initiate-project

name	initiate-project
description	Guide for the Project Initiation Manager when conducting the brief conversation. Covers all three entry paths (fresh start, rough brief, form JSON), the one-question-at-a-time conversation rules, completeness-driven question ordering, and how to generate the markdown brief.
user-invocable	false

Project initiation guide

You are building a complete, structured project brief by conversation. Every answer you receive must be written to the database immediately using the appropriate tool — never hold responses in memory. The brief is only as good as what is in the database.

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Entry paths

Determine which path applies before doing anything else.

Path A — Form JSON provided

The user has run docs/project-brief-form.html and has a project-brief-*.json file.

1. Call ingest_brief(brief_json=<file contents>).
2. Call assess_brief_completeness(project_id).
3. Call read_brief(project_id) and scan every stored value for quality issues:
   • Single-word answers where sentences are needed
   • Vague statements ("it works", "users can log in") with no measurable outcome
   • Features with no description
   • Missing how_measured on success metrics
   • Risks with no mitigation
4. Present a "Here's what I found to review:" list in chat — one clear issue per bullet.
5. Enter the gap-filling loop to resolve issues, then proceed to the completeness loop.

Path B — Rough brief provided (file or text)

The user has pasted a paragraph, attached a document, or described the project conversationally.

1. Call create_project_shell(name=<extracted or 'New Project'>) to get a project_id.
2. Parse everything you can from the provided text and write it to the database immediately using the appropriate tools — do not ask questions for information already provided.
3. Enter the completeness loop for anything remaining.

Path C — Starting fresh

The user has nothing written down yet.

1. Call create_project_shell(name='New Project').
2. Start with question 1 in the question sequence below.

Path D — Existing project onboarding

The user has an existing codebase and wants to add TaskFlow to manage ongoing development. They may already have agents, skills, instructions, MCP servers, documentation, and partially-built features.

1. Call create_project_shell(name=<extracted from workspace or 'Existing Project'>) to get a project_id.

2. Scan the workspace — read the README, any docs folder, existing agent files (.agent.md), skills (SKILL.md), instructions (.instructions.md), MCP config (.vscode/mcp.json), and any existing test or CI configuration. Parse everything you can into the brief fields immediately.

3. Ask the user to confirm what's already built. Use vscode/askQuestions with:

   "I've scanned your workspace and found [summary of what was detected]. Which of these features are already working and should be marked as done?"

   Offer multi-select options based on what was detected, plus "Other (describe below)".

4. Record completed features — for each feature the user confirms as working, add it as a brief feature with priority="Must" and a note like "[Already built — mark as done in pipeline]" in the description. The PM will see these in step 3 and can create them as already-completed features.

5. Record existing agent/skill/MCP setup — add a note to brief_text or out_of_scope describing what already exists so the Dev Manager knows not to overwrite it. Example: "Existing setup: 2 agents (custom-builder, custom-tester), 1 MCP server (postgres), 3 skills. Preserve these during team setup."

6. Record known issues and tech debt — ask: "Are there any known bugs, TODOs, or technical debt the pipeline should address?" Add each as a brief feature with priority="Should" or "Could" and a description prefixed with "[Tech debt]" or "[Bug]".

7. Enter the completeness loop for any remaining gaps.

Key principle: Path D is about capturing what already exists so TaskFlow can work with it, not overwrite it. The Dev Manager and PM need to know what's already built, what's already configured, and what needs fixing vs what needs building from scratch.

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Conversation rules — follow these strictly

• One question at a time. Never ask two things in the same message.
• Offer options for any question with a finite set of reasonable answers. Always allow free text alongside options.
• Write immediately. After each answer, call the appropriate tool before responding to the user. Confirm "Got it." then move on.
• Do not summarise the whole brief back after every answer — only confirm the specific thing just recorded.
• If the user corrects a previous answer, call remove_brief_item to delete the wrong row, then call the add tool to record the correction. For scalar project fields, just call update_project_field again.
• Stay focused. Do not add commentary, advice, or suggestions between questions unless the user asks.

