Enhance link-skills.sh to check for symlink conflicts and provide user guidance

Decouples to-prd, to-issues, and triage from GitHub. Content skills now
own their templates and the conceptual state vocabulary; a new /github
backend skill translates (state, artifact) into gh calls.

- Rename github-triage → triage; remove all gh calls; emit handoff hints
- Create /github skill with publishPRD, publishIssues, applyTriageOutcome
- to-issues: strip gh issue create; AFK slices use AGENT-BRIEF format;
  states assigned (AFK→ready-for-agent, HITL→ready-for-human)
- to-prd: strip GitHub submit; default to ready-for-agent
- Delete triage-issue (its diagnosis half is covered by /diagnose; its
  triage half by the new /triage)
- Update plugin.json, top-level README, engineering README, deprecated README

Closes #80

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

.claude-plugin/plugin.json

@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+{
+  "name": "mattpocock-skills",
+  "skills": [
+    "./skills/engineering/diagnose",
+    "./skills/engineering/github",
+    "./skills/engineering/grill-with-docs",
+    "./skills/engineering/improve-codebase-architecture",
+    "./skills/engineering/triage",
+    "./skills/engineering/tdd",
+    "./skills/engineering/to-issues",
+    "./skills/engineering/to-prd",
+    "./skills/engineering/zoom-out",
+    "./skills/productivity/caveman",
+    "./skills/productivity/grill-me",
+    "./skills/productivity/write-a-skill"
+  ]
+}

CLAUDE.md

@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+Skills are organized into bucket folders under `skills/`:
+
+- `engineering/` — daily code work
+- `productivity/` — daily non-code workflow tools
+- `misc/` — kept around but rarely used
+- `personal/` — tied to my own setup, not promoted
+- `deprecated/` — no longer used
+
+Every skill in `engineering/`, `productivity/`, or `misc/` must have a reference in the top-level `README.md` and an entry in `.claude-plugin/plugin.json`. Skills in `personal/` and `deprecated/` must not appear in either.
+
+Each skill entry in the top-level `README.md` must link the skill name to its `SKILL.md`.
+
+Each bucket folder has a `README.md` that lists every skill in the bucket with a one-line description, with the skill name linked to its `SKILL.md`.

README.md

@@ -2,114 +2,156 @@
 
 My agent skills that I use every day to do real engineering - not vibe coding.
 
+Developing real applications is hard. Approaches like GSD, BMAD, and Spec-Kit try to help by owning the process. But while doing so, they take away your control and make bugs in the process hard to resolve.
+
+These skills are designed to be small, easy to adapt, and composable. They work with any model. They're based on decades of engineering experience. Hack around with them. Make them your own. Enjoy.
+
 If you want to keep up with changes to these skills, and any new ones I create, you can join ~60,000 other devs on my newsletter:
 
 [Sign Up To The Newsletter](https://www.aihero.dev/s/skills-newsletter)
 
-## Planning & Design
+## Quickstart (30-second setup)
 
-These skills help you think through problems before writing code.
+1. Run the skills.sh installer:
 
-- **to-prd** — Turn the current conversation context into a PRD and submit it as a GitHub issue. No interview — just synthesizes what you've already discussed.
+```bash
+npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills
+```
 
-  ```
+2. Pick the skills you want, and which coding agents you want to install them on.
-  npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills/to-prd
-  ```
 
-- **to-issues** — Break any plan, spec, or PRD into independently-grabbable GitHub issues using vertical slices.
+3. Bam - you're ready to go.
 
-  ```
+## Why These Skills Exist
-  npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills/to-issues
-  ```
 
-- **grill-me** — Get relentlessly interviewed about a plan or design until every branch of the decision tree is resolved.
+I built these skills as a way to fix common failure modes I see with Claude Code, Codex, and other coding agents.
 
-  ```
+### #1: The Agent Didn't Do What I Want
-  npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills/grill-me
-  ```
 
-- **design-an-interface** — Generate multiple radically different interface designs for a module using parallel sub-agents.
+> "No-one knows exactly what they want"
+>
+> David Thomas & Andrew Hunt, [The Pragmatic Programmer](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pragmatic-Programmer-Anniversary-Journey-Mastery/dp/B0833F1T3V)
 
-  ```
+**The Problem**. The most common failure mode in software development is misalignment. You think the dev knows what you want. Then you see what they've built - and you realize it didn't understand you at all.
-  npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills/design-an-interface
-  ```
 
-- **request-refactor-plan** — Create a detailed refactor plan with tiny commits via user interview, then file it as a GitHub issue.
+This is just the same in the AI age. There is a communication gap between you and the agent. The fix for this is a **grilling session** - getting the agent to ask you detailed questions about what you're building.
 
-  ```
+**The Fix** is to use:
-  npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills/request-refactor-plan
-  ```
 
-## Development
+- [`/grill-me`](./skills/productivity/grill-me/SKILL.md) - for non-code uses
+- [`/grill-with-docs`](./skills/engineering/grill-with-docs/SKILL.md) - same as [`/grill-me`](./skills/productivity/grill-me/SKILL.md), but adds more goodies (see below)
 
-These skills help you write, refactor, and fix code.
+These are my most popular skills. They help you align with the agent before you get started, and think deeply about the change you're making. Use them _every_ time you want to make a change.
 
-- **tdd** — Test-driven development with a red-green-refactor loop. Builds features or fixes bugs one vertical slice at a time.
+### #2: The Agent Is Way Too Verbose
 
-  ```
+> With a ubiquitous language, conversations among developers and expressions of the code are all derived from the same domain model.
-  npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills/tdd
+>
-  ```
+> Eric Evans, [Domain-Driven-Design](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Domain-Driven-Design-Tackling-Complexity-Software/dp/0321125215)
 
-- **triage-issue** — Investigate a bug by exploring the codebase, identify the root cause, and file a GitHub issue with a TDD-based fix plan.
+**The Problem**: At the start of a project, devs and the people they're building the software for (the domain experts) are usually speaking different languages.
 
-  ```
+I felt the same tension with my agents. Agents are usually dropped into a project and asked to figure out the jargon as they go. So they use 20 words where 1 will do.
-  npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills/triage-issue
-  ```
 
-- **improve-codebase-architecture** — Find deepening opportunities in a codebase, informed by the domain language in `CONTEXT.md` and the decisions in `docs/adr/`.
+**The Fix** for this is a shared language. It's a document that helps agents decode the jargon used in the project.
 
-  ```
+<details>
-  npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills/improve-codebase-architecture
+<summary>
-  ```
+Example
+</summary>
 
-- **migrate-to-shoehorn** — Migrate test files from `as` type assertions to @total-typescript/shoehorn.
+Here's an example [`CONTEXT.md`](https://github.com/mattpocock/course-video-manager/blob/076a5a7a182db0fe1e62971dd7a68bcadf010f1c/CONTEXT.md), from my `course-video-manager` repo. Which one is easier to read?
 
-  ```
+- **BEFORE**: "There's a problem when a lesson inside a section of a course is made 'real' (i.e. given a spot in the file system)"
-  npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills/migrate-to-shoehorn
+- **AFTER**: "There's a problem with the materialization cascade"
-  ```
 
-- **scaffold-exercises** — Create exercise directory structures with sections, problems, solutions, and explainers.
+This concision pays off session after session.
 
-  ```
+</details>
-  npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills/scaffold-exercises
-  ```
 
-## Tooling & Setup
+This is built into [`/grill-with-docs`](./skills/engineering/grill-with-docs/SKILL.md). It's a grilling session, but that helps you build a shared language with the AI, and document hard-to-explain decisions in ADR's.
 
