fdeops 3.9.1 → 3.9.3

This diff represents the content of publicly available package versions that have been released to one of the supported registries. The information contained in this diff is provided for informational purposes only and reflects changes between package versions as they appear in their respective public registries.
package/README.md CHANGED
@@ -1,219 +1,156 @@
1
- # FDEOps
1
+ # fdeops
2
2
 
3
- **Your AI agent forgets your client every morning. fdeops remembers.**
3
+ **Your AI coding agent forgets your client every morning. fdeops remembers.**
4
4
 
5
- [![npm version](https://img.shields.io/npm/v/fdeops)](https://www.npmjs.com/package/fdeops)
6
- [![CI](https://github.com/suboss87/fdeops/actions/workflows/validate.yml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/suboss87/fdeops/actions)
7
- [![License: MIT](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-MIT-blue.svg)](LICENSE)
8
- [![Node](https://img.shields.io/badge/node-%3E%3D18-brightgreen)](https://nodejs.org)
9
-
10
- The **second brain for Forward Deployed Engineers** - engineers embedded at a client, from first meeting to final handoff. Works the same for consultants, agency developers, solutions architects, and fractional CTOs.
11
-
12
- ```
13
- land discover plan build ship close
14
- | | | | | |
15
- +-----------+-----------+---------+----------+---------+
16
- the fieldbook (.fde/) - one per engagement
17
- written as a side effect of the work
18
- ```
19
-
20
- Describe your situation - `@fde` routes to the right method and writes the matching `.fde/` artifact. Phase methods (land → close) live in the skill; the CLI owns scan, memory, and receipts. You still confirm judgment — the fieldbook does not maintain itself without you.
5
+ Local-first engagement fieldbook for Forward Deployed Engineers — memory under `.fde/` + one `@fde` router. Not an OS. Not a coworker.
21
6
 
22
7
  ---
23
8
 
24
- ## The problem
9
+ ## How it works
25
10
 
26
- Your AI agent's memory is scoped to a **repo**. Client work isn't: one engagement spans several repos, a dozen stakeholders, and decisions made in meetings your agent never saw. That context lives in rooms, chats, and hallway conversations - nothing writes it down where your tools can use it.
11
+ ### The week
27
12
 
28
- fdeops adds the missing layer: memory scoped to the **client** - plain markdown at `~/fde-engagements/<client>/.fde/`, written as a side effect of doing the work. Local only, zero dependencies, no network, no telemetry.
13
+ | When | What you do |
14
+ |------|-------------|
15
+ | **Monday** | Open agent → TRIAGE loads (trust, phase, next) |
16
+ | **After a meeting** | `fde debrief --smart notes.txt` → review → `--apply` |
17
+ | **Before a walk-in** | `fde prep "Denise sync"` |
18
+ | **Scope fight** | `fde receipts descope` (+ memory git hash) |
19
+ | **Friday** | `fde status` → sponsor update from the real record |
29
20
 
30
- A notes app stores what you type. fdeops loads the right client into your AI agent's context automatically and turns meetings into dated receipts you can defend - the difference is what happens without you opening it.
21
+ Same engagement folder every time. Git versions `.fde/`. Your AI coding agent reads it on every session.
31
22
 
32
- ## Without fdeops vs with fdeops
23
+ <details>
24
+ <summary><strong>All methods (land → close)</strong> — below the fold</summary>
25
+
26
+ | Method | When |
27
+ |--------|------|
28
+ | `land` | First day — bind people, success, risks |
29
+ | `discover` | Map systems before you change them |
30
+ | `prep` | Start of week — week's focus from memory |
31
+ | `status` | Mid-engagement health check |
32
+ | `triage` | Something broke — decide in 60s |
33
+ | `debrief` | End of week — compound into memory |
34
+ | `garden` | Memory hygiene — archive stale / promote truth |
35
+ | `doctor` | Is `.fde/` healthy? |
36
+ | `ship` | Before the blast — challenge, then go |
37
+ | `red-team` | Adversarial pass before ship |
38
+ | `close` | Engagement ends — archive + handoff |
39
+
40
+ Full method map: [`docs/skills.md`](docs/skills.md)
33
41
 
