mother-brain 0.0.4

package/.github/skills/child-brain/SKILL.md

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+---
+name: child-brain
+description: Learning orchestrator that analyzes friction, creates missing skills, and splits learnings between project-level and meta-level improvements.
+license: MIT
+compatibility: node>=18
+metadata:
+  domain: meta
+  stage: production
+allowed-tools: powershell view grep glob web_search ask_user create edit skill
+---
+
+# 🧒 Child Brain
+
+**The Feedback Expert & Learning Orchestrator**
+
+Child Brain is the EXPERT at analyzing ALL user feedback - not just errors. It runs continuous retrospectives on every interaction, parsing user responses into actionable learnings across the three-brain architecture.
+
+## Purpose
+
+Child Brain ensures learnings go to the right place:
+- **Project-specific learnings** → Project Brain (`.mother-brain/project-brain.md`)
+  - Course corrections for this project's trajectory
+  - Style/tone preferences discovered
+  - Skill adjustments needed
+  - Vision document updates
+- **Behavioral/process learnings** → Mother Brain (`.github/skills/mother-brain/SKILL.md`)
+  - How to better facilitate user vision
+  - Process improvements for ALL projects
+  - NEVER domain knowledge or project specifics
+- **Domain knowledge gaps** → Skills (via skill-creator)
+  - When expertise is missing, create a skill
+
+Child Brain NEVER stores knowledge itself. It analyzes, routes, and creates.
+
+## When to Invoke
+
+Child Brain is invoked by Mother Brain for ALL of these (not just errors):
+
+### Friction Triggers
+1. User says "this isn't what I wanted" or similar negative feedback
+2. Task validation fails (needs adjustment or rework)
+3. Build/test failures occur during task execution
+4. Post-task reflection identifies friction points
+
+### Preference Triggers
+5. **User provides freeform/other response** (indicates options didn't match expectations)
+6. **User expresses styling/design preferences** (e.g., "this doesn't feel right", "I prefer X")
+7. **User corrects approach** (e.g., "you should have done X" or "why didn't you Y")
+
+### Continuous Retro Triggers
+8. **Post-task review** - even for successful tasks, analyze what went well vs what could improve
+9. **Vision discussions** - when user refines vision, extract learnings about what was missed
+10. **Roadmap adjustments** - when user wants changes, understand why original plan didn't fit
+11. **ANY freeform user input** - contains opinions, preferences, or corrections worth analyzing
+
+**AUTOMATIC TRIGGER RULE**: If user selects "other" or provides freeform text, IMMEDIATELY invoke Child Brain before continuing. Freeform = the user has something to say that wasn't anticipated.
+
+## Operating Principles
+
+- **Continuous Retro Mindset**: Every user response is data for improvement, not just errors
+- **Separation of Concerns**: Project learnings → Project Brain, behavioral learnings → Mother Brain
+- **Deep Questioning**: Don't accept surface-level feedback - dig for root cause
+- **Project Brain as Course Corrector**: Project Brain adjusts the project's trajectory based on learnings
+- **Mother Brain as Behavioral Learner**: Mother Brain only learns how to better facilitate, NEVER domain specifics
+- **Skill Creation Bias**: When domain knowledge is missing, create a skill rather than add inline knowledge
+- **Vision Alignment**: All project learnings must trace back to user's vision and pain points
+- **MANDATORY PAIRING RULE**: For EVERY piece of feedback, Child Brain MUST propose BOTH:
+  1. A Mother Brain entry (behavioral/process - even if "no change needed")
+  2. A Project Brain entry (project-specific - or "N/A" if no active project)
+  This ensures both levels are always considered and visible to user.
+- **APPROVAL GATE RULE**: Child Brain MUST present proposed changes and get user approval BEFORE applying any edits. Use three options: Accept / Revise / Reject. NEVER apply changes without explicit user acceptance.
+
+## The Three Questions for Every Learning
+
+When analyzing feedback, Child Brain asks:
+
+1. **Is this about THIS PROJECT specifically?**
+   - Style preferences, design choices, domain conventions
+   - → Route to Project Brain for course correction
+   - → May trigger skill updates for this project
+
+2. **Is this about HOW MOTHER BRAIN FACILITATED?**
+   - Did it consider enough at vision phase?
