soleri-discovery-phase

name	soleri-discovery-phase
tier	default
description	Triggers: "I don't know where to start", "investigate", "research this", "explore the problem", "discovery". Structured exploration before committing to a plan, produces options with tradeoffs.

Discovery Phase

Structured exploration before committing to a plan. Define the question, research prior art, explore the codebase, identify constraints, draft options with tradeoffs, and recommend a path forward.

Do NOT create a plan, write code, or take any implementation action until the discovery document is complete and the user has reviewed it. Discovery produces knowledge, not artifacts.

Checklist

1. Define the question — restate what we're exploring as one specific, answerable sentence
2. Search vault for prior art — YOUR_AGENT_core op:search_intelligent params: { query: "<question>", mode: "scan" }. Also op:memory_search with crossProject: true.
3. Get brain recommendations — YOUR_AGENT_core op:brain_recommend params: { query: "<discovery topic>" }. Get brain recommendations for similar past explorations.
4. Explore codebase — read relevant files, configs, architecture, recent commits
5. Identify constraints — hard (must-haves) vs soft (nice-to-haves), unknowns that block a decision
6. Draft 2-4 options — each with pros, cons, risk, and effort (S/M/L)
7. Recommend — pick one, state the primary reason, note what would change the answer
8. Capture to vault — persist the discovery finding
9. Transition — hand off to brainstorming or writing-plans skill

Option Format

For each option:

Field	Content
Approach	One-sentence summary
Pros	What it gives us
Cons	What it costs
Risk	What could go wrong
Effort	S / M / L

After Discovery

YOUR_AGENT_core op:capture_knowledge
  params: {
    title: "<topic> — discovery finding",
    description: "<question, options considered, recommendation, rationale>",
    type: "principle",
    domain: "<domain>",
    tags: ["discovery", "decision"]
  }

Save to docs/discoveries/YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>.md and commit. Then transition to the next skill.

Anti-Patterns

• Skipping discovery — jumping to implementation when the problem space is unclear
• Analysis paralysis — timebox to 30-60 min; if no clear winner, pick the most reversible option
• Boiling the ocean — scope to one question; split compound questions into separate discoveries

Quick Reference

Op	When to Use
search_intelligent	Search vault for prior art
memory_search	Check session history and projects
brain_recommend	Brain recommendations for similar past explorations
capture_knowledge	Persist discovery finding
route_intent	Classify what comes after