34
- | Moment | Without fdeops | With fdeops |
35
- |---|---|---|
36
- | **Monday morning** | Re-paste last week's context, re-explain the stakeholders | A hook loads the engagement at session start - the agent opens knowing the deadline and the open thread |
37
- | **After a meeting** | Notes rot in a scratch file | `fde debrief` routes decisions, risks, deliveries, and contacts into the record, dated |
38
- | **Scope dispute** | "Small" additions absorbed silently; no record when the sponsor asks | `fde receipts <term>` answers "when did we agree to that?" with dates |
39
- | **Quiet stakeholder** | Noticed three weeks too late | `fde log contact --signal amber` the day it happens; `fde status` surfaces it |
40
- | **Multiple clients** | Details blur across engagements | One folder per client; bind the workspace so writes cannot land on a name-alike checkout |
42
+ </details>
41
43
 
42
44
  ---
43
45
 
44
46
  ## Quickstart
45
47
 
46
- **1. Install** (Claude Code)
47
-
48
- ```text
49
- /plugin marketplace add suboss87/fdeops
50
- /plugin install fdeops@fdeops
48
+ ```bash
49
+ npx skills add suboss87/fdeops # @fde skill (any agent that supports skills)
50
+ # or Claude: /plugin marketplace add suboss87/fdeops
51
+ npx fdeops resume --init haulline # bind this workspace → ~/fde-engagements/haulline
51
52
  ```
52
53
 
53
- **2. Bind your client workspace** - run once, inside the workspace:
54
+ Then work as usual `@fde` routes; the CLI owns scan, memory, receipts.
55
+
56
+ **CLI-only path** (npm global):
54
57
 
55
58
  ```bash
56
- npx fdeops resume --init garvey
59
+ npm install -g fdeops
60
+ fdeops install --global
61
+ mkdir -p ~/fde-engagements && cd ~/fde-engagements
62
+ fdeops init acme
63
+ cd acme && git init && git add . && git commit -m "init engagement"
57
64
  ```
58
65
 
59
- (`npx` needs nothing pre-installed. Want the bare `fde` command the rest of this README uses? `npm i -g fdeops` - the plugin install alone does not put `fde` on your PATH.)
60
-
61
- fdeops' `--init` creates the engagement memory at `~/fde-engagements/garvey/.fde/` (plain markdown, private to your machine) and binds this workspace to it. The hooks read that binding - context auto-loads at session start, auto-captures at session end. That is the whole setup.
66
+ | Flag | When |
67
+ |------|------|
68
+ | `--global` | Install once for your user |
69
+ | `--here` | This engagement only |
70
+ | *(default)* | Project + user, Claude Code |
62
71
 
63
- **3. Work**
72
+ <details>
73
+ <summary>Cursor · uninstall · upgrades · path override</summary>
64
74
 
65
- ```text
66
- @fde I just got the brief. New client, payments platform, they want it live before their Q3 audit.
75
+ ```bash
76
+ fdeops install --cursor --global # Cursor project rules
77
+ fdeops uninstall # remove installed copies
78
+ fdeops upgrade # pull latest from npm
67
79
  ```
68
80
 
69
- `@fde` is the one skill fdeops installs. Describe what's happening; it routes to the right field method and writes matching `.fde/` artifacts — you still confirm judgment. Full workflow: [docs/USAGE.md](docs/USAGE.md).
70
-
71
- Not ready to install? `npx fdeops scan` runs on any repo you can read - day-1 recon (pure `git` + file reads, no config, no account) that maps hotspots, test gaps, and reverted attempts, and ends with the ASK ON DAY 1 questions the brief never mentions. The scan is heuristic by design - treat its output as leads to verify on day one, not findings.
72
-
73
- <details>
74
- <summary><strong>Other install paths</strong> - Cursor, Codex, Copilot, Gemini CLI, local LLMs, air-gapped</summary>
81
+ Multiple engagements: `export FDEOPS_ENGAGEMENT=~/fde-engagements/acme`
75
82
 
