install dependencies: npm install
3. Make changes in src/index.ts
4. Build: npm run build
5. Test: npm start

Development with hot reload:

npm run dev

Why TypeScript?

After struggling with Python dependency hell (pip permissions on Mac, UV installation issues, version conflicts), we rebuilt Ken-You-Think in pure TypeScript using the official MCP SDK. The result:

• Zero installation issues - NPM just works
• Cross-platform by default - Node.js handles everything
• Better developer experience - TypeScript types, modern tooling
• Simpler distribution - One npx command, done

Philosophy

Ken-You-Think believes that:

1. Thinking is the content, not the prompts
2. One tool is enough when it's well-designed
3. Implementation details should emerge through thinking
4. The final thought should be immediately actionable
5. Simplicity enables more powerful thinking

Migration from Python Version

If you're upgrading from v2.x (Python):

1. Remove the old version: claude mcp remove ken-you-think
2. Install the new version: claude mcp add ken-you-think -s user -- npx -y ken-you-think@3
3. Restart Claude

The thinking interface remains exactly the same - only the underlying implementation has changed.

License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details.

Built with frustration about Python dependencies and love for simple solutions.