spec-discovery

name	spec-discovery
version	1.0.0
description	[Investigation] Use when about to author a new Feature Spec from an idea — investigate all existing Feature Specs AND related code logic first to surface related/overlapping/affected specs, missing features, missing test cases/user stories, system unknowns, and the invariant landscape, before any spec is drafted.
context-budget	medium

[BLOCKING] Execute skill steps in declared order. NEVER skip, reorder, or merge steps without explicit user approval. [BLOCKING] Before each step or sub-skill call, update task tracking: set in_progress when step starts, set completed when step ends. [BLOCKING] Every completed/skipped step MUST include brief evidence or explicit skip reason. [BLOCKING] If Task tools are unavailable, create and maintain an equivalent step-by-step plan tracker with the same status transitions.

Quick Summary

Goal: Before a single line of a new Feature Spec is authored, deliver the pre-spec landscape — every existing Feature Spec the idea relates to / overlaps / depends on / would affect, the related code logic, the missing features and missing test cases / user stories, the system unknowns, and the invariant landscape the new spec must respect — so the author never ships a duplicate, contradicts a [HARD] rule, or specs into a blind spot.

Summary:

• This is BOTH spec-aware and code-aware: it reads docs/specs/** (the canonical Feature Specs) AND delegates to /scout + code-graph for the code logic the idea touches. Spec-only or code-only discovery misses half the landscape.
• It runs BEFORE spec [mode=draft] and feeds it. Its job is to decide WHETHER a new standalone spec is even the right move — the alternative is extending an existing spec, which only a spec-corpus scan can reveal.
• It is INLINE on the main agent (NOT a sub-agent) because step 5 is a BLOCKING AskUserQuestion scope-decision gate that only works inline. It MAY spawn sub-agents for parallel spec reads, but it orchestrates and gates inline.
• Greenfield short-circuit: when there are no specs AND no code, auto-detect it, record the reason, skip the heavy discovery, and hand off a minimal landscape — never grind through empty discovery.

Workflow:

0. Scope — read the framed capability (brainstorm/idea output); extract keywords, candidate entities/actors, target spec bucket.
1. Spec-corpus discovery — Glob docs/specs/**/README.*.md; read §1/§4/§5/§8 of each candidate; classify each as EXTENDS / OVERLAPS / DEPENDS-ON / AFFECTED / UNRELATED.
2. Code-logic discovery — /scout {keywords} + MANDATORY graph expansion on key files when .code-graph/graph.db exists; bridge code→spec via §8 [Source:] anchors.
3. Gap & invariant analysis — missing features, missing test cases / user stories, system unknowns (<80% confidence), and the existing [HARD] rules / §5 invariants the idea must respect.
4. Report — write plans/{plan-dir}/research/spec-discovery-{slug}.md incrementally (Related Specs · Related Code · Affected Specs · Gaps · Invariant Landscape · Open Questions).
5. Scope-decision gate (BLOCKING AskUserQuestion) — recommend NEW / EXTEND existing X / SPLIT into N, and confirm which existing specs to cross-reference.
6. Handoff — feed entities, invariants, cross-refs, and gaps into domain-analysis + spec [mode=draft].

Key Rules:

• Landscape over implementation — surface related/overlapping/affected specs + the invariant landscape fast; this is NOT the spec author and NOT a deep investigation.
• INLINE execution — the step 5 user gate is BLOCKING and only works inline; spawn sub-agents only for parallel spec reads, never delegate the whole skill.
• NEVER auto-pick NEW — step 5 is a BLOCKING user gate. OVERLAPS is exactly what the spec scan exists to catch; recommend, then let the user decide scope.
• NEVER skip graph expansion when .code-graph/graph.db exists; when absent, grep + read still bridge code→spec via [Source:] anchors.

Spec-Discovery — Pre-Spec Landscape Investigation

---

When to Use

• About to author a NEW Feature Spec from an idea / requirement / brainstorm output, before spec [mode=draft] runs.
• Need to know whether the idea is genuinely new or overlaps an existing spec (duplicate-spec prevention).
• Need the invariant landscape — the existing [HARD] rules and §5 invariants a new capability must respect or might violate.

NOT for: authoring the spec (use spec [mode=draft]), deep root-cause analysis of existing code (use investigate), generating Section 8 test cases (use spec [mode=tests]), regenerating the derived bucket index/ERD (use spec-index).