76
- - **Cursor / Codex / Copilot / Gemini CLI:** `npx fdeops adapters .` drops a thin pointer to the same `@fde` skill - [adapters/](adapters/README.md)
77
- - **Local LLMs (Ollama, LM Studio, llama.cpp):** load `skills/fde/SKILL.md` as the system prompt - [guide](adapters/LOCAL-LLM.md)
78
- - **Skills CLI:** `npx skills add suboss87/fdeops`
79
- - **Manual / air-gapped:** `git clone https://github.com/suboss87/fdeops.git && cd fdeops && node bin/install.js`
80
- - **Requires:** [Node.js](https://nodejs.org) >= 18 for the CLI and adapters; the Claude Code plugin install does not need Node separately.
81
- - **Advanced:** the `FDEOPS_ENGAGEMENT` env var overrides the workspace registry - only for unusual setups. Full matrix: [docs/install.md](docs/install.md)
83
+ Full install notes: [`docs/install.md`](docs/install.md)
82
84
 
83
85
  </details>
84
86
 
85
87
  ---
86
88
 
87
- ## The week
88
-
89
- This is the actual habit — the high-frequency loop, not the full skill matrix:
90
-
91
- - **Monday morning** - open your agent, context loads, you're not re-explaining anything
92
- - **After a meeting** - `fde debrief` turns raw notes into dated decisions, risks, and signals
93
- - **Mid-scope-fight** - `fde receipts <term>` answers "when did we agree to that?"
94
- - **Friday** - `fde status` gives you the sponsor update from the week's actual record
89
+ ## Engagement memory
95
90
 
96
- ---
97
-
98
- ## How it works
91
+ Everything lives under `.fde/` in the engagement folder:
99
92
 
100
- Two hooks and one router, on top of the fieldbook:
101
-
102
- - **Session start** - a hook loads where you left off into your AI coding agent's context
103
- - **Session end** - a hook captures what happened back into the fieldbook
104
- - **After meetings** - `fde debrief notes.md` routes lines prefixed `decision:` / `risk:` / `delivery:` / `contact:` to the matching file, dated; everything else lands as a dated block in `context.md`
105
- - **On top of the memory** - the `@fde` skill routes six phase verbs:
106
-
107
- | Verb | When |
93
+ | Path | What |
108
94
  |------|------|
109
- | **land** | First days at a new client - interrogate the brief, map stakeholders, define success |
110
- | **discover** | The brief feels wrong - find the real problem, with evidence from the repo |
111
- | **plan** | Scope agreed - sequence it backwards from success, in PR-sized slices |
112
- | **build** | Ready to write code - declare blast radius, log deliveries as you ship |
113
- | **ship** | Going to production - pre-flight, canary, tested rollback |
114
- | **close** | Engagement ending - handoff doc, retrospective, receipts that survive you |
115
-
116
- Overlays for regulated domains (AI, fintech, healthcare, government) activate on signal. fdeops complements your agent's native repo memory: CLAUDE.md holds how the *code* works; the fieldbook holds how the *engagement* works. Full matrix: [docs/skills.md](docs/skills.md).
117
-
118
- Works with **Claude Code** - **Cursor** - **Copilot** - **Gemini CLI** - **Ollama** - **LM Studio** - any model that reads a markdown file.
119
-
120
- ---
95
+ | `.fde/people.md` | Who matters, trust, notes |
96
+ | `.fde/log.md` | Running notes (append-only) |
97
+ | `.fde/context.md` | Stack, constraints, systems |
98
+ | `.fde/signals.md` | Verified facts + open questions |
99
+ | `.fde/decisions.md` | Choices and why |
100
+ | `.fde/risks.md` | Risks and owners |
101
+ | `.fde/meta.json` | Phase, checksums, lock |
121
102
 