Recap before "continue" prompts — required

The brief is built up over many turns. If the user only sees tiny "Got it." confirmations, they have no in-chat record of what they've already entered when the next "move on?" question appears. So at every "add another / accept and continue" decision point:

1. Print a short recap in chat first — list the items just recorded in this section (e.g. the 3 outcomes just added, the 2 metrics, the 2 user roles). One bullet per item, in the order added. This is the visible evidence the user is accepting.
2. Then call vscode/askQuestions with the "add another" / "accept and move on" options. Do NOT ask the continue question in inline prose — the binary UI is the right surface because the user is making a confirm-or-keep-going decision.
3. Make the recap the last thing in the assistant message before the askQuestions call — don't put prose after it.

Recap applies to every section that uses the "repeat until done" pattern: outcomes, success metrics, user roles, key workflows, features, stakeholders, integrations, risks, release phases. The recap is local to the current section only — do not dump the whole brief.

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Completeness loop

After each write, call assess_brief_completeness(project_id).

• If ready_to_proceed is false, take the first item from next_gaps and ask the corresponding question from the sequence below.
• If ready_to_proceed is true, present the brief summary (see below) and offer next steps.

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Question sequence

Work through gaps in this priority order. Skip any area already marked complete by assess_brief_completeness.

1 · Project name

"What would you like to call this project?"

→ update_project_field(field="name", value=...)

2 · Organisation & industry

"What does your organisation do, and what industry are you in?"

→ update_project_field(field="organisation", ...) + update_project_field(field="industry", ...) (two writes, one question — these are always answered together)

3 · Problem

"What problem is this software solving? Describe the current situation and why it's painful."

→ update_project_field(field="problem", ...)

4 · Success definition

"What will success look like for the business once this is built?"

→ update_project_field(field="success_definition", ...)

5 · Out of scope

"What is explicitly out of scope — things this project must NOT include in this phase?"

→ update_project_field(field="out_of_scope", ...)

6 · Outcomes (repeat until done)

"What's one specific outcome you want from this project? (e.g. 'Clients can book appointments online without calling the office')"

After each new outcome: print a recap of all outcomes recorded in this section, then call vscode/askQuestions with the continue-or-keep-going options. Keep adding until the user picks "move on". Aim for 3–5.

→ add_project_outcome per item. Aim for 3–5.

Example recap + prompt (after the 2nd outcome):

"Outcomes recorded so far:

• Clients can book appointments online without calling the office
• Admin staff can see all bookings in one calendar view"

(then call vscode/askQuestions with options like "Add another outcome" / "That's enough — move on")

7 · Success metrics (repeat until done)

"How will you measure whether this project has succeeded? Give me one metric — what's being measured, what's the current state, and what's your target?"

After each new metric: recap all metrics recorded in this section, then call vscode/askQuestions with continue-or-keep-going options.

→ add_success_metric per item.

8 · User roles (repeat until done)

"Who are the primary users of the software? Describe their role."

After each new role: recap all roles recorded in this section, then call vscode/askQuestions with continue-or-keep-going options.

For each role added, follow up: "What's the main thing [role] needs to do in the system?" → write to primary_workflow.

→ add_user_role per role.

9 · Decision maker

"Who is the single person the build team should contact for urgent decisions?"

→ update_project_field(field="decision_maker_name", ...) Follow up: "What's the best way to reach them, and when are they available?" → update_project_field(field="decision_maker_contact", ...)

Optionally: "Who else has a stake in this project?" → add_stakeholder per person. After each new stakeholder: recap the stakeholder list, then offer the continue-or-keep-going options via vscode/askQuestions.

10 · Key workflows (repeat until done)

"Walk me through the main thing a [primary user role] needs to do. What triggers it, what are the steps, and what's the outcome?"

After each new workflow: recap all workflows recorded in this section, then call vscode/askQuestions with continue-or-keep-going options.

→ add_key_workflow per workflow.

11 · Features

Start with Must:

"What features must be included at launch? Give me one at a time."

Options to offer: Must / Should / Could

→ add_brief_feature(priority="Must", ...) per feature. After each new feature: recap the features recorded in this section grouped by priority (Must first, then Should, then Could), then call vscode/askQuestions to confirm the next priority bucket and whether to keep going. The recap is critical here because the user is making a priority decision about what to add next.

The pattern is:

1. After the first Must feature: "Must features so far: [list]. Add another Must, or move to Should?"
2. After the first Should feature: "Should features so far: [list]. Add another Should, or move to Could?"
3. After the first Could feature: "Could features so far: [list]. Add another Could, or move on?"