-- **setup-pre-commit** — Set up Husky pre-commit hooks with lint-staged, Prettier, type checking, and tests.
+It's hard to explain how powerful this is. It might be the single coolest technique in this repo. Try it, and see.
 
-  ```
+> [!TIP]
-  npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills/setup-pre-commit
+> A shared language has many other benefits than reducing verbosity:
-  ```
+>
+> - **Variables, functions and files are named consistently**, using the shared language
+> - As a result, the **codebase is easier to navigate** for the agent
+> - The agent also **spends fewer tokens on thinking**, because it has access to a more concise language
 
-- **git-guardrails-claude-code** — Set up Claude Code hooks to block dangerous git commands (push, reset --hard, clean, etc.) before they execute.
+### #3: The Code Doesn't Work
 
-  ```
+> "Always take small, deliberate steps. The rate of feedback is your speed limit. Never take on a task that’s too big."
-  npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills/git-guardrails-claude-code
+>
-  ```
+> David Thomas & Andrew Hunt, [The Pragmatic Programmer](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pragmatic-Programmer-Anniversary-Journey-Mastery/dp/B0833F1T3V)
 
-## Writing & Knowledge
+**The Problem**: Let's say that you and the agent are aligned on what to build. What happens when the agent _still_ produces crap?
 
-- **write-a-skill** — Create new skills with proper structure, progressive disclosure, and bundled resources.
+It's time to look at your feedback loops. Without feedback on how the code it produces actually runs, the agent will be flying blind.
 
-  ```
+**The Fix**: You need the usual tranche of feedback loops: static types, browser access, and automated tests.
-  npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills/write-a-skill
-  ```
 
-- **edit-article** — Edit and improve articles by restructuring sections, improving clarity, and tightening prose.
+For automated tests, a red-green-refactor loop is critical. This is where the agent writes a failing test first, then fixes the test. This helps give the agent a consistent level of feedback that results in far better code.
 
-  ```
+I've built a **[`/tdd`](./skills/engineering/tdd/SKILL.md) skill** you can slot into any project. It encourages red-green-refactor and gives the agent plenty of guidance on what makes good and bad tests.
-  npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills/edit-article
-  ```
 
-- **ubiquitous-language** — Extract a DDD-style ubiquitous language glossary from the current conversation.
+For debugging, I've also built a **[`/diagnose`](./skills/engineering/diagnose/SKILL.md)** skill that wraps best debugging practices into a simple loop.
 
-  ```
+### #4: We Built A Ball Of Mud
-  npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills/ubiquitous-language
-  ```
 
-- **obsidian-vault** — Search, create, and manage notes in an Obsidian vault with wikilinks and index notes.
+> "Invest in the design of the system _every day_."
+>
+> Kent Beck, [Extreme Programming Explained](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Extreme-Programming-Explained-Embrace-Change/dp/0321278658)
 
-  ```
+> "The best modules are deep. They allow a lot of functionality to be accessed through a simple interface."
-  npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills/obsidian-vault
+>
-  ```
+> John Ousterhout, [A Philosophy Of Software Design](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Philosophy-Software-Design-2nd/dp/173210221X)
+
+**The Problem**: Most apps built with agents are complex and hard to change. Because agents can radically speed up coding, they also accelerate software entropy. Codebases get more complex at an unprecedented rate.
+
+**The Fix** for this is a radical new approach to AI-powered development: caring about the design of the code.
+
+This is built in to every layer of these skills:
+
+- [`/to-prd`](./skills/engineering/to-prd/SKILL.md) quizzes you about which modules you're touching before creating a PRD
+- [`/zoom-out`](./skills/engineering/zoom-out/SKILL.md) tells the agent to explain code in the context of the whole system
+
+And crucially, [`/improve-codebase-architecture`](./skills/engineering/improve-codebase-architecture/SKILL.md) helps you rescue a codebase that has become a ball of mud. I recommend running it on your codebase once every few days.
+
+### Summary
+
+Software engineering fundamentals matter more than ever. These skills are my best effort at condensing these fundamentals into repeatable practices, to help you ship the best apps of your career. Enjoy.
+
+## Reference
+
+### Engineering
+
+Skills I use daily for code work.
+
+- **[diagnose](./skills/engineering/diagnose/SKILL.md)** — Disciplined diagnosis loop for hard bugs and performance regressions: reproduce → minimise → hypothesise → instrument → fix → regression-test.
+- **[github](./skills/engineering/github/SKILL.md)** — GitHub backend for the engineering skills. Publishes PRDs and issues, applies triage outcomes via `gh`.
+- **[grill-with-docs](./skills/engineering/grill-with-docs/SKILL.md)** — Grilling session that challenges your plan against the existing domain model, sharpens terminology, and updates `CONTEXT.md` and ADRs inline.
+- **[improve-codebase-architecture](./skills/engineering/improve-codebase-architecture/SKILL.md)** — Find deepening opportunities in a codebase, informed by the domain language in `CONTEXT.md` and the decisions in `docs/adr/`.
+- **[tdd](./skills/engineering/tdd/SKILL.md)** — Test-driven development with a red-green-refactor loop. Builds features or fixes bugs one vertical slice at a time.
+- **[to-issues](./skills/engineering/to-issues/SKILL.md)** — Break any plan, spec, or PRD into independently-grabbable issues using vertical slices. Hands off to a backend skill (`/github`) to publish.
+- **[to-prd](./skills/engineering/to-prd/SKILL.md)** — Turn the current conversation context into a PRD. Hands off to a backend skill (`/github`) to publish. No interview — just synthesizes what you've already discussed.
+- **[triage](./skills/engineering/triage/SKILL.md)** — Triage issues through a label-based state machine. Backend-agnostic — pairs with `/github` to apply outcomes.
+- **[zoom-out](./skills/engineering/zoom-out/SKILL.md)** — Tell the agent to zoom out and give broader context or a higher-level perspective on an unfamiliar section of code.
+
+### Productivity
+
+General workflow tools, not code-specific.
+
+- **[caveman](./skills/productivity/caveman/SKILL.md)** — Ultra-compressed communication mode. Cuts token usage ~75% by dropping filler while keeping full technical accuracy.
+- **[grill-me](./skills/productivity/grill-me/SKILL.md)** — Get relentlessly interviewed about a plan or design until every branch of the decision tree is resolved.
+- **[write-a-skill](./skills/productivity/write-a-skill/SKILL.md)** — Create new skills with proper structure, progressive disclosure, and bundled resources.
+
+### Misc
+
+Tools I keep around but rarely use.
+
+- **[git-guardrails-claude-code](./skills/misc/git-guardrails-claude-code/SKILL.md)** — Set up Claude Code hooks to block dangerous git commands (push, reset --hard, clean, etc.) before they execute.
+- **[migrate-to-shoehorn](./skills/misc/migrate-to-shoehorn/SKILL.md)** — Migrate test files from `as` type assertions to @total-typescript/shoehorn.
+- **[scaffold-exercises](./skills/misc/scaffold-exercises/SKILL.md)** — Create exercise directory structures with sections, problems, solutions, and explainers.
+- **[setup-pre-commit](./skills/misc/setup-pre-commit/SKILL.md)** — Set up Husky pre-commit hooks with lint-staged, Prettier, type checking, and tests.