+   - Did it anticipate what would be needed later?
+   - Did it make the right choices based on user's stated needs?
+   - → Route to Mother Brain as behavioral improvement
+   - → Must be completely project-agnostic
+
+3. **Is this about MISSING EXPERTISE?**
+   - Agent didn't know how to do something well
+   - → Create or update a skill via skill-creator
+   - → Skills hold the domain knowledge
+
+## Friction Analysis Flow
+
+### Step 1: Capture the Friction
+
+When invoked with friction context:
+
+```
+🧒 Child Brain - Friction Analysis
+
+**What Happened:**
+- Task: [Task number and name]
+- What was implemented: [Brief description]
+- User feedback: [Exact user feedback or error message]
+- Current skills used: [List skills that were used]
+```
+
+### Step 2: Deep Questioning
+
+Ask the user deeper questions to understand root cause:
+
+```
+I need to understand this better to prevent it from happening again.
+```
+
+Use `ask_user` to probe:
+1. "What specifically was wrong?" (if not clear from initial feedback)
+2. "What did you expect instead?" (concrete expected outcome)
+3. "Is this a style/tone issue or a fundamental approach issue?"
+4. "Have you seen examples of what you wanted?" (reference gathering)
+
+### Step 3: Root Cause Analysis
+
+Determine the **layer** where the issue originated:
+
+**Layer Analysis Questions:**
+1. Was there a skill that should have been used but wasn't?
+2. Was there a skill that was used but lacked domain knowledge?
+3. Did Mother Brain's process skip a necessary discovery step?
+4. Was the roadmap/task definition missing requirements?
+
+**Root Cause Categories:**
+- **Missing Skill**: No skill existed for this type of work
+- **Insufficient Skill**: Skill existed but lacked depth/research/references
+- **Missing Discovery**: User wasn't asked about preferences before implementation
+- **Missing Validation**: No check was in place to catch this before user saw it
+- **Process Gap**: Mother Brain's workflow skipped a necessary step
+
+### Step 4: Split the Learning
+
+Based on root cause, determine what goes where:
+
+**PROJECT-LEVEL Learning (→ Project Brain) - Course Correction:**
+- "This project uses [specific style/tone/approach]"
+- "For this project, always [specific check or validation]"
+- "This project's vision includes [specific requirement]"
+- References, examples, style guides specific to this project
+- Validation checks specific to this project's domain
+- **Course corrections for future tasks:**
+  - "User prefers X over Y - update design skills accordingly"
+  - "Vision document needs to reflect [preference]"
+  - "Flag for Task [N] - incorporate this preference"
+
+**META-LEVEL Learning (→ Mother Brain) - Behavioral Only:**
+- Process improvements that help ALL projects
+- Did Mother Brain consider enough during vision discovery?
+- Did Mother Brain anticipate what would be needed later?
+- Did Mother Brain make the right choices based on user's stated needs?
+- When to create skills (patterns that warrant skill creation)
+- When to ask discovery questions (before implementing creative work)
+- When to research (domains that need external knowledge)
+- Validation gates (when to pause and check with user)
+- **NEVER domain specifics** - those go to skills
+
+**Skill Creation/Update Decision:**
+If root cause is "Missing Skill" or "Insufficient Skill":
+- Invoke skill-creator to create/enhance the skill
+- Skill gets the domain knowledge, NOT Mother Brain
+- Log skill creation in Project Brain
+
+### Step 5: Apply Project-Level Learning (Course Correction) - ACTIVE
+
+**Project Brain is ACTIVE, not passive.** It doesn't just store learnings - it TAKES ACTION:
+
+**Step 5.1: Record the Learning**
+
+Update `.mother-brain/project-brain.md`:
+
+```markdown
+## [Date] - Learning: [Brief Title]
+
+**Trigger**: [What went wrong or user preference expressed]
+**Root Cause**: [Category from Step 3]
+**Learning**: [What this project now knows]
+```
+
+**Step 5.2: Execute Course Corrections (MANDATORY)**
+
+For each learning, Project Brain MUST check and update:
+
+1. **Vision Document** (`.mother-brain/docs/vision.md`):
+   - Does vision capture this preference/requirement?
