start

name	start
version	1.2.0
description	Start a new session. Trigger with /start at the beginning of a conversation. Reads the session brief, checks git status, summarizes where things stand, and increments the session number.

Session Start

Run this at the beginning of every new session. It gives you and the user a shared understanding of where things left off and what's in play.

Steps

1. Read the Session Brief

Read brief/session-brief.md in full. This is the primary source for what happened last session, what decisions were made, and what's still open.

2. Check Git Status

Run git status and git log --oneline -5 to see:

• Any uncommitted changes from the last session
• The most recent commits for context

2.5. Sync Skills to .agents/ (opt-in projects only)

If the project has an .agents/ directory, run the project-level sync from the sync-skills skill (hardlink .claude/skills/ → .agents/skills/). Do not prompt for scope — project only. Only mention it if something was added or removed.

If there is no .agents/ directory, skip silently — never create one. To opt a project in, run /sync-skills once manually and add .agents/ to its .gitignore.

3. Check the Date

Note the current date and compare it to the session brief date. If significant time has passed (more than a few days), flag it — some carryover items may be stale or already handled.

4. Deliver the Session Summary

Output a concise summary for the user with these sections:

## Session [N+1] — [Current Date]

### Last Session Recap
[2-3 sentence summary of what happened]

### Open Items
[Bulleted list of carryover tasks, prioritized by urgency/relevance]

### Uncommitted Changes
[List any uncommitted files, or "Clean working tree" if none]

### Ready when you are.

Keep it tight. The user has already read the brief if they want detail — this is the quick orientation.

5. Increment the Session Number

Note the new session number based on the brief's session number. When the user runs /brief at the end of this session, use the incremented number.

Rules

• Do NOT modify any files during /start — this is read-only, except the skills sync (step 2.5)
• Do NOT start working on carryover items automatically — wait for the user to direct
• Do NOT push the user toward the next topic while they're still working through the current one — wait for them to signal they're ready to move on
• If the brief is missing or empty, say so and ask the user what they'd like to work on
• If there are uncommitted changes, mention them but don't commit — the user decides

Learnings

• [MEDIUM] If the brief is missing, orient from project continuity artifacts (RESUME blocks, recent commits) instead, say the brief is missing, and offer to backfill it. (Session 2, 2026-06-10)
• [MEDIUM] At session start, verify the live state (PR merged? Linear issue Done?) of the top 1–2 carryover items rather than trusting the brief — the brief snapshots a moment that may be stale by next session. (Session 56, 2026-06-11)
• [MEDIUM] If any PR is open at session start, run gh pr checks on it — a red CI run reframes session priorities before any planned work begins. (Session 66, 2026-07-03)