122
- ## Engagement memory (`.fde/`)
103
+ Writes are **bound** (engagement required), **locked** (one writer), **atomic**, and **refused** when they look like secrets. Corrupt or incomplete state fails closed — never "green" by accident.
123
104
 
124
- The **fieldbook** - one folder per client, plain markdown you can read, grep, and take with you:
125
-
126
- | File | Holds |
127
- |------|-------|
128
- | `context.md` | Where you are - loaded first every session |
129
- | `brief.md` / `success.md` | What they asked for; what "done" means and who signs it off |
130
- | `reality.md` / `terrain.md` | The real problem; the codebase map |
131
- | `stakeholders.md` | Champions, resistance, `[signal:green\|amber\|red]` trust tokens |
132
- | `trust-profile.md` | Sacred data, AI policy, approval chain |
133
- | `decisions.md` / `risks.md` / `delivery.md` | Choices with dates; live risk register; what shipped and its rollback |
134
-
135
- Every entry is dated and sourced, so you can defend it in front of skeptical stakeholders. Schema: [docs/schema.md](docs/schema.md).
105
+ Commit `.fde/` like code. That's the whole compounding loop.
136
106
 
137
107
  ---
138
108
 
139
- ## The CLI
140
-
141
- Deterministic, offline, zero tokens - the skill adds judgment on top:
142
-
143
- ```bash
144
- fde scan # day-1 recon + ASK ON DAY 1 questions (works via npx)
145
- fde resume # TRIAGE + load this workspace's engagement
146
- fde resume --init <client> # THE setup step: create + bind + git-version .fde/
147
- fde triage # TRIAGE only (session hooks / Cursor entry)
148
- fde debrief notes.md # route prefixed meeting notes (also reads stdin)
149
- fde debrief --smart notes.md # propose routing from messy notes → --apply to confirm
150
- fde prep "Denise sync" # grounded walk-in brief from existing memory
151
- fde doctor # lint: stale signals, unset phase, gaps
152
- fde log decision "descope agreed with Kowalczyk"
153
- fde log contact "Denise gone quiet" --signal amber
154
- fde receipts <term> # dated search; no hit = a gap in the record, not proof of absence
155
- fde status # current engagement triage (add --all for every client)
156
- fde dashboard # current engagement fieldbook (add --all for every client)
157
- ```
158
-
159
- Optional: `export FDEOPS_ENGAGEMENTS_ROOT=~/path/to/engagements` to isolate init/status/dashboard from the default `~/fde-engagements`.
160
-
161
- Each `.fde/` is a local git repo (no remote, no telemetry) — dated entries carry an author tag; every write commits so receipts are tamper-evident. Worst-of `[signal:...]` per stakeholder drives trust; signals older than 21 days show as stale.
162
-
163
- <p align="center"><img src="media/terminal-demo.svg" alt="fde CLI - status, scan, dashboard" width="720"/></p>
164
-
165
- `fde dashboard` (FieldBook) renders the **current** engagement by default. Pass `--all` for every client sorted by trust:
109
+ ## Without fdeops vs with fdeops
166
110
 
167
- <p align="center"><img width="1336" height="624" alt="Screenshot 2026-07-08 at 12 45 07" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/5683614c-7730-4a3a-860d-185053a377eb" /></p>
111
+ | Without | With |
112
+ |---------|------|
113
+ | Context dies when the chat ends | `@fde prep` resurfaces last week's risks |
114
+ | "We're fine" until the blast | Trust + signals force the hard conversation |
115
+ | Notes scatter across Notion/Slack | One local fieldbook, git-versioned |
116
+ | Agent invents stakeholders | Bind-required writes — no engagement, no write |
168
117
 