---

Phase 0: Classify Corpus & Short-Circuit

Before any discovery, classify what landscape exists. This decides which steps run.

Corpus state	Detection	Route
Specs + code	docs/specs/**/README.*.md present AND source files for keywords	Full run — steps 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Specs only	Specs present, no code yet (provisional/draft-era project)	Steps 1, 3, 4, 5 — skip step 2 code discovery (record "no code yet")
Code only	No specs yet, code exists	Steps 2, 3, 4, 5 — step 1 records "no existing specs", bridge gaps from code
Greenfield (empty)	No specs AND no source for keywords	Short-circuit — record reason, skip heavy discovery, minimal handoff

Greenfield / empty-corpus short-circuit. When Phase 0 detects no specs AND no code: record Corpus: greenfield — no specs, no code for {keywords} with the Glob/grep evidence that proved it, skip steps 1–3, write a minimal landscape report (just the framed scope + open questions), and hand off to spec [mode=draft]. Run the step 5 scope gate ONLY if there is something to decide (e.g. two plausible buckets); with nothing to decide, default to NEW and state the assumption in one line.

---

Workflow

Step 0: Frame the Scope

Read the framed capability — the brainstorm / idea / requirement text that triggered this. Extract:

• Keywords — domain nouns and verbs the idea names (entities, actions, features).
• Candidate entities / actors — the business objects and roles the idea implies.
• Target spec bucket — which docs/specs/{Bucket}/ the new spec would most likely live in (per the project's module mapping; resolve from docs/project-reference/feature-spec-reference.md / spec-system-reference.md).

State the framed scope in one line before continuing (e.g. Discovering for: "bulk order export" — keywords [order, export, batch], bucket Orders).

Step 1: Spec-Corpus Discovery

# Enumerate every canonical Feature Spec
ls docs/specs/**/README.*.md 2>/dev/null   # or: Glob docs/specs/**/README.*.md

If NONE → record No existing specs and skip to Step 2.

Else, for each candidate spec the keywords touch, read the high-signal sections only (do NOT read whole specs — landscape, not deep-dive):

• §1 Overview — what the spec covers (scope boundary).
• §4 Business-Rule headers — the BR-{FC}-NN IDs and their [HARD]/[SOFT] tags (feeds invariant landscape).
• §5 Domain Model — entities + ERD (overlap detection by shared entities).
• §8 Test-Case summary — the TC count + summary table (coverage baseline; missing-TC detection).

Use the bucket INDEX.md (produced by /spec-index) as a fast navigation map when present — it lists the specs and their entities so you read fewer full files.

Classify each candidate spec's relationship to the idea (one label per spec, with file:line evidence):

Relationship	Meaning
EXTENDS	The idea is a natural addition to this spec's capability — likely an UPDATE, not NEW.
OVERLAPS (dup risk)	The idea re-states behavior this spec already owns — authoring NEW would duplicate.
DEPENDS-ON	The idea needs this spec's entities/rules to function — cross-reference required.
AFFECTED	The idea would change behavior this spec documents — forward-impact, may need amend.
UNRELATED	Shares a keyword but no real relationship — record to show it was checked.

Step 2: Code-Logic Discovery (only if code exists)

Bridge the idea to the implementation so the spec reflects what actually exists (or what the idea will touch).

1. Delegate to /scout {keywords} — fast parallel file discovery of the code the idea relates to. Use scout's numbered, prioritized list as targets; do NOT re-grep what scout already mapped.
2. MANDATORY graph expansion — when .code-graph/graph.db exists, run graph commands YOURSELF (sub-agents cannot) on 2–3 key files scout surfaced:

   python .claude/scripts/code_graph trace <key-entity-or-command> --direction both --json
   python .claude/scripts/code_graph connections <key-file> --json
   

   Graph reveals callers, consumers, event chains, and tests grep cannot find — exactly the downstream the new spec must account for.
3. Delegate ambiguous areas to /investigate — when scout + graph surface a flow whose behavior is unclear (the idea hinges on how it works), hand that narrow slice to investigate rather than guessing.
4. Bridge code → spec — for each key code file, find its governing spec via the §8 [Source: namespace/service/id] anchors / Related Files. A code area with NO governing spec is a gap (record in Step 3); a code area WITH a governing spec strengthens the Step 1 relationship classification.

