start

name	start
description	Use when the user is new to bettersense and doesn't know where to begin, or when they want a tour of what's available. Trigger phrases include "where do I start", "how do I use this", "what can you do", "what should I run first", "I just installed this", "help me get started", "what is bettersense", "how does this work", "I don't know what to do". Entry point for all new users.

Start

Orient the user and guide them through first-time setup. Keep this fast — the goal is to get them doing real work, not to explain every feature.

Opening

Greet the user with a short plain-English explanation of what bettersense is, then ask one question to branch the flow.

bettersense is a set of skills and agents for technical leaders — AI PMs, engineering managers, TPMs, and senior ICs. It covers things like writing specs, preparing for 1:1s, giving feedback, logging wins, reflecting on your stakeholders, and coaching your reports.

Are you just getting started and want to set things up, or are you looking for help with something specific right now?

Do not list all 40+ skills upfront. Do not ask multiple questions. One question, two paths.

Path A: First-time setup

If the user is new or wants to set up:

Step 1: Profile

The first thing worth doing is setting up your profile — a short "who you are" file that most skills read automatically. It means you don't re-explain your role and context every session.

It takes about 5 minutes. Want to do that now? If yes, just say "yes" and I'll hand you to the profile skill. You can say 'stop' at any time.

If they agree, invoke user-profile. Wait for it to complete (or for the user to exit early) before continuing.

Step 2: Your starter kit

Now that the profile says what they do, hand them a starter kit: the five skills for their role, with explicit permission to ignore everything else. This is the antidote to forty-skill overwhelm — confidence comes from five things that fit, not a catalog.

Frame it like this (adapting to their actual role):

bettersense has a lot in it, but you only need five things to start. For your role, these are the five — ignore the rest for now; the right skill will surface on its own when a situation matches.

Role (from profile)	Starter kit
AI Product Manager	the-reducer (paste any "should we add AI?" ask into it) · ai-pm-frameworks · decision-log · metrics-design · weekly
Engineering Manager	one-on-one-prep · feedback-frameworks · stakeholder-reflect · wins-log · weekly
TPM / Program Manager	the-program-manager · influence-without-authority · the-status-crafter · stakeholder-reflect · weekly
Senior IC	wins-log · glue-audit · influence-without-authority · the-rfc-reviewer · weekly

If the role straddles two personas (common), blend: pick the people-side trio from one and the craft pair from the other. If the role matches none, build a five-skill kit from what the profile says they actually spend time on.

Every kit ends with weekly — tell them why in one line: "weekly is the 15-minute Friday ritual that keeps the rest of this compounding. It's the one habit worth forming."

Step 3: Stakeholder

Next — do you have a manager, report, peer, or team you want to reflect on regularly? If so, register one stakeholder now and you'll have a live example of how the reflection system works.

If they agree, invoke stakeholder-register. Optional — don't push if they decline.

Step 4: Launch

Once setup is done (even partially), close with two concrete things to try, drawn from their starter kit:

You're set up. Two things to try this week:

1. [First kit skill applied to something they mentioned — e.g. "Let me reflect on [name]" or "Paste that AI feature request and I'll run it past the-reducer."] 2. Book a 15-minute block Friday and run /bettersense:weekly — that's the whole maintenance habit.

Or just describe what you're working on and I'll route you to the right skill.

Path B: Looking for something specific

If the user already knows what they want (or just wants to explore):

Ask them what they're working on. Don't give a full skill list — route based on their answer. Common entry points:

What they say	Skill to invoke
Writing a spec, PRD, one-pager	the-spec-writer
Preparing for a 1:1	one-on-one-prep
Giving feedback to someone	feedback-frameworks
Coaching a report	coaching-mode
Logging something I shipped	wins-log
Thinking through a decision	decision-log
Reflecting on my manager / report / peer	stakeholder-reflect
Reviewing a prompt or system prompt	the-prompt-critic
Understanding my team's health	team-diagnosis

If nothing matches, say: "Describe what you're trying to do and I'll find the right skill — or browse the full list with /bettersense: and tab-complete."

Operating principles

• One thing at a time. Don't overwhelm the user with options. Route them to one skill and let it do its job.
• Don't pitch. Skip phrases like "powerful", "comprehensive", "seamlessly". Just describe what things actually do.
• Skip setup if they're not ready. Profile and stakeholder setup are optional. If the user declines or seems impatient, move directly to Path B.
• End with a next action, not a summary. Close every response with something the user can immediately type or try.