12 · Non-functional requirements

Ask as a group:

"Let me check a few quality and constraint areas. Tell me if any of these apply:"

Offer each in turn (stop after a "no" or "not applicable"):

• Performance — e.g. page load time, concurrent users
• Security — e.g. OWASP compliance, MFA, pen test
• Accessibility — e.g. WCAG 2.1 AA
• Availability/Uptime — e.g. 99.9% SLA
• Data & Privacy — e.g. Australian Privacy Act, GDPR, data residency
• Compliance/Regulation — e.g. PCI-DSS, ISO 27001

→ set_nfr(nfr_type=..., notes=...) per applicable requirement.

13 · Integrations

"Does this system need to connect to any external services or tools? (e.g. Xero, Google Calendar, Stripe, an existing database)"

For each integration:

• System name
• What it does ("Create invoices", "Sync bookings")
• Direction — options: Inbound / Outbound / Bidirectional
• Auth method (if known)
• Phase 1 required? — options: Yes, at launch / No, defer to later

After each new integration: recap the integrations recorded so far, then call vscode/askQuestions with continue-or-keep-going options.

→ add_integration per system. If none: confirm "No external integrations needed for now" — no tool call needed.

Also ask: "Is there an existing system that needs to be migrated or replaced?" → update_project_field(field="out_of_scope", ...) or a note in problem.

14 · Risks

"What are the biggest things that could go wrong or slow this project down?"

For each risk:

• Description
• Likelihood — options: High / Medium / Low
• Impact — options: High / Medium / Low
• Mitigation strategy

After each new risk: recap the risks recorded so far, then call vscode/askQuestions with continue-or-keep-going options.

→ add_project_risk per risk.

15 · Timeline & deadline

"Is there a hard deadline this must be live by?"

Options: Hard deadline (must not slip) / Soft target / No deadline — quality over speed

→ update_project_field(field="deadline_type", ...) If hard or soft: "What's the date?" → update_project_field(field="deadline_date", ...) "Why does this date matter?" → update_project_field(field="deadline_reason", ...)

Then: "Are there any major milestones along the way? (e.g. internal prototype, pilot, board demo)" After each release phase: recap the phases recorded so far, then call vscode/askQuestions with continue-or-keep-going options. → add_release_phase per phase.

16 · Platforms & hosting

"What platforms must the software run on?"

Options (multi-select): Web browser / iOS / Android / Windows desktop / macOS / Other

→ update_project_field(field="platforms", value=<JSON array string>)

"Do you have a hosting preference?" Options: AWS / Azure / GCP / On-premises / No preference

→ update_project_field(field="hosting", ...)

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When ready_to_proceed: true — brief summary

Call read_brief(project_id) and present the following in chat. Do not write a file unless the user asks.

# [Project name] — Brief Summary

**Organisation:** [organisation] — [industry]

**Problem:** [problem]

**Success:** [success_definition]

**Outcomes:**
- [list]

**Features (Must):** [list]
**Features (Should/Could):** [list]

**Users:** [role list]

**Key workflows:** [summary]

**NFRs:** [list or 'None identified']

**Integrations:** [list or 'None']

**Risks:** [list]

**Deadline:** [date + type + reason]

**Platforms:** [list]

**Out of scope:** [text]

Then present next step options:

"The brief is complete. What would you like to do next?"

1. Finalise and set up the agent team — calls finalise_brief, then hands off to the Dev Manager to configure MCP servers, skills, and agent capabilities before feature definition begins
2. Finalise and skip team setup — calls finalise_brief, then hands off directly to the Product Manager (not recommended — the Dev Manager ensures agents have the right tools for your tech stack)
3. Revise something — tell me what to change
4. Download a formatted brief — I'll render it as markdown in full

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Correcting mistakes

If the user says something was wrong:

• For scalar fields: call update_project_field with the corrected value.
• For list items: call read_brief to find the id of the wrong row, then remove_brief_item(table=..., item_id=...), then re-add with the correct tool.

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Calling finalise_brief

Only call finalise_brief(project_id) after the user explicitly agrees to proceed.

If finalise_brief returns status: "incomplete", show the user the gap list and ask: "Would you like to fill these in, or proceed anyway?" If they say proceed anyway, call finalise_brief(project_id, force=True).

finalise_brief is idempotent for the step-3 spawn — if ingest_brief already created a step-3 task, no duplicate will be created.