begin

name	begin
description	Set up ticket, branch, and working environment for a task
argument-hint	[task description or ticket key]
allowed-tools	Read, Write, Edit, Bash, Glob, Grep, AskUserQuestion, mcp__omnifocus__*, mcp__mcp-atlassian__jira_*

Begin — Task Setup

Set up everything needed to start working on a chosen task. Argument: $ARGUMENTS (task description, ticket key, or triage selection).

When to Trigger

• After triage when user picks a task
• When user says "let's work on X", "I need to fix Y"
• When intent to start new work is clear

Prerequisite: Must Be in a Project Directory

This skill requires a git project directory. If in the Notes vault or a non-git directory, tell the user to switch to the appropriate project terminal first.

1. Ticket

Every unit of work needs a Jira ticket. Strongly discourage working without one.

If a ticket key is provided (e.g., SE-2930):

• Fetch the ticket to confirm it exists and get details

If no ticket exists:

• Create one with defaults:
  • Project: SE
  • Assignee: Wolf ([e-mail])
  • Story points: 1 (customfield_10544)
  • Planned finish date: today (customfield_10724)
• Ask for: summary (required), description (optional)
• The user can override defaults (points, priority, etc.)

For all tickets:

• Move to current sprint if not already there (use jira_add_issues_to_sprint)
• Transition to In Progress unless already in PR or DONE state
• Note the story points

2. Check for Existing Branch

Before creating anything, check if a branch already exists for this ticket:

git branch --list "*<ticket-key>*"
git branch -r --list "*<ticket-key>*"

Also check for branches matching the task description keywords.

If a matching branch exists → skip to Step 5 (Resume).

If no branch exists → proceed to Step 3 (New Branch).

3. New Branch

Create both branches immediately:

• Local branch: short, descriptive name
  • e.g., audit-for-accidental-changes
  • Ask the user for the name, or derive from ticket summary
• Remote branch: tells everything to others
  • Format: <category>/wolf/<ticket-key>-<kebab-summary>
  • e.g., bugfix/wolf/SE-1234-audit-for-accidental-changes
  • Category: infer from context
    • Bug fix → bugfix/
    • New capability → feature/
    • Urgent fix → hotfix/
    • Ask only if ambiguous

Commands:

git switch -c <local-branch>
git push -u origin <local-branch>:<remote-branch>

4. Resume (existing branch)

Switch to the existing branch:

git switch <branch-name>

Read pickup notes from (in priority order):

1. TODO-<branch-name>.local.md
2. TODO.local.md
3. Branch description (git config branch.<name>.description)

Present context concisely. Ask: "Pick up where you left off, or reassess?"

5. Ready

Confirm setup:

Ticket:  SE-1234 — Audit for accidental changes (1pt, In Progress)
Branch:  audit-for-accidental-changes → bugfix/wolf/SE-1234-audit-for-accidental-changes

If the work is non-trivial (new or resumed), suggest entering plan mode.