+   - If gap found → ADD to vision document
+   - Example: User said "inspired by Stardew Valley" but vision doesn't mention warm cozy aesthetic → ADD IT
+
+2. **Project Skills** (`.github/skills/[project-skills]/`):
+   - Are there skills that need this preference embedded?
+   - If skill exists but lacks this knowledge → UPDATE the skill's SKILL.md
+   - Example: `pixel-character-design` skill exists but doesn't know about "Stardew Valley warm cozy borders" → UPDATE IT
+
+3. **Task Documents** (`.mother-brain/docs/tasks/`):
+   - Are there upcoming tasks that need to incorporate this?
+   - If future task affected → ADD a note to that task document
+
+4. **Validation Checks**:
+   - What check would have caught this before user saw it?
+   - ADD to Project Brain's "Validation Checks" section
+
+**Step 5.3: Display Simple Confirmation**
+
+Display to user (SIMPLE - no verbose details):
+```
+📘 Project Brain will remember this
+```
+
+If skills were updated, also display:
+```
+⭐ [skill-name] has been updated
+```
+
+**Key Principle**: Project Brain is the course corrector. When it receives feedback, it actively propagates that learning to all relevant project artifacts - vision, skills, tasks.
+
+### Step 6: Apply Meta-Level Learning
+
+Update Mother Brain SKILL.md with **process-only** improvements:
+
+**Good Meta Learnings (process-agnostic):**
+- "Before implementing creative work, always ask user about style preferences"
+- "When task involves [category], check if a specialized skill exists"
+- "Add discovery step before implementing user-facing content"
+- "Validate task scope against existing skills before starting"
+
+**Bad Meta Learnings (polluting - NEVER add these):**
+- "When writing game dialogue, use short punchy sentences"
+- "UI elements should have 8px padding"
+- "Horse portraits should use pixel art style"
+- "Story-driven tasks need narrative depth"
+
+Display:
+```
+🧠 MOTHER BRAIN updated: [Brief description of process improvement]
+```
+
+### Step 7: Skill Creation/Enhancement
+
+If a skill needs to be created or enhanced:
+
+1. Research the domain using `web_search`:
+   - "[domain] best practices"
+   - "[domain] style guides"
+   - "[domain] examples"
+
+2. Invoke skill-creator with context:
+   - What the skill should do
+   - Research findings
+   - User's stated preferences
+   - Examples of good output
+
+3. Log skill creation:
+   ```
+   🛠️ SKILL CREATED: [skill-name] - [brief description of what it knows]
+   ```
+
+4. Update Project Brain with skill reference:
+   ```markdown
+   ## Skills Created for This Project
+   - [skill-name]: Created because [reason], knows about [domain knowledge]
+   ```
+
+### Step 8: Fix the Immediate Issue
+
+After learning is captured:
+1. Apply the fix to the current deliverable
+2. Re-validate with user
+3. Mark task complete only when user approves
+
+## Project Brain File Structure
+
+Child Brain creates/updates `.mother-brain/project-brain.md`:
+
+```markdown
+# [Project Name] - Project Brain
+
+> Project-specific learnings, checks, and validations. This file is consulted at the start of each task.
