kata-new-project

name	kata-new-project
description	Use when the user wants to start, define, import, or initialize a Kata project.

kata-new-project

Operating Brief

When this skill is invoked, help the user initialize durable Kata project context.

Start conversationally. If the user has not already provided enough detail, ask: "What do you want to build?" Follow their thread until you can explain the project, why it matters, who it is for, what done looks like, and what is explicitly out of scope.

Before durable writes, run node ./scripts/kata-call.mjs health.check. Then confirm the synthesized project brief with the user, run project.upsert, and write project-scoped artifacts with artifact.write.

This skill captures project-level context only; milestone scope and roadmap creation happen next in kata-new-milestone.

Success Criteria

• The project exists in the backend through project.upsert.
• A project-scoped project-brief artifact captures what is being built, core value, users, context, constraints, decisions, and open questions.
• A project-scoped requirements artifact is written when concrete requirement hypotheses emerged.
• The user knows the next step is kata-new-milestone.

Do Not

• Do not create milestones, slices, or tasks.
• Do not write durable state outside the CLI backend contract.
• Do not route to standalone discussion skills.
• Do not skip questioning when the project idea is vague.

Process

1. Read references/workflow.md before taking action. Execute that workflow end-to-end.
2. Preserve every workflow gate: required checks, user confirmations, durable writes, status updates, and next-step routing.
3. Before any backend IO, read references/runtime-contract.md and use only the operations listed there.
4. When the workflow tells you to create or read an artifact, use references/artifact-contract.md and the named template files.
5. If setup or backend readiness is uncertain, read references/setup.md before proceeding.
6. Read optional references only when the workflow calls for them or the current step needs them.

Resource Loading

Must read:

• Workflow: references/workflow.md
• Runtime IO contract: references/runtime-contract.md

Read when needed:

• Setup and health checks: references/setup.md
• Alignment depth: references/alignment.md
• CLI command patterns: references/cli-runtime.md
• Artifact conventions: references/artifact-contract.md
• CLI helper: scripts/kata-call.mjs
• Artifact input helper: scripts/kata-artifact-input.mjs

Additional references:

• questioning: references/questioning.md
• ui-brand: references/ui-brand.md

Templates:

• project: templates/project.md
• requirements: templates/requirements.md

Execution Rules

1. If setup or backend state is uncertain, start with references/setup.md.
2. Choose alignment depth using references/alignment.md inside this workflow.
3. Follow references/workflow.md as the behavioral source for this skill.
4. Use only operations listed in references/runtime-contract.md for backend IO.
5. Keep backend specifics in @kata-sh/cli adapters, never in skill logic.