169
118
  ---
170
119
 
171
120
  ## Who this is for
172
121
 
173
- | You are... | What fdeops does for you |
174
- |----------|-------------------|
175
- | **Forward Deployed Engineer** | The role this was built for - the full lifecycle, first meeting to final handoff |
176
- | **Consultant or contractor at a client site** | Remembers the engagement so you stop re-explaining it |
177
- | **Solutions architect / engineer** | Methods for the politics as well as the architecture |
178
- | **Agency developer running 3-5 clients** | One `.fde/` per client - details stop blurring |
179
- | **Fractional CTO doing client work** | The fieldbook is your second brain - and your audit trail for billable work |
122
+ FDEs, solutions engineers, and anyone dropped into a customer codebase who has to earn trust, ship under ambiguity, and not lose the thread between Mondays.
180
123
 
181
- ---
182
-
183
- ## Your data stays yours
184
-
185
- - **Local only.** Pure `git` + file reads - no network calls, no telemetry, no account. Works air-gapped.
186
- - **Plain markdown.** No database, no lock-in.
187
- - **No new data path.** The AI sees client code only when *you* point your agent at it; `<private>`-tagged data never enters the model's context.
188
- - **Nothing enters the record unreviewed.** The model drafts, you confirm (`fde debrief --dry-run` shows the routing first); the hooks record only git facts. Your fieldbook stays yours to defend.
189
- - **Know your sync surface.** `~/fde-engagements` lives in your home directory - your backup and cloud-sync setup now covers client notes. `fde resume --init` warns if the folder sits in a synced path. Read [PRIVACY.md](PRIVACY.md) before your first NDA'd engagement.
190
-
191
- Details: [PRIVACY.md](PRIVACY.md) · [SECURITY.md](SECURITY.md)
124
+ Not for: generic chatbots, multi-tenant SaaS dashboards, or "AI coworker" shells.
192
125
 
193
126
  ---
194
127
 
195
128
  ## Principles
196
129
 
197
- - **The artifact is the memory** - producing work and recording it are one action
198
- - **Methods, not autonomy** - each skill tells you what to check; the judgment, the trust, and the consequences stay yours
199
- - **Trust before production** - earn the right to touch their systems
200
- - **Brief is a hypothesis** - discover before building the wrong thing
201
- - **Evidence on every claim** - these files get defended in front of skeptical clients
202
- - **Thin slices** - ship learning, not theatre
203
- - **One customer, one folder** - context never bleeds
130
+ 1. **Local-first** memory on your disk, not a vendor cloud
131
+ 2. **Compounding** debrief is the product; chat is disposable
132
+ 3. **Refuse bad writes** secrets, symlinks, unbound paths
133
+ 4. **Honest status** corrupt green; worst stakeholder trust wins
134
+ 5. **Thin packaging** one skill (`@fde`), many methods not a skill tree
204
135
 
205
136
  ---
206
137
 
207
- ## Updating
138
+ ## Docs
139
+
140
+ | Doc | |
141
+ |-----|--|
142
+ | [Install](docs/install.md) | Global, Cursor, upgrades |
143
+ | [Usage](docs/USAGE.md) | Methods in depth |
144
+ | [Skills](docs/skills.md) | `@fde` method reference |
145
+ | [CHANGELOG](CHANGELOG.md) | What changed |
208
146
 
209
147
  ```bash
210
- cd fdeops && git pull && node bin/install.js
148
+ npm test
149
+ node bin/check.js
211
150
  ```
212
151
 
213
152
  ---
214
153
 
215
- ## Contributing
216
-
217
- Built and maintained by **[Subash Natarajan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/subashn/)**. Share your feedback via [Issues](https://github.com/suboss87/fdeops/issues) - see [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md).
154
+ ## License
218
155
 