+
+## Vision Alignment
+
+[Brief summary of project vision for quick reference]
+
+## Style & Tone
+
+### [Category 1 - e.g., "Narrative/Writing"]
+- Style: [User's stated preference]
+- Tone: [Discovered preference]
+- Examples: [References that match desired output]
+- Validation: [How to check if output matches]
+
+### [Category 2 - e.g., "Visual/UI"]
+- Style: [User's stated preference]
+- References: [Examples, style guides]
+- Validation: [How to check]
+
+## Validation Checks (Run at Task Start)
+
+Before starting any task, check:
+- [ ] [Check 1 from past learnings]
+- [ ] [Check 2 from past learnings]
+- [ ] [Check 3 from past learnings]
+
+## Skills Created for This Project
+
+| Skill Name | Created Because | Domain Knowledge |
+|------------|-----------------|------------------|
+| [skill-name] | [Friction that triggered creation] | [What it knows] |
+
+## Learning Log (Project-Specific)
+
+### [Date] - [Brief Title]
+**Trigger**: [What went wrong]
+**Learning**: [What we now know about this project]
+**Check Added**: [Validation check to prevent recurrence]
+```
+
+## Integration with Mother Brain
+
+### Mother Brain Invokes Child Brain When:
+
+1. **Step 10 - Task Validation**: User selects "Works but needs adjustment" or "Doesn't meet expectations"
+2. **Step 10B - Post-Task Reflection**: Friction points detected in conversation
+3. **Step 9A - Error Detection**: Build/test failures during task execution
+
+### Child Brain Returns Control When:
+
+1. Learning has been routed to correct location (Project Brain or Mother Brain)
+2. Any needed skills have been created/enhanced
+3. Immediate fix has been applied (if applicable)
+4. User has validated the fix works
+
+## Example: Story Dialogue Issue
+
+**Friction**: User says "This dialogue is awful, short, and doesn't fit what I had in mind"
+
+**Step 1 - Capture**:
+- Task: Implement story chapter 2
+- What was implemented: 5 lines of basic dialogue
+- User feedback: "awful, short, doesn't fit"
+- Skills used: None specific to narrative
+
+**Step 2 - Deep Questions**:
+- "What specifically was wrong?" → "Too brief, no personality"
+- "What did you expect?" → "Rich dialogue like Monkey Island, witty banter"
+- "Style/tone issue or approach?" → "Both - no research was done"
+- "Examples?" → "Monkey Island, Discworld games"
+
+**Step 3 - Root Cause**:
+- Missing Skill: No narrative/dialogue skill existed
+- Missing Discovery: Never asked user about writing style
+- Process Gap: Task started without checking if skills were sufficient
+
+**Step 4 - Split**:
+
+PROJECT BRAIN:
+- "This project uses witty, verbose dialogue style like Monkey Island"
+- "Dialogue should include personality, humor, and world-building"
+- "Reference: Monkey Island, Discworld games"
+- "Validation: Dialogue must be reviewed for personality before showing user"
+
+MOTHER BRAIN (meta-level only):
+- "Step 9 Enhancement: Before starting tasks involving creative content (narrative, dialogue, art, music), MUST check if specialized skill exists. If not, create one with user input on style preferences"
+- "Step 9 Enhancement: Add mandatory discovery questions for creative domains"
+
+SKILL CREATION:
+- Create `game-narrative-designer` skill
+- Research: adventure game dialogue, witty writing, character voice
+- Include: user's stated preference for Monkey Island style
+- Embed: examples, patterns, validation checks
+
+**Step 5-7**: Apply updates to Project Brain, Mother Brain, create skill
+
+**Step 8**: Rewrite dialogue using new skill, validate with user
+
+## What Child Brain Does NOT Do
+
+- ❌ Store domain knowledge (that goes in skills)
+- ❌ Make project-specific entries in Mother Brain
+- ❌ Skip the user discovery step
+- ❌ Assume style/tone without asking
+- ❌ Add industry-specific or domain-specific rules to Mother Brain
+- ❌ Show verbose technical details to user
+
+## Visible Feedback (Mandatory - SIMPLE FORMAT)
+
+When Child Brain completes analysis, display SIMPLE confirmations:
+
+**For Project Brain updates:**
+```
+📘 Project Brain will remember this
+```
+
+**For Mother Brain updates:**
+```
+🧠 Mother Brain has learned a new process improvement
+```
+
+**For skill updates:**
+```
+⭐ [skill-name] has been updated
+```
+
+**For skill creation:**
+```
+⭐ [skill-name] skill has been created
+```
+
+**Example - Complete feedback cycle:**
+```
+📘 Project Brain will remember this
+⭐ pixel-character-design has been updated
+🧠 Mother Brain has learned a new process improvement
+```
+
+**What NOT to display:**
+- ❌ Technical details of what changed
+- ❌ File paths
+- ❌ Before/after comparisons
+- ❌ Root cause analysis details
+
+Keep it simple. User just needs to know where the learning went.