github-triage/SKILL.md

@@ -1,168 +0,0 @@
----
-name: github-triage
-description: Triage GitHub issues through a label-based state machine. Use when user wants to create an issue, triage issues, review incoming bugs or feature requests, prepare issues for an AFK agent, or manage issue workflow.
----
-
-# GitHub Issue Triage
-
-Triage issues in the current repo using a label-based state machine. Infer the repo from `git remote`. Use `gh` for all GitHub operations.
-
-## AI Disclaimer
-
-Every comment or issue posted to GitHub during triage **must** include the following disclaimer at the top of the comment body, before any other content:
-
-```
-> *This was generated by AI during triage.*
-```
-
-## Reference docs
-
-- [AGENT-BRIEF.md](AGENT-BRIEF.md) — how to write durable agent briefs
-- [OUT-OF-SCOPE.md](OUT-OF-SCOPE.md) — how the `.out-of-scope/` knowledge base works
-
-## Labels
-
-| Label             | Type     | Description                              |
-| ----------------- | -------- | ---------------------------------------- |
-| `bug`             | Category | Something is broken                      |
-| `enhancement`     | Category | New feature or improvement               |
-| `needs-triage`    | State    | Maintainer needs to evaluate this issue  |
-| `needs-info`      | State    | Waiting on reporter for more information |
-| `ready-for-agent` | State    | Fully specified, ready for AFK agent     |
-| `ready-for-human` | State    | Requires human implementation            |
-| `wontfix`         | State    | Will not be actioned                     |
-
-Every issue should have exactly **one** state label and **one** category label. If an issue has conflicting state labels (e.g. both `needs-triage` and `ready-for-agent`), flag the conflict and ask the maintainer which state is correct before doing anything else. Provide a recommendation.
-
-## State Machine
-
-| Current State  | Can transition to | Who triggers it        | What happens                                                                                                         |
-| -------------- | ----------------- | ---------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
-| `unlabeled`    | `needs-triage`    | Skill (on first look)  | Issue needs maintainer evaluation. Skill applies label after presenting recommendation.                              |
-| `unlabeled`    | `ready-for-agent` | Maintainer (via skill) | Issue is already well-specified and agent-suitable. Skill writes agent brief comment, applies label.                 |
-| `unlabeled`    | `ready-for-human` | Maintainer (via skill) | Issue requires human implementation. Skill writes a brief comment summarizing the task, applies label.               |
-| `unlabeled`    | `wontfix`         | Maintainer (via skill) | Issue is spam, duplicate, or out of scope. Skill closes with comment (and writes `.out-of-scope/` for enhancements). |
-| `needs-triage` | `needs-info`      | Maintainer (via skill) | Issue is underspecified. Skill posts triage notes capturing progress so far + questions for reporter.                |
-| `needs-triage` | `ready-for-agent` | Maintainer (via skill) | Grilling session complete, agent-suitable. Skill writes agent brief comment, applies label.                          |
-| `needs-triage` | `ready-for-human` | Maintainer (via skill) | Grilling session complete, needs human. Skill writes a brief comment summarizing the task, applies label.            |
-| `needs-triage` | `wontfix`         | Maintainer (via skill) | Maintainer decides not to action. Skill closes with comment (and writes `.out-of-scope/` for enhancements).          |
-| `needs-info`   | `needs-triage`    | Skill (detects reply)  | Reporter has replied. Skill surfaces to maintainer for re-evaluation.                                                |
-
-An issue can only move along these transitions. The maintainer can override any state directly (see Quick State Override below), but the skill should flag if the transition is unusual.
-
-## Invocation
-
-The maintainer invokes `/github-triage` then describes what they want in natural language. The skill interprets the request and takes the appropriate action.
-
-Example requests:
-
-- "Show me anything that needs my attention"
-- "Let's look at #42"
-- "Move #42 to ready-for-agent"
-- "What's ready for agents to pick up?"
-- "Are there any unlabeled issues?"
-
-## Workflow: Show What Needs Attention
-
-When the maintainer asks for an overview, query GitHub and present a summary grouped into three buckets:
-
-1. **Unlabeled issues** — new, no labels at all. These have never been triaged.
-2. **`needs-triage` issues** — maintainer needs to evaluate or continue evaluating.
-3. **`needs-info` issues with new activity** — the reporter has commented since the last triage notes comment. Check comment timestamps to determine this.
-
-Display counts per group. Within each group, show issues oldest first (longest-waiting gets attention first). For each issue, show: number, title, age, and a one-line summary of the issue body.
-
-Let the maintainer pick which issue to dive into.
-
-## Workflow: Triage a Specific Issue
-
-### Step 1: Gather context
-
-Before presenting anything to the maintainer:
-
-- Read the full issue: body, all comments, all labels, who reported it, when
-- If there are prior triage notes comments (from previous sessions), parse them to understand what has already been established
-- Explore the codebase to build context — understand the domain, relevant interfaces, and existing behavior related to the issue
-- Read `.out-of-scope/*.md` files and check if this issue matches or is similar to a previously rejected concept
-
-### Step 2: Present a recommendation
-
-Tell the maintainer:
-
-- **Category recommendation:** bug or enhancement, with reasoning
-- **State recommendation:** where this issue should go, with reasoning
-- If it matches a prior out-of-scope rejection, surface that: "This is similar to `.out-of-scope/concept-name.md` — we rejected this before because X. Do you still feel the same way?"
-- A brief summary of what you found in the codebase that's relevant
-
-Then wait for the maintainer's direction. They may:
-
-- Agree and ask you to apply labels → do it
-- Want to flesh it out → start a /domain-model session
-- Override with a different state → apply their choice
-- Want to discuss → have a conversation
-
-### Step 3: Bug reproduction (bugs only)
-
-If the issue is categorized as a bug, attempt to reproduce it before starting a /domain-model session. This will vary by codebase, but do your best:
-
-- Read the reporter's reproduction steps (if provided)
-- Explore the codebase to understand the relevant code paths
-- Try to reproduce the bug: run tests, execute commands, or trace the logic to confirm the reported behavior
-- If reproduction succeeds, report what you found to the maintainer — include the specific behavior you observed and where in the code it originates
-- If reproduction fails, report that too — the bug may be environment-specific, already fixed, or the report may be inaccurate
-- If the report lacks enough detail to attempt reproduction, note that — this is a strong signal the issue should move to `needs-info`
-
-The reproduction attempt informs the /domain-model session and the agent brief. A confirmed reproduction with a known code path makes for a much stronger brief.
-
-### Step 4: /domain-model session (if needed)
-
-If the issue needs to be fleshed out before it's ready for an agent, interview the maintainer to build a complete specification. Use the /domain-model skill.
-
-### Step 5: Apply the outcome
-
-Depending on the outcome:
-
-- **ready-for-agent** — post an agent brief comment (see [AGENT-BRIEF.md](AGENT-BRIEF.md))
-- **ready-for-human** — post a comment summarizing the task, what was established during triage, and why it needs human implementation. Use the same structure as an agent brief but note the reason it can't be delegated to an agent (e.g. requires judgment calls, external system access, design decisions, or manual testing).
-- **needs-info** — post triage notes with progress so far and questions for the reporter (see Needs Info Output below)
-- **wontfix (bug)** — post a polite comment explaining why, then close the issue
-- **wontfix (enhancement)** — write to `.out-of-scope/`, post a comment linking to it, then close the issue (see [OUT-OF-SCOPE.md](OUT-OF-SCOPE.md))
-- **needs-triage** — apply the label. Optionally leave a comment if there's partial progress to capture.
-
-## Workflow: Quick State Override
-
-When the maintainer explicitly tells you to move an issue to a specific state (e.g. "move #42 to ready-for-agent"), trust their judgment and apply the label directly.
-
-Still show a confirmation of what you're about to do: which labels will be added/removed, and whether you'll post a comment or close the issue. But skip the /domain-model session entirely.
-
-If moving to `ready-for-agent` without a /domain-model session, ask the maintainer if they want to write a brief agent brief comment or skip it.
-
-## Needs Info Output
-
-When moving an issue to `needs-info`, post a comment that captures the interview progress and tells the reporter what's needed:
-
-```markdown
-## Triage Notes
-
-**What we've established so far:**
-
-- point 1
-- point 2
-
-**What we still need from you (@reporter):**
-
-- question 1
-- question 2
-```
-
-Include everything resolved during the /domain-model session in "established so far" — this work should not be lost. The questions for the reporter should be specific and actionable, not vague ("please provide more info").
-
-## Resuming Previous Sessions
-
-When triaging an issue that already has triage notes from a previous session:
-
-1. Read all comments to find prior triage notes
-2. Parse what was already established
-3. Check if the reporter has answered any outstanding questions
-4. Present the maintainer with an updated picture: "Here's where we left off, and here's what the reporter has said since"
-5. Continue the /domain-model session from where it stopped — do not re-ask resolved questions