Step 3: Gap & Invariant Analysis

From Steps 1–2, synthesize four lists (every item file:line-cited or marked "inferred"):

• Missing features — behavior the idea implies that NO existing spec or code covers. These are the net-new surface the spec must define.
• Missing test cases / user stories — in the specs the idea touches (EXTENDS/AFFECTED), the AC / TC the idea's behavior would require but that are absent today.
• System unknowns — anything the discovery could not resolve to >80% confidence (unverified flows, ambiguous ownership, unread cross-service consumers). Name each explicitly — an unknown surfaced is cheaper than a wrong spec.
• Invariant landscape — the existing [HARD] business rules (§4) and §5 entity invariants the idea must respect or might violate. This is the single most load-bearing output: a new spec that contradicts a [HARD] rule of a DEPENDS-ON spec ships a defect. List each invariant as "for ALL {inputs}, {invariant} holds — owned by {spec/BR-id}".

Step 4: Report

Write plans/{plan-dir}/research/spec-discovery-{slug}.md (resolve {plan-dir} from the active plan; fall back to plans/reports/spec-discovery-{YYMMDD}-{HHmm}-{slug}.md when no plan dir exists). Persist incrementally — append each section as it is produced, never hold the whole report in memory:

# Spec-Discovery: {idea}

## Framed Scope

{keywords, candidate entities/actors, target bucket}

## Related Specs

| Spec | Relationship | Overlap evidence | Action implied |
| ---- | ------------ | ---------------- | -------------- |

## Related Code

{scout's prioritized files + graph evidence — callers/consumers/tests}

## Affected Specs (forward-impact)

{specs whose documented behavior the idea would change}

## Gaps

- Missing features: ...
- Missing TCs / user stories: ...

## Invariant Landscape

- for ALL {inputs}, {invariant} — owned by {spec/BR-id} — idea must {respect/extend}

## Open Questions

- {system unknowns, <80% confidence items}

Step 5: Scope-Decision Gate (BLOCKING AskUserQuestion)

MANDATORY MUST ATTENTION — NO EXCEPTIONS: before any spec is authored, MUST ATTENTION use AskUserQuestion to present the recommended scope. NEVER auto-pick — OVERLAPS detection is the whole reason this skill exists; assuming NEW silently ships duplicates.

Recommend ONE option (with the evidence behind it) and confirm the cross-references:

• (a) NEW standalone spec — no EXTENDS/OVERLAPS match; the idea is genuinely net-new. Hand off to spec [mode=draft].
• (b) EXTEND existing spec X — an EXTENDS/OVERLAPS match means the idea belongs inside X. Reroute to /spec [mode=update] against X instead of drafting a new file.
• (c) SPLIT into N specs — the idea spans N distinct capabilities (or would breach the size caps); author N specs, each with its own bucket.

Also confirm WHICH existing specs (the DEPENDS-ON / AFFECTED set) the author must cross-reference, so the new/updated spec links them and respects their invariants.

Step 6: Handoff

Feed the discovery forward:

• → domain-analysis — the related entities + invariant landscape (so the domain model is consistent with existing specs).
• → spec [mode=draft] (or spec [mode=update] if Step 5 chose EXTEND) — the framed scope, the missing features/TCs, the cross-references to link, and the [HARD] rules to respect.

---

Results Format

## Spec-Discovery Results: {idea}

### Recommended Scope

**{NEW | EXTEND spec X | SPLIT into N}** — because {evidence-backed reason}

### Related Specs

| Spec                                | Relationship | Evidence                       | Implied action             |
| ----------------------------------- | ------------ | ------------------------------ | -------------------------- |
| `docs/specs/{Bucket}/README.{X}.md` | OVERLAPS     | §4 BR-X-03 already states this | route to /spec mode=update |

### Related Code

1. `{file}` — {role} — graph: {callers/consumers found}

### Affected Specs (forward-impact)

- `{spec}` — {documented behavior the idea changes}

### Gaps

- Missing features: {list}
- Missing TCs / user stories: {list}

### Invariant Landscape (must respect)

- for ALL {inputs}, {invariant} — owned by {spec/BR-id}

### Open Questions

- {system unknowns, <80% confidence}

**Full report:** plans/{plan-dir}/research/spec-discovery-{slug}.md

---

Related Skills

scout (code file discovery — Step 2) | investigate (deep-dive ambiguous flows — Step 2) | spec [mode=draft] (authors §1–7 from the idea — Step 6 handoff) | spec [mode=update] (the EXTEND reroute — Step 5) | domain-analysis (entity/invariant modeling — Step 6) | spec-index (derived bucket INDEX.md used in Step 1)

---

[IMPORTANT] Use TaskCreate to break ALL work into small tasks BEFORE starting — including a task per candidate spec read. This prevents context loss from long specs. For trivial single-spec scopes, AI MUST ATTENTION ask user whether to skip.

