interview

name

Interview

description

Runs a phased conversational interview across all PAI context files using InterviewScan.ts, which orders targets by PHASE and assigns conversation mode per file. Phase 1 (foundational TELOS) always runs first regardless of completeness: MISSION, GOALS, PROBLEMS, STRATEGIES, CHALLENGES, NARRATIVES, SPARKS, BELIEFS, WISDOM, MODELS, FRAMES in leverage order. Phase 2: IDEAL_STATE (HEALTH, MONEY, FREEDOM, RELATIONSHIPS, CREATIVE) in Fill mode. Phase 3: preferences (BOOKS, AUTHORS, BANDS, MOVIES, RESTAURANTS, FOOD_PREFERENCES, LEARNING, MEETUPS, CIVIC) in mixed mode. Phase 4: light touch on CURRENT_STATE/SNAPSHOT and PRINCIPAL_IDENTITY. Phase 9 (RHYTHMS) deferred. Review mode (≥80%) reads file then asks targeted questions one at a time — still accurate, outdated, missing, sharpen? Fill mode (<80%) walks scanner prompts one at a time. The principal answers in natural language; the DA formats into file structure. Voice confirms on actual changes only. Stop signals respected immediately. Target vs. north-star type confirmed per entry. Timestamped backup to TELOS/Backups/ before multi-edit at ≥50% of a file. TelosRenderer.ts regenerates PRINCIPAL_TELOS.md after foundational changes. USE WHEN /interview, resume interview, continue interview, start the interview, review TELOS, fill in context, what's missing in setup, conversational review, phased review, TELOS walkthrough, quarterly context refresh. NOT FOR single-file edits (use Telos Update workflow), intaking external content (use Migrate), identity edits (use _PROFILE).

Interview — phased conversational context review + fill

🚨 MANDATORY: Voice Notification

Before running the workflow, send:

curl -s -X POST http://localhost:31337/notify \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"message": "Starting the interview. Scanning phases first."}' \
  > /dev/null 2>&1 &

What this skill does

Runs a phased conversational interview across every PAI context file. Phase 1 (foundational TELOS) is the core — the DA always reviews it first, even if files look "complete," because foundational context is never actually done. Only after Phase 1 does the interview move to IDEAL_STATE dimensions, preferences, and identity.

The phases

Phase	Scope	Mode default
Phase 1	Foundational TELOS context — MISSION, GOALS, PROBLEMS, STRATEGIES, CHALLENGES, NARRATIVES, SPARKS, BELIEFS, WISDOM, MODELS, FRAMES	Review (files are typically already populated — surface updates/refinements)
Phase 2	IDEAL_STATE dimensions (minus RHYTHMS) — HEALTH, MONEY, FREEDOM, RELATIONSHIPS, CREATIVE	Fill (typically sparse — walk through prompts)
Phase 3	Preferences — BOOKS, AUTHORS, BANDS, MOVIES, RESTAURANTS, FOOD_PREFERENCES, LEARNING, MEETUPS, CIVIC	Mix — depends on completeness
Phase 4	CURRENT_STATE/SNAPSHOT + PRINCIPAL_IDENTITY	Light touch
Phase 9	Deferred — RHYTHMS (skipped in normal flow)	—

Review vs. Fill mode

• Fill mode (completeness < 80%): walk through the scanner's prompts, write answers to the file's structured slots.
• Review mode (completeness ≥ 80%): read the file contents to the principal first, then ask targeted questions — "Anything outdated? Anything missing? Sharpen or refine any of these?"

The scanner marks each target's mode based on completeness. The DA respects that mode in the conversation.

Workflow

Step 1 — Scan

Run the scanner to see phase breakdown and current state:

bun ~/.claude/PAI/TOOLS/InterviewScan.ts

The scanner orders items phase-first (Phase 1 always before Phase 2). Present the per-phase summary to the principal:

"Your setup is 85% overall. Phase 1 foundational TELOS is at 100% — but every file is worth a review pass. Phase 2 IDEAL_STATE is at 59%. Phase 3 preferences mostly good except FOOD_PREFERENCES at 7%. Starting with Phase 1: MISSION. Ready?"

