startwork

name	startwork
description	Start a work session — resolve company, project, or repo context, gather state from handoff.json and manifest.yaml, present smart options. Lightweight session entry point that replaces ad-hoc orientation.
allowed-tools	Read, Grep, Glob, Bash(git:*), Bash(qmd:*), Bash(ls:*)

Start Work Session

Lightweight session entry point. Resolves context fast, presents smart options, gets you working.

When to Use

Beginning of every session. Replaces ad-hoc orientation.

Process

1. Resolve Argument

Determine mode from the user's argument (first match wins):

• No arg / empty — Resume mode
• Arg matches company slug in companies/manifest.yaml — Company mode
• Arg matches a directory in projects/ (not _archive/) or companies/*/projects/ — Project mode
• Arg matches a directory in repos/private/ or repos/public/ — Repo mode
• Partial match — arg is a substring of any company slug, project dir, or repo name. 1 match: use that mode. 2-5 matches: present numbered list, wait for user to pick. >5: ask user to be more specific
• No match — ask user to clarify

2. Gather Context

Resume Mode (no arg)

1. Read workspace/threads/handoff.json
2. Read the thread file it points to. Extract: conversation_summary, next_steps, git.branch, git.current_commit, git.dirty, files_touched
3. Run git log --oneline -3 for recent HQ commits
4. Search for active projects:
   • Primary: qmd search "prd.json" --json -n 10 via shell
   • Fallback (if qmd unavailable): grep -rl '"passes"' projects/ companies/ --include='prd.json'
   • Filter results for projects/ paths and companies/*/projects/ paths (skip _archive). For each (max 5), read the prd.json and extract name + count stories where passes !== true. Collect projects with remaining work.

Company Mode (arg = company slug)

1. Read companies/manifest.yaml — extract the company's entry (repos, workers, knowledge, qmd_collections)
2. Read workspace/threads/handoff.json — if last thread relates to this company, note it
3. Search for company projects:
   • Primary: qmd search "prd.json" --json -n 10 via shell
   • Fallback: grep -rl '"passes"' projects/ companies/ --include='prd.json'
   • Filter to projects whose repoPath matches any of the company's repos. Count incomplete stories per project.
4. If company has repos, run git -C {first-repo} log --oneline -3 and git -C {first-repo} branch --show-current
5. List the company's workers from manifest (names only, don't read worker.yaml files)

Project Mode (arg = project name)

1. Read projects/{name}/prd.json — extract: name, description, branchName, incomplete stories (where passes !== true) with id + title + priority
2. Extract metadata.repoPath — identify company by matching against manifest repos
3. If repoPath exists: git -C {repoPath} branch --show-current and git -C {repoPath} status --short

Repo Mode (arg = repo directory name)

1. Resolve full path: check repos/private/{arg} then repos/public/{arg}
2. Git state: git -C {repoPath} branch --show-current, git -C {repoPath} log --oneline -5, git -C {repoPath} status --short
3. Owning company: scan companies/manifest.yaml for a company whose repos: list contains this path
4. Related projects:
   • Primary: qmd search "{repo-name} prd.json" --json -n 10 via shell
   • Fallback: use Grep to find prd.json files referencing this repo
   • For each match (max 5), read the prd.json and extract name + count incomplete stories

2.5 Load Applicable Policies

Once company {co} is resolved (from any mode):

1. Company policies: If {co} known, read frontmatter-only for each policy in companies/{co}/policies/ via bash scripts/read-policy-frontmatter.sh {file} (skip example-policy.md). Note count + titles of any enforcement: hard rules. For hard-enforcement policies only, additionally read the ## Rule section with targeted Read + range.
2. Repo policies: If repo context resolved, check {repoPath}/.claude/policies/ (if dir exists). Same frontmatter-only pattern.
3. Global policies: Count files in .claude/policies/. Prefer the compiled digest at .claude/policies/_digest.md if present (auto-loaded by SessionStart hook — this step becomes a no-op when digest is available). If no digest, filter to policies whose trigger matches current context — don't load all.

Display in orientation block:

Policies: {N} company, {M} repo, {K} global ({H} hard-enforcement)

Hard-enforcement policies with triggers matching current context: list titles in orientation block so user sees constraints upfront.

Rules:

• Only READ policy frontmatter (title, enforcement, trigger) — don't load full body into context
• Exception: hard-enforcement policies — read full ## Rule section
• If no company resolved (resume mode with no company context), skip company policies
• Precedence: company > repo > global

3. Present Options

Display a concise orientation block:

Session Start
--------------
{Mode: Resume | Company: {slug} | Project: {name}}

{If resume: "Last session: {summary}" + "Next steps: {next_steps}"}
{If company: "Repos: {list}" + "Workers: {list}"}
{If project: "Goal: {description}" + "Branch: {branchName}"}
{If repo: "Repo: {repoPath}" + "Company: {slug}" + "Branch: {branch}"}

Git: {branch} @ {short-hash} {" (dirty)" if dirty}

Active work:
  - {project} -- {done}/{total} stories ({remaining} left)
  ...

Then present numbered options built from context:

• Resume mode: next_steps items (up to 3) + "Pick a project" + "Something else"
• Company mode: active projects for that company (up to 3) + "Run a worker" + "Something else"
• Project mode: top 3 incomplete stories by priority + "Something else"
• Repo mode: related projects with incomplete work (up to 3) + "Open repo (no project)" + "Something else"

Output the numbered list and wait for user input. After user picks, proceed directly into the work.

Rules

• NEVER read INDEX.md, agents files, or company knowledge dirs during startup
• NEVER run exploratory searches to orient — this skill replaces exploration with targeted reads
• Max file reads: handoff.json + 1 thread + manifest + up to 5 prd.json (headers only)
• If >5 active projects found, show top 5 by most recent file modification
• Always verify git branch with git branch --show-current before displaying git state
• Context diet: every read must serve the orientation summary. No speculative loading
• If handoff.json doesn't exist, skip resume context — go straight to asking what to work on
• Use qmd search via shell command — if qmd unavailable, fall back to Grep to scan for prd.json files