scripts/link-skills.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+# Links all skills in the repository to ~/.claude/skills, so that
+# they can be used by the local Claude CLI.
+
+REPO="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")/.." && pwd)"
+DEST="$HOME/.claude/skills"
+
+# If ~/.claude/skills is a symlink that resolves into this repo, we'd end up
+# writing the per-skill symlinks back into the repo's own skills/ tree. Detect
+# and bail out instead of polluting the working copy.
+if [ -L "$DEST" ]; then
+  resolved="$(readlink -f "$DEST")"
+  case "$resolved" in
+    "$REPO"|"$REPO"/*)
+      echo "error: $DEST is a symlink into this repo ($resolved)." >&2
+      echo "Remove it (rm \"$DEST\") and re-run; the script will recreate it as a real dir." >&2
+      exit 1
+      ;;
+  esac
+fi
+
+mkdir -p "$DEST"
+
+find "$REPO/skills" -name SKILL.md -not -path '*/node_modules/*' -print0 |
+while IFS= read -r -d '' skill_md; do
+  src="$(dirname "$skill_md")"
+  name="$(basename "$src")"
+  target="$DEST/$name"
+
+  if [ -e "$target" ] && [ ! -L "$target" ]; then
+    rm -rf "$target"
+  fi
+
+  ln -sfn "$src" "$target"
+  echo "linked $name -> $src"
+done

skills/deprecated/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# Deprecated
+
+Skills I no longer use.
+
+- **[design-an-interface](./design-an-interface/SKILL.md)** — Generate multiple radically different interface designs for a module using parallel sub-agents.
+- **[qa](./qa/SKILL.md)** — Interactive QA session where user reports bugs conversationally and the agent files GitHub issues.
+- **[request-refactor-plan](./request-refactor-plan/SKILL.md)** — Create a detailed refactor plan with tiny commits via user interview, then file it as a GitHub issue.
+- **[ubiquitous-language](./ubiquitous-language/SKILL.md)** — Extract a DDD-style ubiquitous language glossary from the current conversation.

skills/engineering/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+# Engineering
+
+Skills I use daily for code work.
+
+- **[diagnose](./diagnose/SKILL.md)** — Disciplined diagnosis loop for hard bugs and performance regressions: reproduce → minimise → hypothesise → instrument → fix → regression-test.
+- **[github](./github/SKILL.md)** — GitHub backend for the engineering skills. Publishes PRDs and issues, applies triage outcomes via `gh`.
+- **[grill-with-docs](./grill-with-docs/SKILL.md)** — Grilling session that challenges your plan against the existing domain model, sharpens terminology, and updates `CONTEXT.md` and ADRs inline.
+- **[improve-codebase-architecture](./improve-codebase-architecture/SKILL.md)** — Find deepening opportunities in a codebase, informed by the domain language in `CONTEXT.md` and the decisions in `docs/adr/`.
+- **[tdd](./tdd/SKILL.md)** — Test-driven development with a red-green-refactor loop. Builds features or fixes bugs one vertical slice at a time.
+- **[to-issues](./to-issues/SKILL.md)** — Break any plan, spec, or PRD into independently-grabbable issues using vertical slices. Hands off to a backend skill (`/github`) to publish.
+- **[to-prd](./to-prd/SKILL.md)** — Turn the current conversation context into a PRD. Hands off to a backend skill (`/github`) to publish.
+- **[triage](./triage/SKILL.md)** — Triage issues through a label-based state machine. Backend-agnostic — pairs with `/github` to apply outcomes.
+- **[zoom-out](./zoom-out/SKILL.md)** — Tell the agent to zoom out and give broader context or a higher-level perspective on an unfamiliar section of code.