• docs/project-reference/feature-spec-reference.md — Feature Spec conventions, bucket/module mapping (read before reading any spec).
• docs/project-reference/spec-system-reference.md — canonical vs derived spec artifacts, TC format, spec paths.
• docs/project-reference/domain-entities-reference.md — Domain entity catalog, relationships, cross-service sync (read when the idea involves business entities/models).

External Memory: Complex/lengthy discovery → write findings incrementally to the research report. Prevents context loss.

Evidence Gate: MANDATORY MUST ATTENTION — every relationship classification, gap, and invariant requires file:line proof with confidence % (>80% act, <80% verify first).

Graph-Assisted Investigation — MANDATORY when .code-graph/graph.db exists.

HARD-GATE: MUST ATTENTION run at least ONE graph command on key files before concluding any investigation.

Pattern: Grep finds files → trace --direction both reveals full system flow → Grep verifies details

Task	Minimum Graph Action
Investigation/Scout	trace --direction both on 2-3 entry files
Fix/Debug	callers_of on buggy function + tests_for
Feature/Enhancement	connections on files to be modified
Code Review	tests_for on changed functions
Blast Radius	trace --direction downstream

CLI: python .claude/scripts/code_graph {command} --json. Use --node-mode file first (10-30x less noise), then --node-mode function for detail.

Incremental Result Persistence — MANDATORY for all sub-agents or heavy inline steps processing >3 files.

1. Before starting: Create report file plans/reports/{skill}-{date}-{slug}.md
2. After each file/section reviewed: Append findings to report immediately — never hold in memory
3. Return to main agent: Summary only (per SYNC:subagent-return-contract) with Full report: path
4. Main agent: Reads report file only when resolving specific blockers

Why: Context cutoff mid-execution loses ALL in-memory findings. Each disk write survives compaction. Partial results are better than no results.

Report naming: plans/reports/{skill-name}-{YYMMDD}-{HHmm}-{slug}.md

Sub-Agent Return Contract — When this skill spawns a sub-agent, the sub-agent MUST return ONLY this structure. Main agent reads only this summary — NEVER requests full sub-agent output inline.

## Sub-Agent Result: [skill-name]

Status: ✅ PASS | ⚠️ PARTIAL | ❌ FAIL
Confidence: [0-100]%

### Findings (Critical/High only — max 10 bullets)

- [severity] [file:line] [finding]

### Actions Taken

- [file changed] [what changed]

### Blockers (if any)

- [blocker description]

Full report: plans/reports/[skill-name]-[date]-[slug].md

Main agent reads Full report file ONLY when: (a) resolving a specific blocker, or (b) building a fix plan. Sub-agent writes full report incrementally (per SYNC:incremental-persistence) — not held in memory.

Context budget — the return payload is a SUMMARY, not a transcript: ≤10 finding bullets, no raw file contents / full diffs / verbatim logs inline, no re-pasted source. Everything beyond the summary lives in the Full report on disk. A sub-agent that would exceed the summary shape MUST write the detail to its report and return only the pointer — the orchestrator's context is the scarce resource the whole map-reduce protects.

Nested Task Expansion Contract — For workflow-step invocation, the [Workflow] ... row is only a parent container; the child skill still creates visible phase tasks.

1. Call TaskList first. If a matching active parent workflow row exists, set nested=true and record parentTaskId; otherwise run standalone.
2. Create one task per declared phase before phase work. When nested, prefix subjects [N.M] $skill-name — phase.
3. When nested, link the parent with TaskUpdate(parentTaskId, addBlockedBy: [childIds]).
4. Orchestrators must pre-expand a child skill's phase list and link the workflow row before invoking that child skill or sub-agent.
5. Mark exactly one child in_progress before work and completed immediately after evidence is written.
6. Complete the parent only after all child tasks are completed or explicitly cancelled with reason.