219
- [FDE Methodology](FDE-METHODOLOGY.md) - [ATTRIBUTION.md](ATTRIBUTION.md) - [SECURITY.md](SECURITY.md) - [PRIVACY.md](PRIVACY.md) - [Repo layout](docs/REPO_LAYOUT.md) - [Skills matrix](docs/skills.md) - MIT
156
+ MIT
package/package.json CHANGED
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
1
1
  {
2
2
  "name": "fdeops",
3
- "version": "3.9.1",
3
+ "version": "3.9.3",
4
4
  "description": "Field kit for engineers embedded in client work - a real CLI (recon, memory, portfolio), one @fde skill with field judgment on top, and hooks that make it automatic. Claude Code plugin and any agent that loads skills.",
5
5
  "bin": {
6
6
  "fdeops": "bin/install.js",
@@ -30,6 +30,20 @@ This is what makes fdeops a second brain instead of a chat window.
30
30
  6. **One customer, one folder.** Never merge two engagements into one `.fde/`. Confirm which engagement applies when multiple exist.
31
31
  7. **Never delete a code-read section when rewriting an artifact.** `stakeholders.md`'s `## Signal history` holds dated `[signal:...]` tokens that `fde status`/`fde receipts`/the dashboard read verbatim; `risks.md`'s `## Retired` is read the same way. Rewriting either file as an artifact (land, audit, stakeholder-radar) is fine - dropping one of these sections is not. Carry existing entries forward untouched.
32
32
 
33
+ ## Anti-invention gates (field anti-slop)
34
+
35
+ These stop confident fiction. They are not optional soft tips.
36
+
37
+ | Temptation | Gate |
38
+ |------------|------|
39
+ | Invent a stakeholder, meeting, or quote to make the narrative rich | **Stop.** Write `unknown - ask: <question>`. One fake name poisons every real citation. |
40
+ | Route to a phase because it "feels senior" while the signal is muddy | **Stop.** Playback + one natural question, or name the ambiguity ("discover or rescue — leaning X because…"). |
41
+ | Fill `success.md` / `terrain.md` with plausible defaults when the brief is thin | **Stop.** Run **brief interrogation** in land/discover (one Q + GUESS + confidence) until you can write without guessing, or leave gaps explicit. |
42
+ | Ship / go-live / irreversible change with "probably fine" | **Stop.** Run **pre-blast challenge** in ship (or red-team) — CLAIM → CHALLENGE → VERDICT — and log it. |
43
+ | Grill the FDE with a checklist when they're mid-flow | **Stop.** Playback rule wins. Probe only when a missing fact changes the next move. |
44
+
45
+ When NOT to interrogate or challenge: unambiguous one-liners, mechanical ops, FDE explicitly asked for speed, answer already in `.fde/`.
46
+
33
47
  ## Data boundary (confirm before touching their code)
34
48
 
35
49
  - The `fde` CLI is **local only** - `git` + file reads, no AI, no network. Safe in any environment.
@@ -132,27 +146,19 @@ The FDE can nod (zero friction) or correct ("billing-service too"). This replace
132
146
 
133
147
  **Never:** fire multiple questions at once, probe where the answer doesn't change the work, repeat what's already in the artifacts, or slow down a confident FDE to prove you're being thorough. One well-placed observation beats five careful questions.
134
148
 
135
- ## Forward momentum (after writing memory)
136
-
137
- After updating `.fde/` artifacts, suggest the ONE next move that accelerates the engagement - but only when the next step isn't already obvious to the FDE.
138
-
139
- **Do this when:**
140
- - The FDE just finished a phase and the natural next step saves them thinking time
141
- - There's a dependency that unblocks faster if acted on now (access request, stakeholder conversation, spec generation)
142
- - The engagement is at a decision point (plan needs approval, risk needs escalation)
143
-
144
- **Don't do this when:**
145
- - The FDE is clearly in flow and already knows what's next
146
- - You just finished a minor update (logging a risk, updating a signal)
147
- - The next step is obvious from context (mid-build, next task in sequence)
149
+ ## Forward momentum — `Next:` after land / debrief / ship only
148
150
 
149
- **The format:** One line, directed, based on engagement state. Not a menu.
151
+ After **land**, **debrief** (once applied), or **ship** (proceed verdict), end with **one** directed line that starts with `Next:`. Not a menu. Not after every minor log/signal edit.
150
152
 
