project-init

name	project-init
description	Initialise a new software project with full spec-first workflow — research, architecture, module specs, and roadmap. Use this whenever someone says 'build me a...', 'I want to create...', 'new project', 'start a project', or describes a product idea. Also use for major new feature areas within an existing project.
effort	high

Project Initialization Skill

This skill guides you through a complete 7-phase spec-first project setup. Follow each phase sequentially, save outputs to the specs/ directory, and maintain clarity throughout.

Phase 1: Clarify the Vision

Engage with the user to deeply understand their project idea:

• User Problem: What pain point or opportunity does this solve?
• Target Users: Who are the primary users? Secondary users?
• Success Criteria: How will we know this project succeeded?
• Constraints: Budget, timeline, compliance, technical, platform constraints?
• Out of Scope: What explicitly will NOT be built?

Ask follow-up questions until you have a crystal-clear vision. Create a summary document: specs/PROJECT_BRIEF.md with sections: Overview, Problem Statement, Target Users, Success Criteria, Constraints, Out of Scope.

Phase 2: Domain Research

Conduct structured research on the domain, market, competitors, and technical landscape. Explicitly use available research tools:

For Market & Competitor Analysis:

• Use web_search_exa with category: "company" to find competitor websites, products, and business models.
• Search queries like: "[product type] competitor analysis", "[industry] market landscape", "[use case] solutions".
• Document what competitors do well, weaknesses, pricing, positioning.

For Academic & Industry Research:

• Use web_search_exa with category: "research paper" to find peer-reviewed studies, industry reports, and technical papers relevant to your domain.
• Search queries like: "[domain] best practices", "[problem area] research", "[technology] case studies".

For General Market Context:

• Use web_search_exa (no category filter) for recent news, trends, adoption rates, and emerging patterns.

For Technical Foundation (after tech stack decisions):

• Use ref_search_documentation to find official documentation for frameworks, libraries, and APIs you're considering.
• Use get_code_context_exa to find production code examples and common patterns.

Record findings in specs/RESEARCH.md with sections: Market Landscape, Competitor Analysis, Key Trends, Regulatory Considerations, Technical Considerations, Recommendations.

Phase 3: Module Identification

Based on the vision and research, decompose the project into logical modules. Each module should represent a cohesive business capability or feature area.

For typical web projects, consider:

• Authentication & User Management
• Core Domain Modules (e.g., Content, Products, Orders)
• Admin & Management Interfaces
• API/Backend Services
• Infrastructure & Deployment
• Observability & Analytics

Ask: "What can be built independently? What has minimal coupling? What represents distinct user workflows?"

Create a rough module list with brief descriptions and dependencies. Save as specs/MODULES.md.

Phase 4: Master Blueprint

Create the comprehensive architecture blueprint by:

1. Technology Stack Decision: Choose your core technologies (frontend framework, backend runtime, database, infrastructure, auth, etc.). If not yet decided, answer these 4 questions:

   • What frontend framework aligns with your UI complexity and team skills? (React, Vue, Svelte, etc.)
   • What backend stack? (Node.js, Python, Go, etc. + framework)
   • What database? (Relational, document, graph, key-value?)
   • What deployment target? (Vercel, AWS, Docker, traditional servers?)

2. Verify Latest Versions: Use ref_search_documentation to check the current stable versions of chosen technologies and their recommended patterns.

3. Find Production Examples: Use get_code_context_exa with queries like "[framework] [architecture pattern] example", "[stack] production architecture" to find real-world implementations of your planned approach.

4. Create the Blueprint: Fill out blueprint-template.md (bundled in this skill directory) with all 9 sections. Include version numbers, source URLs, and rationale for each choice.

5. Review & Approve: Present a summary of key decisions and architectural constraints. Ask the user for approval before saving to specs/MASTER_BLUEPRINT.md.

Phase 5: Module Specifications

For each module identified in Phase 3, create a detailed module specification:

1. Read the template: module-spec-template.md (bundled here)

2. Complete all sections:

   • Purpose: Why does this module exist?
   • User Stories: Concrete workflows this module enables
   • Data Model: TypeScript interfaces defining the domain
   • API/Server Actions: Endpoints or functions this module exposes
   • UI Screens: Key screens and user flows
   • Business Logic & Rules: Validation, constraints, workflows
   • Integration Points: What other modules depend on this? What does this depend on?
   • Acceptance Criteria: How do we know it's complete?
   • Out of Scope: What's explicitly excluded?
   • Open Questions: Unknowns to resolve

3. Save each spec: specs/modules/[module-name]/SPEC.md

4. Link specs together: Ensure dependencies are clear and cross-module contracts are documented.

Phase 6: Module CLAUDE.md Files

For each module, create a CLAUDE.md guide that helps future Claude instances understand module conventions and patterns:

1. Read the template: claude-module-template.md (bundled here)

2. Document:

   • Patterns to Follow: Architectural patterns specific to this module (MVC, service layer, repository pattern, etc.)
   • Conventions in This Module: Naming, file structure, error handling, logging conventions
   • Module Boundaries: What this module owns, what it reads from other modules, what it must NEVER do
   • Known Gotchas: Common mistakes, performance traps, threading issues, etc.
   • Test Patterns: Unit test structure, mock patterns, integration test approach

3. Save: specs/modules/[module-name]/CLAUDE.md

Phase 7: Implementation Roadmap

Create a prioritized implementation plan:

1. Identify Phase 0 (Infrastructure): What must be built first? Database schema, auth system, API scaffolding, deployment pipeline?

2. Sequence Modules: Order remaining modules by:

   • User story priority (what delivers user value first?)
   • Dependency graph (what unblocks other work?)
   • Risk (build risky unknowns early)
   • Team capacity (balance parallelizable vs. sequential work)

3. Create Sprints/Milestones: Break into 2–4 week chunks with clear deliverables.

4. Define Exit Criteria: What does "done" look like for each sprint?

5. Save: specs/ROADMAP.md with sections: Phase 0 (Infrastructure), Milestones, Sprint Details, Risk Mitigation, Success Metrics.

Output Structure

After completing all 7 phases, you will have created:

specs/
├── PROJECT_BRIEF.md           (Phase 1)
├── RESEARCH.md                (Phase 2)
├── MODULES.md                 (Phase 3)
├── MASTER_BLUEPRINT.md        (Phase 4)
├── ROADMAP.md                 (Phase 7)
└── modules/
    ├── [module-1]/
    │   ├── SPEC.md            (Phase 5)
    │   └── CLAUDE.md          (Phase 6)
    ├── [module-2]/
    │   ├── SPEC.md
    │   └── CLAUDE.md
    └── ...

All specs are markdown files stored in version control, reviewed collaboratively, and updated as the project evolves.

Execution

Start with the user's project idea from $ARGUMENTS. Execute each phase in order, asking clarifying questions, saving outputs, and building a comprehensive specification before implementation begins.