Blocked until: TaskList done, child phases created, parent linked when nested, first child marked in_progress.

Project Reference Docs Gate — Run after task-tracking bootstrap and before target/source file reads, grep, edits, or analysis. Project docs override generic framework assumptions.

1. Identify scope: file types, domain area, and operation.
2. Required docs by trigger: always docs/project-reference/lessons.md; doc lookup docs-index-reference.md; review code-review-rules.md; backend/CQRS/API backend-patterns-reference.md; domain/entity domain-entities-reference.md; frontend/UI frontend-patterns-reference.md; styles/design scss-styling-guide.md + design-system/design-system-canonical.md; integration tests integration-test-reference.md; E2E e2e-test-reference.md; feature docs/specs feature-spec-reference.md + spec-system-reference.md + spec-principles.md; behavior/public-contract/spec-test-code sync workflow-spec-test-code-cycle-reference.md; derived spec index/ERD/reimplementation guides spec-system-reference.md + source Feature Specs under docs/specs/; architecture/new area project-structure-reference.md.
3. Read every required doc. If docs/project-config.json, the docs index, lessons.md, CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, or any task-required reference doc is missing or stale, auto-run /project-init or the narrow lower-level route (/project-config, /docs-init, /scan-all, /scan --target=<key>, /claude-md-init) before ordinary project-specific work. If Codex mirrors or AGENTS.md are missing/stale, ask the user to run /sync-codex; do not auto-run it.
4. Before target work, state: Reference docs read: ... | Not applicable: ....

Ready when: scope evaluated, required docs checked/read or setup route completed, lessons.md confirmed, citation emitted.

Task Tracking & External Report Persistence — Bootstrap this before execution; then run project-reference doc prefetch before target/source work.

1. Create a small task breakdown before target file reads, grep, edits, or analysis. On context loss, inspect the current task list first.
2. Mark one task in_progress before work and completed immediately after evidence; never batch transitions.
3. For plan/review work, create plans/reports/{skill}-{YYMMDD}-{HHmm}-{slug}.md before first finding.
4. Append findings after each file/section/decision and synthesize from the report file at the end.
5. Final output cites Full report: plans/reports/{filename}.

Blocked until: task breakdown exists, report path declared for plan/review work, first finding persisted before the next finding.

Critical Thinking Mindset — Apply critical thinking, sequential thinking. Every claim needs traced proof, confidence >80% to act. Anti-hallucination: Never present guess as fact — cite sources for every claim, admit uncertainty freely, self-check output for errors, cross-reference independently, stay skeptical of own confidence — certainty without evidence root of all hallucination.

Evidence-Based Reasoning — Speculation is FORBIDDEN. Every claim needs proof.

1. Cite file:line, grep results, or framework docs for EVERY claim
2. Declare confidence: >80% act freely, 60-80% verify first, <60% DO NOT recommend
3. Cross-service validation required for architectural changes
4. "I don't have enough evidence" is valid and expected output

BLOCKED until: - [ ] Evidence file path (file:line) - [ ] Grep search performed - [ ] 3+ similar patterns found - [ ] Confidence level stated

Forbidden without proof: "obviously", "I think", "should be", "probably", "this is because" If incomplete → output: "Insufficient evidence. Verified: [...]. Not verified: [...]."

Cross-Service Check — Microservices/event-driven: MANDATORY before concluding investigation, plan, spec, or feature doc. Missing downstream consumer = silent regression.

Boundary	Grep terms
Event producers	Publish, Dispatch, Send, emit, EventBus, outbox, IntegrationEvent
Event consumers	Consumer, EventHandler, Subscribe, @EventListener, inbox
Sagas/orchestration	Saga, ProcessManager, Choreography, Workflow, Orchestrator
Sync service calls	HTTP/gRPC calls to/from other services
Shared contracts	OpenAPI spec, proto, shared DTO — flag breaking changes
Data ownership	Other service reads/writes same table/collection → Shared-DB anti-pattern

Per touchpoint: owner service · message name · consumers · risk (NONE / ADDITIVE / BREAKING).