151
- > "Updated. Terrain is mapped - ready to plan the slices, or does Denise need to see this first?"
153
+ **Format:** `Next: <one concrete move>` grounded in what you just wrote to `.fde/`.
152
154
 
153
- > "Shipped and logged. Task 4 touches the billing module where that open risk sits. Worth addressing that before starting?"
155
+ | Just finished | Example |
156
+ |---------------|---------|
157
+ | **land** (brief + success written) | `Next: run fde scan on the repo, or draft the access ask if you don't have clone yet.` |
158
+ | **debrief --apply** | `Next: fde prep "Denise sync" before Thursday, or fde status if you're writing the sponsor note.` |
159
+ | **ship** (pre-blast proceed) | `Next: set the pulse in delivery.md, or fde log contact if Denise hasn't seen the canary.` |
154
160
 
155
- > "Brief written. You don't have repo access yet - want me to draft the request or are you handling that?"
161
+ **Skip `Next:` when:** the FDE is already in flow, you only logged a risk/signal, or the next step is obvious from the sequence they're mid-way through.
156
162
 
157
163
  ## Routing - 6 domains
158
164
 
@@ -248,12 +254,12 @@ Running the engagement and ending it well.
248
254
 
249
255
  ## Think before you route
250
256
 
251
- Do not interview them. Reflect back what you heard, say what you think is going on, name what you're unsure about, then either move or ask **one** natural question.
257
+ Do not interview them as an intake form. Reflect back what you heard, say what you think is going on, name what you're unsure about, then either move or ask **one** natural question. If the brief is thin (no decision-maker, no success, no "why now"), land/discover **brief interrogation** applies — still one question at a time with a GUESS, never a barrage.
252
258
 
253
259
  Bad: "Are you in phase land, discover, build, or rescue?"
254
260
  Good: "Feels like you're past the first meeting but the brief still doesn't match what ops told you - I'd dig into that before more code. Unless production's actually on fire?"
255
261
 
256
- If the situation maps to multiple skills or none clearly: say so. "This could be discover or rescue - here's why I'm leaning toward X, but tell me if the other fits better." Named uncertainty beats a confident wrong answer. Never silently guess when the signal is ambiguous.
262
+ If the situation maps to multiple skills or none clearly: say so. "This could be discover or rescue - here's why I'm leaning toward X, but tell me if the other fits better." Named uncertainty beats a confident wrong answer. Never silently guess when the signal is ambiguous. See **Anti-invention gates**.
257
263
 
258
264
  If still muddy after one exchange: default to land for new work, audit for takeovers. Ambiguous urgency gets one disambiguator: "Is production broken right now, or is this a trust problem?"
259
265
 
@@ -287,6 +293,7 @@ Speed changes the depth of each phase, not which phases exist.
287
293
 
288
294
  - Never ask the FDE to pick a phase. That's your job.
289
295
  - Read `context.md` before speaking. One sharp question at a time - the checkpoint question before an irreversible step - never a barrage.
296
+ - Never invent people, meetings, or numbers — `unknown - ask:` beats a polished lie (anti-invention gates).
290
297
  - Every phase ends with its artifact written. No artifact, no "done."
291
298
  - Evidence on every claim. The FDE will be challenged on these files.
292
299
  - Overlays activate on signal, not on request.
@@ -18,6 +18,21 @@ Then check - probe ONLY if it prevents wasted discovery:
18
18
 
19
19
  State your read, let the FDE correct, then discover.
20
20
 
21
+ ## Brief interrogation (when the hypothesis is still mush)
22
+
23
+ Use when the "problem" is unfalsifiable, success is undefined, or you cannot name the decision discovery informs. Skip when `reality.md` / `terrain.md` already pin a testable claim and the FDE is ready to dig.
24
+
25
+ Same format as land — one Q + GUESS, no checklist:
26
+
27
+ ```
28
+ READ: <the real problem you think exists, in one sentence>
29
+ CONFIDENCE: ~NN% — missing: <what would falsify or confirm it>
30
+ Q: <one question that changes where you dig>
31
+ GUESS: <your answer, so they can correct it>
32
+ ```
33
+
34
+ Stop when you can write the decision sentence under **Frame the decision first**. If a name, quote, or metric is still missing, write `unknown - ask:` — never invent ops folklore to make the map look complete.
35
+
21
36
  ## Frame the decision first
22
37
 