skills/engineering/diagnose/SKILL.md

@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+---
+name: diagnose
+description: Disciplined diagnosis loop for hard bugs and performance regressions. Reproduce → minimise → hypothesise → instrument → fix → regression-test. Use when user says "diagnose this" / "debug this", reports a bug, says something is broken/throwing/failing, or describes a performance regression.
+---
+
+# Diagnose
+
+A discipline for hard bugs. Skip phases only when explicitly justified.
+
+Before exploring the codebase, follow [../grill-with-docs/DOMAIN-AWARENESS.md](../grill-with-docs/DOMAIN-AWARENESS.md). Use the `CONTEXT.md` vocabulary to get a clear mental model of the relevant modules.
+
+## Phase 1 — Build a feedback loop
+
+**This is the skill.** Everything else is mechanical. If you have a fast, deterministic, agent-runnable pass/fail signal for the bug, you will find the cause — bisection, hypothesis-testing, and instrumentation all just consume that signal. If you don't have one, no amount of staring at code will save you.
+
+Spend disproportionate effort here. **Be aggressive. Be creative. Refuse to give up.**
+
+### Ways to construct one — try them in roughly this order
+
+1. **Failing test** at whatever seam reaches the bug — unit, integration, e2e.
+2. **Curl / HTTP script** against a running dev server.
+3. **CLI invocation** with a fixture input, diffing stdout against a known-good snapshot.
+4. **Headless browser script** (Playwright / Puppeteer) — drives the UI, asserts on DOM/console/network.
+5. **Replay a captured trace.** Save a real network request / payload / event log to disk; replay it through the code path in isolation.
+6. **Throwaway harness.** Spin up a minimal subset of the system (one service, mocked deps) that exercises the bug code path with a single function call.
+7. **Property / fuzz loop.** If the bug is "sometimes wrong output", run 1000 random inputs and look for the failure mode.
+8. **Bisection harness.** If the bug appeared between two known states (commit, dataset, version), automate "boot at state X, check, repeat" so you can `git bisect run` it.
+9. **Differential loop.** Run the same input through old-version vs new-version (or two configs) and diff outputs.
+10. **HITL bash script.** Last resort. If a human must click, drive _them_ with `scripts/hitl-loop.template.sh` so the loop is still structured. Captured output feeds back to you.
+
+Build the right feedback loop, and the bug is 90% fixed.
+
+### Iterate on the loop itself
+
+Treat the loop as a product. Once you have _a_ loop, ask:
+
+- Can I make it faster? (Cache setup, skip unrelated init, narrow the test scope.)
+- Can I make the signal sharper? (Assert on the specific symptom, not "didn't crash".)
+- Can I make it more deterministic? (Pin time, seed RNG, isolate filesystem, freeze network.)
+
+A 30-second flaky loop is barely better than no loop. A 2-second deterministic loop is a debugging superpower.
+
+### Non-deterministic bugs
+
+The goal is not a clean repro but a **higher reproduction rate**. Loop the trigger 100×, parallelise, add stress, narrow timing windows, inject sleeps. A 50%-flake bug is debuggable; 1% is not — keep raising the rate until it's debuggable.
+
+### When you genuinely cannot build a loop
+
+Stop and say so explicitly. List what you tried. Ask the user for: (a) access to whatever environment reproduces it, (b) a captured artifact (HAR file, log dump, core dump, screen recording with timestamps), or (c) permission to add temporary production instrumentation. Do **not** proceed to hypothesise without a loop.
+
+Do not proceed to Phase 2 until you have a loop you believe in.
+
+## Phase 2 — Reproduce
+
+Run the loop. Watch the bug appear.
+
+Confirm:
+
+- [ ] The loop produces the failure mode the **user** described — not a different failure that happens to be nearby. Wrong bug = wrong fix.
+- [ ] The failure is reproducible across multiple runs (or, for non-deterministic bugs, reproducible at a high enough rate to debug against).
+- [ ] You have captured the exact symptom (error message, wrong output, slow timing) so later phases can verify the fix actually addresses it.
+
+Do not proceed until you reproduce the bug.
+
+## Phase 3 — Hypothesise
+
+Generate **3–5 ranked hypotheses** before testing any of them. Single-hypothesis generation anchors on the first plausible idea.
+
+Each hypothesis must be **falsifiable**: state the prediction it makes.
+
+> Format: "If <X> is the cause, then <changing Y> will make the bug disappear / <changing Z> will make it worse."
+
+If you cannot state the prediction, the hypothesis is a vibe — discard or sharpen it.
+
+**Show the ranked list to the user before testing.** They often have domain knowledge that re-ranks instantly ("we just deployed a change to #3"), or know hypotheses they've already ruled out. Cheap checkpoint, big time saver. Don't block on it — proceed with your ranking if the user is AFK.
+
+## Phase 4 — Instrument
+
+Each probe must map to a specific prediction from Phase 3. **Change one variable at a time.**
+
+Tool preference:
+
+1. **Debugger / REPL inspection** if the env supports it. One breakpoint beats ten logs.
+2. **Targeted logs** at the boundaries that distinguish hypotheses.
+3. Never "log everything and grep".
+
+**Tag every debug log** with a unique prefix, e.g. `[DEBUG-a4f2]`. Cleanup at the end becomes a single grep. Untagged logs survive; tagged logs die.
+
+**Perf branch.** For performance regressions, logs are usually wrong. Instead: establish a baseline measurement (timing harness, `performance.now()`, profiler, query plan), then bisect. Measure first, fix second.
+
+## Phase 5 — Fix + regression test
+
+Write the regression test **before the fix** — but only if there is a **correct seam** for it.
+
+A correct seam is one where the test exercises the **real bug pattern** as it occurs at the call site. If the only available seam is too shallow (single-caller test when the bug needs multiple callers, unit test that can't replicate the chain that triggered the bug), a regression test there gives false confidence.
+
+**If no correct seam exists, that itself is the finding.** Note it. The codebase architecture is preventing the bug from being locked down. Flag this for the next phase.
+
+If a correct seam exists:
+
+1. Turn the minimised repro into a failing test at that seam.
+2. Watch it fail.
+3. Apply the fix.
+4. Watch it pass.
+5. Re-run the Phase 1 feedback loop against the original (un-minimised) scenario.
+
+## Phase 6 — Cleanup + post-mortem
+
+Required before declaring done:
+
+- [ ] Original repro no longer reproduces (re-run the Phase 1 loop)
+- [ ] Regression test passes (or absence of seam is documented)
+- [ ] All `[DEBUG-...]` instrumentation removed (`grep` the prefix)
+- [ ] Throwaway prototypes deleted (or moved to a clearly-marked debug location)
+- [ ] The hypothesis that turned out correct is stated in the commit / PR message — so the next debugger learns
+
+**Then ask: what would have prevented this bug?** If the answer involves architectural change (no good test seam, tangled callers, hidden coupling) hand off to the `/improve-codebase-architecture` skill with the specifics. Make the recommendation **after** the fix is in, not before — you have more information now than when you started.

skills/engineering/diagnose/scripts/hitl-loop.template.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Human-in-the-loop reproduction loop.
+# Copy this file, edit the steps below, and run it.
+# The agent runs the script; the user follows prompts in their terminal.
+#
+# Usage:
+#   bash hitl-loop.template.sh
+#
+# Two helpers:
+#   step "<instruction>"          → show instruction, wait for Enter
+#   capture VAR "<question>"      → show question, read response into VAR
+#
+# At the end, captured values are printed as KEY=VALUE for the agent to parse.
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+step() {
+  printf '\n>>> %s\n' "$1"
+  read -r -p "    [Enter when done] " _
+}
+
+capture() {
+  local var="$1" question="$2" answer
+  printf '\n>>> %s\n' "$question"
+  read -r -p "    > " answer
+  printf -v "$var" '%s' "$answer"
+}
+
+# --- edit below ---------------------------------------------------------
+
+step "Open the app at http://localhost:3000 and sign in."
+
+capture ERRORED "Click the 'Export' button. Did it throw an error? (y/n)"
+
+capture ERROR_MSG "Paste the error message (or 'none'):"
+
+# --- edit above ---------------------------------------------------------
+
+printf '\n--- Captured ---\n'
+printf 'ERRORED=%s\n' "$ERRORED"
+printf 'ERROR_MSG=%s\n' "$ERROR_MSG"

skills/engineering/github/SKILL.md

@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+---
+name: github
+description: GitHub backend for the engineering skills. Publishes PRDs and issues, applies triage outcomes via gh. Use when a content skill (`/to-prd`, `/to-issues`, `/triage`) has produced an artifact and the user wants to push it to GitHub.
+---
+
+# GitHub Backend
+
+The GitHub backend for content skills in the engineering bucket. Reads an artifact + state from conversation context and translates it into `gh` calls.
+
+This skill does **not** explore the codebase, generate templates, or own state vocabulary. Those concerns live in the content skills (`/to-prd`, `/to-issues`, `/triage`). This skill is pure integration — swap it for `/linear`, `/beads`, etc. by implementing the same three operations.
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+- `gh` is authenticated and the working directory is a git repo with a GitHub remote
+- The repo has labels matching the state vocabulary defined in `/triage` (`bug`, `enhancement`, `needs-triage`, `needs-info`, `ready-for-agent`, `ready-for-human`, `wontfix`). If any are missing, create them with `gh label create` before publishing.
+
+## State → label mapping
+
+The state vocabulary maps 1:1 to GitHub labels of the same name. Every issue gets exactly one category label (`bug` or `enhancement`) and one state label.
+
+## AI Disclaimer
+
+Every comment or issue body posted by this skill **must** start with:
+
+```
+> *This was generated by AI during triage.*
+```
+
+Prepend it to the body before calling `gh`.
+
+## Operations
+
+### `publishPRD(artifact)`
+
+Input: a PRD body produced by `/to-prd` (already in the desired template) and a state (defaults to `ready-for-agent`).
+
+Steps:
+
+1. Verify the `enhancement` and state labels exist in the repo; create any missing ones with `gh label create`.
+2. Prepend the AI disclaimer to the body.
+3. Run `gh issue create --title "<derived from PRD>" --body "<body>" --label enhancement --label <state>`.
+4. Report the new issue URL to the user.
+
+### `publishIssues(artifacts[])`
+
+Input: an ordered list of vertical-slice artifacts produced by `/to-issues`. Each artifact has:
+
+- title
+- body (already formatted — agent brief for AFK slices, summary for HITL)
+- type (`AFK` or `HITL`) → state mapping: AFK → `ready-for-agent`, HITL → `ready-for-human`
+- category (defaults to `enhancement` unless the parent issue was a bug)
+- blocked-by — references to other artifacts in this batch by their position
+
+Steps:
+
+1. Verify required labels exist; create any missing ones.
+2. Create issues in dependency order (blockers first) so each issue's "Blocked by" section can reference real numbers.
+3. For each artifact, after creation, substitute placeholder references in dependent artifacts with the real issue number.
+4. Prepend the AI disclaimer to each body before posting.
+5. Apply category + state labels to each.
+6. Report the list of created issue URLs.
+
+Do **not** close or modify any parent issue.
+
+### `applyTriageOutcome(issueId, outcome)`
+
+Input: an issue identifier and a triage outcome from `/triage`. The outcome has:
+
+- target state (one of the states above)
+- category (`bug` or `enhancement`)
+- comment body (may be empty for `needs-triage` with no progress to capture)
+- close (boolean — true for `wontfix`)
+
+Steps:
+
+1. Verify the target state and category labels exist; create missing ones.
+2. Read the issue's current labels. Remove any existing state label that conflicts with the target state. Remove existing category label if it differs from the target.
+3. Apply the new state and category labels: `gh issue edit <id> --add-label <state> --add-label <category> --remove-label <old-state>`.
+4. If a comment body is provided, prepend the AI disclaimer and post it: `gh issue comment <id> --body "<body>"`.
+5. If `close` is true: `gh issue close <id>`.
+6. For `wontfix` on an enhancement, ensure the corresponding `.out-of-scope/<concept>.md` file exists in the working directory before closing (the `/triage` skill is responsible for writing it; this skill just verifies the file is present and surfaces a warning if missing).
+7. Report the actions taken.
+
+## Inferring the operation
+
+When invoked, infer which operation to run from the most recent artifact in conversation context:
+
+- A PRD artifact (from `/to-prd`) → `publishPRD`
+- A list of vertical-slice artifacts (from `/to-issues`) → `publishIssues`
+- A triage outcome with a target state (from `/triage`) → `applyTriageOutcome`
+
+If multiple are present or the situation is ambiguous, ask the user which to run.

skills/engineering/grill-with-docs/DOMAIN-AWARENESS.md

@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+# Domain Awareness
+
+Consumer rules for any skill that explores a codebase. Producer rules (writing `CONTEXT.md`, offering ADRs) live in [SKILL.md](./SKILL.md).
+
+## Before exploring, read these
+
+- **`CONTEXT.md`** at the repo root, or
+- **`CONTEXT-MAP.md`** at the repo root if it exists — it points at one `CONTEXT.md` per context. Read each one relevant to the topic.
+- **`docs/adr/`** — read ADRs that touch the area you're about to work in. In multi-context repos, also check `src/<context>/docs/adr/` for context-scoped decisions.
+
+If any of these files don't exist, **proceed silently**. Don't flag their absence; don't suggest creating them upfront. The producer skill (`/grill-with-docs`) creates them lazily when terms or decisions actually get resolved.
+
+## File structure
+
+Single-context repo (most repos):
+
+```
+/
+├── CONTEXT.md
+├── docs/adr/
+│   ├── 0001-event-sourced-orders.md
+│   └── 0002-postgres-for-write-model.md
+└── src/
+```
+
+Multi-context repo (presence of `CONTEXT-MAP.md` at the root):
+
+```
+/
+├── CONTEXT-MAP.md
+├── docs/adr/                          ← system-wide decisions
+└── src/
+    ├── ordering/
+    │   ├── CONTEXT.md
+    │   └── docs/adr/                  ← context-specific decisions
+    └── billing/
+        ├── CONTEXT.md
+        └── docs/adr/
+```
+
+## Use the glossary's vocabulary
+
+When your output names a domain concept (in an issue title, a refactor proposal, a hypothesis, a test name), use the term as defined in `CONTEXT.md`. Don't drift to synonyms the glossary explicitly avoids.
+
+If the concept you need isn't in the glossary yet, that's a signal — either you're inventing language the project doesn't use (reconsider) or there's a real gap (note it for `/grill-with-docs`).
+
+## Flag ADR conflicts
+
+If your output contradicts an existing ADR, surface it explicitly rather than silently overriding:
+
+> _Contradicts ADR-0007 (event-sourced orders) — but worth reopening because…_

skills/engineering/grill-with-docs/SKILL.md

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ---
-name: domain-model
+name: grill-with-docs
 description: Grilling session that challenges your plan against the existing domain model, sharpens terminology, and updates documentation (CONTEXT.md, ADRs) inline as decisions crystallise. Use when user wants to stress-test a plan against their project's language and documented decisions.
 disable-model-invocation: true
 ---

skills/engineering/improve-codebase-architecture/SKILL.md

@@ -26,18 +26,13 @@ Key principles (see [LANGUAGE.md](LANGUAGE.md) for the full list):
 - **The interface is the test surface.**
 - **One adapter = hypothetical seam. Two adapters = real seam.**
 
-This skill is _informed_ by the project's domain model — `CONTEXT.md` and any `docs/adr/`. The domain language gives names to good seams; ADRs record decisions the skill should not re-litigate. See [CONTEXT-FORMAT.md](../domain-model/CONTEXT-FORMAT.md) and [ADR-FORMAT.md](../domain-model/ADR-FORMAT.md).
+This skill is _informed_ by the project's domain model. The domain language gives names to good seams; ADRs record decisions the skill should not re-litigate.
 
 ## Process
 
 ### 1. Explore
 
-Read existing documentation first:
+Before exploring, follow [../grill-with-docs/DOMAIN-AWARENESS.md](../grill-with-docs/DOMAIN-AWARENESS.md) — read `CONTEXT.md` and relevant ADRs first.
-
-- `CONTEXT.md` (or `CONTEXT-MAP.md` + each `CONTEXT.md` in a multi-context repo)
-- Relevant ADRs in `docs/adr/` (and any context-scoped `docs/adr/` directories)
-
-If any of these files don't exist, proceed silently — don't flag their absence or suggest creating them upfront.
 
 Then use the Agent tool with `subagent_type=Explore` to walk the codebase. Don't follow rigid heuristics — explore organically and note where you experience friction:
 
@@ -70,7 +65,7 @@ Once the user picks a candidate, drop into a grilling conversation. Walk the des
 
 Side effects happen inline as decisions crystallize:
 
-- **Naming a deepened module after a concept not in `CONTEXT.md`?** Add the term to `CONTEXT.md` — same discipline as `/domain-model` (see [CONTEXT-FORMAT.md](../domain-model/CONTEXT-FORMAT.md)). Create the file lazily if it doesn't exist.
+- **Naming a deepened module after a concept not in `CONTEXT.md`?** Add the term to `CONTEXT.md` — same discipline as `/grill-with-docs` (see [CONTEXT-FORMAT.md](../grill-with-docs/CONTEXT-FORMAT.md)). Create the file lazily if it doesn't exist.
 - **Sharpening a fuzzy term during the conversation?** Update `CONTEXT.md` right there.
-- **User rejects the candidate with a load-bearing reason?** Offer an ADR, framed as: _"Want me to record this as an ADR so future architecture reviews don't re-suggest it?"_ Only offer when the reason would actually be needed by a future explorer to avoid re-suggesting the same thing — skip ephemeral reasons ("not worth it right now") and self-evident ones. See [ADR-FORMAT.md](../domain-model/ADR-FORMAT.md).
+- **User rejects the candidate with a load-bearing reason?** Offer an ADR, framed as: _"Want me to record this as an ADR so future architecture reviews don't re-suggest it?"_ Only offer when the reason would actually be needed by a future explorer to avoid re-suggesting the same thing — skip ephemeral reasons ("not worth it right now") and self-evident ones. See [ADR-FORMAT.md](../grill-with-docs/ADR-FORMAT.md).
 - **Want to explore alternative interfaces for the deepened module?** See [INTERFACE-DESIGN.md](INTERFACE-DESIGN.md).

skills/engineering/tdd/SKILL.md

@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ RIGHT (vertical):
 
 ### 1. Planning
 
+Before exploring the codebase, follow [../grill-with-docs/DOMAIN-AWARENESS.md](../grill-with-docs/DOMAIN-AWARENESS.md). Test names and interface vocabulary should match the project's `CONTEXT.md`.
+
 Before writing any code:
 
 - [ ] Confirm with user what interface changes are needed

skills/engineering/to-issues/SKILL.md

@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+---
+name: to-issues
+description: Break a plan, spec, or PRD into independently-grabbable issues using tracer-bullet vertical slices. Backend-agnostic — pairs with `/github` (or another backlog skill) to publish. Use when user wants to convert a plan into issues, create implementation tickets, or break down work into issues.
+---
+
+# To Issues
+
+Break a plan into independently-grabbable issues using vertical slices (tracer bullets). Produce canonical artifacts; hand off to a backend skill (`/github` by default) to publish.
+
+## Process
+
+### 1. Gather context
+
+Work from whatever is already in the conversation context. If the user passes an issue identifier as an argument and a backend is reachable, ask the backend skill to fetch the parent issue (with comments).
+
+### 2. Explore the codebase (optional)
+
+If you have not already explored the codebase, do so to understand the current state of the code. Before exploring, follow [../grill-with-docs/DOMAIN-AWARENESS.md](../grill-with-docs/DOMAIN-AWARENESS.md). Issue titles and bodies should use the project's `CONTEXT.md` vocabulary.
+
+### 3. Draft vertical slices
+
+Break the plan into **tracer bullet** slices. Each is a thin vertical slice that cuts through ALL integration layers end-to-end, NOT a horizontal slice of one layer.
+
+Slices may be **HITL** or **AFK**. HITL slices require human interaction (an architectural decision, a design review). AFK slices can be implemented and merged without human interaction. Prefer AFK over HITL where possible.
+
+<vertical-slice-rules>
+- Each slice delivers a narrow but COMPLETE path through every layer (schema, API, UI, tests)
+- A completed slice is demoable or verifiable on its own
+- Prefer many thin slices over few thick ones
+</vertical-slice-rules>
+
+### 4. Quiz the user
+
+Present the proposed breakdown as a numbered list. For each slice, show:
+
+- **Title**: short descriptive name
+- **Type**: HITL / AFK
+- **Blocked by**: which other slices (if any) must complete first
+- **User stories covered**: which user stories this addresses (if the source material has them)
+
+Ask the user:
+
+- Does the granularity feel right? (too coarse / too fine)
+- Are the dependency relationships correct?
+- Should any slices be merged or split further?
+- Are the correct slices marked as HITL and AFK?
+
+Iterate until the user approves the breakdown.
+
+### 5. Produce artifacts
+
+For each approved slice, produce an artifact with:
+
+- **title** — short descriptive name
+- **type** — `AFK` or `HITL`. Maps to state: AFK → `ready-for-agent`, HITL → `ready-for-human` (the state vocabulary lives in `/triage`)
+- **category** — `enhancement` by default, or `bug` if the parent was a bug
+- **blocked-by** — references to other slices in this batch (by their position in the list)
+- **body** — formatted per the templates below
+
+**AFK slices** use the AGENT-BRIEF format from [../triage/AGENT-BRIEF.md](../triage/AGENT-BRIEF.md). The agent brief is the contract the AFK agent will work from.
+
+**HITL slices** use the simpler template below — they require human judgment, so a procedural acceptance list is enough.
+
+<hitl-template>
+## Parent
+
+#<parent-issue-id> (if the source was an existing issue, otherwise omit)
+
+## What to build
+
+A concise description of this vertical slice. Describe the end-to-end behavior, not layer-by-layer implementation.
+
+## Why this needs a human
+
+Brief reason this can't be delegated to an AFK agent (e.g. requires architectural decision, design review, judgment call).
+
+## Acceptance criteria
+
+- [ ] Criterion 1
+- [ ] Criterion 2
+- [ ] Criterion 3
+
+## Blocked by
+
+- Blocked by <slice-ref> (if any)
+
+Or "None - can start immediately" if no blockers.
+</hitl-template>
+
+### 6. Hand off
+
+Present the artifact list to the user and end with a handoff hint:
+
+> Artifacts ready. Invoke `/github` (or your configured backend equivalent) to publish — it will create issues in dependency order, apply state and category labels, and substitute real identifiers into the "Blocked by" references.
+
+Do not call `gh` directly. The backend skill owns publishing.
+
+Do NOT close or modify any parent issue.

skills/engineering/to-prd/SKILL.md

@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 ---
 name: to-prd
-description: Turn the current conversation context into a PRD and submit it as a GitHub issue. Use when user wants to create a PRD from the current context.
+description: Turn the current conversation context into a PRD. Backend-agnostic — pairs with `/github` (or another backlog skill) to publish. Use when user wants to create a PRD from the current context.
 ---
 
-This skill takes the current conversation context and codebase understanding and produces a PRD. Do NOT interview the user — just synthesize what you already know.
+This skill takes the current conversation context and codebase understanding and produces a PRD artifact. Do NOT interview the user — just synthesize what you already know. Hand off to a backend skill (`/github` by default) to publish.
 
 ## Process
 
-1. Explore the repo to understand the current state of the codebase, if you haven't already.
+1. Explore the repo to understand the current state of the codebase, if you haven't already. Before exploring, follow [../grill-with-docs/DOMAIN-AWARENESS.md](../grill-with-docs/DOMAIN-AWARENESS.md). Use the project's `CONTEXT.md` vocabulary throughout the PRD.
 
 2. Sketch out the major modules you will need to build or modify to complete the implementation. Actively look for opportunities to extract deep modules that can be tested in isolation.
 
@@ -15,7 +15,11 @@ A deep module (as opposed to a shallow module) is one which encapsulates a lot o
 
 Check with the user that these modules match their expectations. Check with the user which modules they want tests written for.
 
-3. Write the PRD using the template below and submit it as a GitHub issue.
+3. Write the PRD artifact using the template below. Default state is `ready-for-agent` (state vocabulary lives in `/triage`); category is `enhancement`. Present the artifact to the user, then end with a handoff hint:
+
+   > PRD ready. Invoke `/github` (or your configured backend equivalent) to publish — it will create the issue with category `enhancement` and state `ready-for-agent`.
+
+   Do not call `gh` directly. The backend skill owns publishing.
 
 <prd-template>
 

skills/engineering/triage/SKILL.md

@@ -0,0 +1,181 @@
+---
+name: triage
+description: Triage issues through a label-based state machine. Backend-agnostic — pairs with `/github` (or another backlog skill) to apply outcomes. Use when user wants to triage issues, review incoming bugs or feature requests, prepare issues for an AFK agent, or manage issue workflow.
+---
+
+# Triage
+
+Triage issues using a label-based state machine. This skill owns the *conceptual* state vocabulary, the AGENT-BRIEF format, and the workflows. It does **not** know how to talk to any specific backlog system — handoff to a backend skill (e.g. `/github`) when an outcome needs to be applied.
+
+## AI Disclaimer
+
+Every comment posted to a backlog system during triage **must** include the following disclaimer at the top, before any other content:
+
+```
+> *This was generated by AI during triage.*
+```
+
+The backend skill is responsible for prepending it.
+
+## Reference docs
+
+- [AGENT-BRIEF.md](AGENT-BRIEF.md) — how to write durable agent briefs
+- [OUT-OF-SCOPE.md](OUT-OF-SCOPE.md) — how the `.out-of-scope/` knowledge base works
+
+## States
+
+The conceptual state vocabulary. The backend skill maps these to its platform's primitives (e.g. `/github` maps each to a GitHub label of the same name).
+
+| State             | Type     | Description                              |
+| ----------------- | -------- | ---------------------------------------- |
+| `bug`             | Category | Something is broken                      |
+| `enhancement`     | Category | New feature or improvement               |
+| `needs-triage`    | State    | Maintainer needs to evaluate this issue  |
+| `needs-info`      | State    | Waiting on reporter for more information |
+| `ready-for-agent` | State    | Fully specified, ready for AFK agent     |
+| `ready-for-human` | State    | Requires human implementation            |
+| `wontfix`         | State    | Will not be actioned                     |
+
+Every issue should have exactly **one** state and **one** category. If an issue has conflicting states (e.g. both `needs-triage` and `ready-for-agent`), flag the conflict and ask the maintainer which is correct before doing anything else. Provide a recommendation.
+
+## State Machine
+
+| Current State  | Can transition to | Who triggers it        | What happens                                                                                            |
+| -------------- | ----------------- | ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| `unlabeled`    | `needs-triage`    | Skill (on first look)  | Issue needs maintainer evaluation. Apply state after presenting recommendation.                         |
+| `unlabeled`    | `ready-for-agent` | Maintainer (via skill) | Issue is already well-specified and agent-suitable. Write agent brief, apply state.                     |
+| `unlabeled`    | `ready-for-human` | Maintainer (via skill) | Issue requires human implementation. Write a brief comment summarizing the task, apply state.           |
+| `unlabeled`    | `wontfix`         | Maintainer (via skill) | Issue is spam, duplicate, or out of scope. Close with comment (and write `.out-of-scope/` for enhancements). |
+| `needs-triage` | `needs-info`      | Maintainer (via skill) | Issue is underspecified. Post triage notes capturing progress so far + questions for reporter.          |
+| `needs-triage` | `ready-for-agent` | Maintainer (via skill) | Grilling session complete, agent-suitable. Write agent brief, apply state.                              |
+| `needs-triage` | `ready-for-human` | Maintainer (via skill) | Grilling session complete, needs human. