spike-wrap-up

<objective> Convert the output of a research spike (`SCOPE.md`, `research/*.md`, `RECOMMENDATION.md`) into a project-local skill under `.claude/skills/` so that the next time a similar task comes up, the agent loads the skill automatically. This is how throwaway spikes become durable capital. </objective> <context> GSD's spike workflow (`src/resources/extensions/gsd/workflow-templates/spike.md`) produces documents in `.gsd/workflows/spikes/<slug>/`. Those documents are useful once and then forgotten unless something packages them for reuse. GSD already watches `.claude/skills/` (and `.agents/skills/`) at both user and project levels — see `src/resources/extensions/gsd/skill-discovery.ts`. Any skill written there is picked up on the next session without further wiring. This skill is the bridge from "spike done" to "skill available." Invocation points: - End of Phase 3 (synthesize) in `/gsd start spike` — prompt suggests running this skill - User has a spike directory and wants to harvest it - Pre-existing `RECOMMENDATION.md` that deserves a permanent home </context> <core_principle> **NOT EVERY SPIKE DESERVES A SKILL.** If the recommendation was "don't do X," there may be no reusable guidance. Ask the user first; exit without writing if the answer is no. **PROJECT-LOCAL, NOT USER-GLOBAL.** Write to `.claude/skills/` in the repo, not `~/.claude/skills/`. The skill encodes project-specific choices that should not leak into unrelated projects. **DESCRIPTION IS THE DISCOVERABILITY SIGNAL.** The `description` field in frontmatter is the primary signal the agent uses to judge relevance and decide whether to load the skill — it is a heuristic, not a deterministic trigger. Write it as keywords the future agent will plausibly encounter, not a summary. </core_principle> <process> ## Step 1: Find the spike 1. List directories under `.gsd/workflows/spikes/` — sort by mtime, newest first. 2. If multiple exist, ask the user which to wrap up. Default: the most recent. 3. If none exist, tell the user and stop. This skill requires a completed spike. Read the core files: - `<spike>/SCOPE.md` — the question that was asked - `<spike>/research/*.md` — the angles investigated - `<spike>/RECOMMENDATION.md` — the conclusion ## Step 2: Decide if it deserves a skill Ask the user — one round: 1. **Is the conclusion reusable on future work, or was it specific to one decision?** Recommendation: packaging is worth it if the findings include repeatable guidance (how to evaluate X, a pattern to follow, a library's gotchas). If the spike ended in "we chose library Y, end of story," it probably belongs in `.gsd/DECISIONS.md` instead. 2. **What is the trigger?** When should a future agent load this skill? Give concrete keywords — "adding a new webhook handler", "writing a SQL migration", etc. If the user says it's not worth packaging, offer instead to append a summary to `.gsd/DECISIONS.md` and stop. ## Step 3: Design the skill Before writing, sketch in the conversation: - **Name:** kebab-case, short, unambiguous. Prefix with the project's domain when helpful (`auth-webhook-setup`, not `webhook`). - **Description (frontmatter):** one sentence, 120–1024 chars, keyword-rich. Must state when the agent should load it. Rewrite at least twice before settling. - **Objective:** one paragraph — what the skill does and what artifact it produces. - **Process:** numbered steps. Reference the spike's findings as the source, but the skill itself should be executable without reading the spike. - **Anti-patterns:** gotchas the spike surfaced — things that looked right but didn't work. - **Success criteria:** checklist the skill's user can confirm against. Show this sketch to the user. One round of feedback. Iterate. ## Step 4: Write the skill Write to `.claude/skills/<name>/SKILL.md` (create the directory). Match the frontmatter + XML-tag structure used by other bundled skills — see `src/resources/skills/review/SKILL.md` for the canonical shape. Minimum structure: ```markdown --- name: <skill-name> description: <one sentence with trigger keywords> --- <objective> <one paragraph — what this skill does> </objective> <context> <when to invoke, what produced it (cite the spike), assumptions> </context> <process> ## Step 1: <action> <instructions> ## Step 2: <action> <instructions> </process> <anti_patterns> - <gotcha from the spike> - <another gotcha> </anti_patterns> <success_criteria> - [ ] <observable confirmation> - [ ] <observable confirmation> </success_criteria> ``` If the spike produced a reusable template (a config file, a starter script), copy it into `.claude/skills/<name>/templates/` or `.claude/skills/<name>/references/` and reference it from the skill body. ## Step 5: Archive the spike, link from the skill 1. In the new SKILL.md, reference the originating spike: "Derived from `.gsd/workflows/spikes/<slug>/RECOMMENDATION.md` (dated YYYY-MM-DD)." 2. Do NOT delete the spike directory — spikes are research artifacts and retain value for forensics. 3. Append one line to `.gsd/DECISIONS.md`: `- YYYY-MM-DD [spike]: packaged "<slug>" findings as skill <name>`. ## Step 6: Confirm pickup Tell the user the skill will be surfaced on the next session via `skill-discovery.ts`. If they want to use it immediately, they can `Read .claude/skills/<name>/SKILL.md` now. </process> <anti_patterns> - **Writing to `~/.claude/skills/`.** That's user-global. Project spikes produce project skills — keep them scoped. - **Verbose frontmatter description.** The description is an index entry, not a tutorial. Keywords over prose. - **Packaging every spike.** If the outcome was "we decided X once," append to DECISIONS.md and move on. - **Copy-pasting the spike verbatim into the skill.** The spike is research; the skill is executable guidance. Re-author. - **Deleting the source spike.** Research artifacts should persist. </anti_patterns> <success_criteria> - [ ] A new `.claude/skills/<name>/SKILL.md` exists with well-formed frontmatter. - [ ] The `description` field uses keywords that will plausibly match future agent work. - [ ] The skill body is executable on its own without re-reading the originating spike. - [ ] The originating spike is referenced from the skill. - [ ] `.gsd/DECISIONS.md` has a one-line entry recording the packaging. - [ ] The spike directory itself is untouched. </success_criteria>