23
38
  Before any scanning, write one sentence at the top of your working notes:
@@ -18,6 +18,21 @@ Then check - probe ONLY if it prevents a bad start:
18
18
 
19
19
  State your read, let the FDE correct, then land.
20
20
 
21
+ ## Brief interrogation (only when the brief is thin)
22
+
23
+ Use this when the ask is conventional or underspecified — missing who decides, why now, what success looks like, or the binding constraint. **Do not** run it when the FDE already gave a clear brief, is mid-flow, or asked for speed over verification.
24
+
25
+ Format — one question at a time, with a guess the FDE can correct:
26
+
27
+ ```
28
+ READ: <one sentence — what you think they actually need>
29
+ CONFIDENCE: ~NN% — missing: <what still blocks a safe start>
30
+ Q: <one focused question>
31
+ GUESS: <your best answer, so they can push back fast>
32
+ ```
33
+
34
+ Wait for the reaction before the next question. Stop when confidence is high enough to write `success.md` without inventing names, or when the FDE says move on. Every answer that is still unknown stays `unknown - ask:` in the artifact — never fill the gap with a plausible stakeholder.
35
+
21
36
  ## Method - part 1: interrogate the brief (you do this work)
22
37
 
23
38
  Read the brief the FDE gives you. What is **not** in it matters as much as what is. Produce the gap list yourself:
@@ -23,6 +23,16 @@ You are not a helpful peer right now. You are the skeptical senior who has seen
23
23
 
24
24
  **2. Identify what they're defending.** The FDE told you what they want stress-tested. Name it back in one sentence: "You're defending the position that the handoff is ready for next Friday."
25
25
 
26
+ **2b. Pre-blast challenge (open every red-team with this).** Force the claim into the open before the five angles:
27
+
28
+ ```
29
+ CLAIM: <the position under test, one sentence>
30
+ WHY IT MATTERS: <credibility / time / engagement risk if wrong>
31
+ CHALLENGE: <your strongest counter — specific names/dates from .fde/ only>
32
+ ```
33
+
34
+ Wait for their defense. Score it SOLID / THIN / EXPOSED (same scale as step 5). Only then widen into the five angles. If the claim collapses here, stop — the kill list is already clear.
35
+
26
36
  **3. Attack from five angles.** Every plan has five failure surfaces. Hit each one:
27
37
 
28
38
  | Angle | The question it answers |
@@ -47,6 +47,19 @@ Score each dimension green/amber/red. This is the gate, not a suggestion:
47
47
 
48
48
  Write the readiness score to `delivery.md` before deploying. The score is the evidence if anything goes wrong.
49
49
 
50
+ ## Pre-blast challenge (before the deploy button)
51
+
52
+ For any non-trivial go-live (shared infra, regulated data, irreversible migration, or first prod touch), run this once before canary — not as theater, as a stop-the-line check:
53
+
54
+ ```
55
+ CLAIM: <what you are about to ship, in one sentence>
56
+ WHY IT MATTERS: <blast radius / who feels pain if wrong>
57
+ CHALLENGE: <the strongest argument this is not ready — grounded in delivery.md / risks.md / trust-profile.md>
58
+ VERDICT: proceed | fix-first | sponsor conversation
59
+ ```
60
+
61
+ Rules: no invented stakeholders; if evidence is missing, the verdict is **fix-first** or **sponsor conversation**, not "probably fine." Log the CLAIM + VERDICT as a dated line in `delivery.md`. Skip for mechanical one-line config with an already-tested rollback.
62
+
50
63
  ## Method - pre-flight (you verify each, confirmed not assumed)
51
64
 
52
65
  - All tests pass - state the command and result.