Step 2 — Walk Phase 1 first

Do not skip Phase 1. Even if every foundational TELOS file scores 100%, walk through each in priority order. These files are never truly "done" — a quarterly review pass is what keeps them current.

Phase 1 order (by leverage): MISSION → GOALS → PROBLEMS → STRATEGIES → CHALLENGES → NARRATIVES → SPARKS → BELIEFS → WISDOM → MODELS → FRAMES.

For each file:

1. Get the per-file detail:

   bun ~/.claude/PAI/TOOLS/InterviewScan.ts --file <NAME>
   

2. Check the mode:
   • REVIEW mode (≥80% complete) → read the file contents to the principal first, then ask review questions
   • FILL mode (<80% complete) → walk through the scanner's prompts
3. Run the conversation loop (below)
4. When the principal says "next" or "done with this one," move to the next Phase 1 file

Step 3 — Conversation loop (per file)

Review mode (for Phase 1 files at ≥80%):

1. Read the file with the Read tool.
2. Summarize what's there to the principal in 2-3 sentences. No voice here — text only.
3. Ask targeted review questions ONE AT A TIME:
   • "Is still accurate?"
   • "Anything outdated to retire?"
   • "Any recent thinking that belongs here but isn't captured?"
   • "Anything you'd sharpen, reframe, or expand?"
4. The principal answers by voice or text.
5. If the principal wants a change, the DA writes it via Edit tool — precise old_string/new_string, preserve surrounding structure.
6. Voice-confirm only on actual changes:

   curl -s -X POST http://localhost:31337/notify \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     -d '{"message": "Updated <FILE> — captured the refinement."}' \
     > /dev/null 2>&1 &
   

7. Ask: "Anything else for , or move on?"

Fill mode (for files below 80%):

1. Ask the first scanner prompt — one at a time, never a firehose.
2. The principal answers (voice or typed).
3. The DA writes the answer into the correct slot in the file — replacing TBD markers, filling empty sections, appending items.
4. Voice-confirm what got captured.
5. Next prompt. Repeat until done with this file or the principal says "next."

Step 4 — Phase transitions

After Phase 1 completes:

1. Voice: "Phase 1 done. Ready for Phase 2 IDEAL_STATE, or break here?"
2. If the principal says continue, proceed to Phase 2 top priority (usually HEALTH).
3. If the principal says stop, run final scan, voice a summary of what changed, say goodbye.

Same pattern Phase 2 → Phase 3 → Phase 4.

Step 5 — Regenerate PRINCIPAL_TELOS.md

After foundational changes, regenerate the startup summary so future sessions pick up the updates:

bun ~/.claude/PAI/TOOLS/TelosRenderer.ts 2>/dev/null || true

Rules

• One question at a time. Never dump all prompts at once.
• The principal never types schema. They speak/type the answer in their own words; the DA formats it into the file's structure.
• Always show the principal what got written before moving on. Brief voice + one line text.
• Respect stop signals. "Enough" / "stop" / "later" → save progress (state is already persistent in the files themselves), end gracefully.
• Don't ask again about filled fields. The scanner's completeness score decides what's still gap-worthy.
• Narrative dimensions stay narrative. For CREATIVE/RELATIONSHIPS, don't coerce answers into metrics — write prose that matches the principal's words.
• Target/North-Star classification. After writing a target's entries, ask once: "Is this a concrete achievable target, or a north-star orientation?" Update the type: field accordingly. (Default target.)
• Back up before multi-edit. If about to rewrite ≥50% of a file, save timestamped backup to TELOS/Backups/FILENAME-YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS.md first.

Examples

User: /interview

The DA runs InterviewScan, presents top 3 gaps, asks the principal to pick.

User: /interview --resume

The DA runs scan (same as above — state is in the files themselves, no separate session to resume).

User: /interview health

The DA skips the full scan, jumps straight to the IDEAL_STATE/HEALTH interview.

User: "next area" (mid-interview)

The DA marks current section progress via file state (already saved by Edit tool), re-scans, asks the principal to pick next highest-priority or auto-continue.

Related

• /migrate — intake content from other sources (not an interview, a one-shot classification)
• /Telos — edit a single TELOS file directly with backup
• /_PROFILE — manage PRINCIPAL_IDENTITY directly