BLOCKED until: Producers scanned · Consumers scanned · Sagas checked · Contracts reviewed · Breaking-change risk flagged

Rationalization Prevention — AI skips steps via these evasions. Recognize and reject:

Evasion	Rebuttal
"Too simple for a plan"	Simple + wrong assumptions = wasted time. Plan anyway.
"I'll test after"	RED before GREEN. Write/verify test first.
"Already searched"	Show grep evidence with file:line. No proof = no search.
"Just do it"	Still need TaskCreate. Skip depth, never skip tracking.
"Just a small fix"	Small fix in wrong location cascades. Verify file:line first.
"Code is self-explanatory"	Future readers need evidence trail. Document anyway.
"Combine steps to save time"	Combined steps dilute focus. Each step has distinct purpose.

AI Mistake Prevention — Failure modes to avoid on every task:

Re-read files after context changes. Context compaction, resume, or long-running work can make memory stale; verify current files before acting. Verify generated content against source evidence. AI hallucinates APIs, names, claims, and document facts. Check the relevant source before documenting or referencing. Check downstream references before deleting or renaming. Removing an artifact can stale docs, generated mirrors, configs, and callers; map references first. Trace the full impact chain after edits. Changing a definition can miss derived outputs and consumers. Follow the affected chain before declaring done. Verify ALL affected outputs, not just the first. One green check is not all green checks; validate every output surface the change can affect. Assume existing values are intentional — ask WHY before changing. Before changing a constant, limit, flag, wording, or pattern, read nearby context and history. Surface ambiguity before acting — don't pick silently. Multiple valid interpretations require an explicit question or stated assumption with risk. Keep shared guidance role-relevant. Universal guidance must help every receiving skill or agent; code-specific obligations belong only in code-specific protocols.

MUST ATTENTION cite file:line evidence for every claim. Confidence >80% to act, <60% = do NOT recommend.

MUST ATTENTION never skip steps via evasions. Plan anyway. Test first. Show grep evidence with file:line.

MUST ATTENTION run at least ONE graph command on key files before concluding when .code-graph/graph.db exists.

MUST ATTENTION apply critical + sequential thinking — every claim needs appropriate traced evidence (file:line for repo/code claims; source URL or artifact section for research, product, content, and docs claims); confidence >80% to act, <60% DO NOT recommend. Anti-hallucination: never present guess as fact, admit uncertainty freely, cross-reference independently, stay skeptical of own confidence.

MUST ATTENTION apply AI mistake prevention — verify generated content against evidence, trace downstream references before deleting or renaming, verify all affected outputs, re-read files after context loss, and surface ambiguity before acting.

• MANDATORY Bootstrap task tracking before target work; transition one task at a time.
• MANDATORY Persist plan/review findings to plans/reports/ incrementally and synthesize from disk.

• MANDATORY After task-tracking bootstrap and before target/source work, read required project-reference docs and cite Reference docs read: ....
• MANDATORY Always include lessons.md; project conventions override generic defaults.
• MANDATORY If project config, root instruction files, or any required reference doc is missing or stale, auto-run /project-init or the narrow lower-level route before ordinary project-specific work.

• MANDATORY Parent workflow rows do not replace child phase tracking; expand phases and link the parent when nested.
• MANDATORY Orchestrators pre-expand child skill phases before invocation; use [N.M] $skill-name — phase prefixes and one-in_progress discipline.

Prompt-Enhance Closing Anchors

IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION follow declared step order for this skill; NEVER skip, reorder, or merge steps without explicit user approval IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION for every step/sub-skill call: set in_progress before execution, set completed after execution IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION every skipped step MUST include explicit reason; every completed step MUST include concise evidence IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION if Task tools unavailable, maintain an equivalent step-by-step plan tracker with synchronized statuses

Closing Reminders

IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION Goal: Before a new Feature Spec is authored, deliver the pre-spec landscape — related/overlapping/affected specs, related code, missing features + missing TCs/user stories, system unknowns, and the invariant landscape the new spec must respect — so the author never ships a duplicate, contradicts a [HARD] rule, or specs into a blind spot.

IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION — Protocols in force (concise digest of the SYNC/shared blocks this skill carries; each is a signpost to its canonical body above):

• Graph-Assisted Investigation: Run one graph command on key code files before concluding the code-discovery step.
• Incremental Persistence: Append findings to the research report, never hold the landscape in memory.
• Subagent Return Contract: Parallel-spec-read sub-agents return summary only, full findings on disk.
• Nested Task Creation: Expand child phases and link parent when nested under a workflow row.
• Project Reference Docs: Read feature-spec-reference.md + spec-system-reference.md + lessons.md before reading specs.
• Task Tracking External Report: Bootstrap task tracking, persist discovery findings incrementally.
• Critical Thinking: Traced proof per relationship/gap/invariant, confidence >80% to act.
• Evidence: Cite file:line; speculation forbidden, <60% do not recommend.
• Cross-Service Check: Scan producers, consumers, sagas, contracts — a missed consumer the idea touches is a silent gap.
• Rationalization Prevention: Reject step-skipping evasions; show grep evidence.
• AI Mistake Prevention: verify generated content against evidence, trace downstream references, verify all affected outputs, re-read after context loss, surface ambiguity.

MUST ATTENTION every protocol above is in force for this spec-discovery — honor its canonical body, not just the digest line.

IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION be BOTH spec-aware AND code-aware — read docs/specs/** (§1/§4/§5/§8 of related specs) AND delegate to /scout + code-graph; spec-only or code-only discovery misses half the landscape — why: overlap lives in the spec corpus, downstream impact lives in the code. IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION run INLINE — the step 5 scope-decision gate is a BLOCKING AskUserQuestion that only works inline; spawn sub-agents only for parallel spec reads, NEVER delegate the whole skill — why: a delegated user gate cannot block, so the author would proceed before the user decides scope. IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION NEVER auto-pick NEW — classify every candidate spec EXTENDS/OVERLAPS/DEPENDS-ON/AFFECTED/UNRELATED with file:line evidence, then recommend and let the user decide via the BLOCKING gate — why: OVERLAPS detection is the entire reason this skill runs before the author; silently picking NEW ships a duplicate spec. MUST ATTENTION stay in the LANDSCAPE lane — surface related/overlapping/affected specs + the invariant landscape fast; do NOT author the spec (that is spec [mode=draft]) and do NOT deep-dive every flow (that is investigate) — why: scope creep into authoring/analysis duplicates the next steps and burns the budget. MUST ATTENTION graph expand is MANDATORY when .code-graph/graph.db exists — run at least ONE graph command on 2–3 key files scout surfaced; when absent, grep + read still bridge code→spec via [Source:] anchors — why: structural callers/consumers/event chains the new spec must account for are invisible to grep. MUST ATTENTION capture the invariant landscape explicitly — list every existing [HARD] rule (§4) and §5 invariant the idea must respect, as "for ALL {inputs}, {invariant} — owned by {spec/BR-id}" — why: a new spec that contradicts a DEPENDS-ON spec's [HARD] rule ships a defect. MUST ATTENTION apply the greenfield short-circuit — when no specs AND no code, record the reason with Glob/grep evidence, skip heavy discovery, hand off a minimal landscape; run the scope gate only if there is something to decide — why: grinding through empty discovery wastes the budget and produces nothing. MUST ATTENTION persist the report incrementally (per-section) to the research file — never hold the whole landscape in memory — why: context cutoff mid-discovery loses every finding; disk writes survive compaction. MUST ATTENTION read required project docs first (always lessons.md; feature-spec-reference.md + spec-system-reference.md for spec conventions) BEFORE reading any spec — project conventions override generic assumptions.

Anti-Rationalization:

Evasion	Rebuttal
"The idea is obviously new, skip the spec scan"	OVERLAPS is exactly what the scan catches. Classify every candidate spec first.
"No graph available, skip code discovery"	Grep + read still bridge code→spec via [Source:] anchors. Discovery is required.
"I'll just guess the right scope"	Step 5 is a BLOCKING user gate. NEVER auto-pick NEW — recommend, then let user decide.
"Spec corpus is huge, read just one spec"	Glob ALL candidates the keywords touch; reading one hides the overlap in another.
"I'll author the draft while I'm here"	Landscape only. Authoring is spec [mode=draft]; deep flow analysis is investigate.
"Invariants are the author's problem"	A spec contradicting a [HARD] rule ships a defect. List the invariant landscape now.
"Delegate the whole skill to a sub-agent, faster"	The step 5 gate is BLOCKING and inline-only. Spawn sub-agents only for spec reads.

IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION spec-aware AND code-aware · INLINE (step 5 gate is BLOCKING) · NEVER auto-pick NEW — cite file:line with confidence >80% — these survive any long context, anchored top and bottom.

[TASK-PLANNING] Before acting, analyze task scope and systematically break it into small todo tasks and sub-tasks using TaskCreate.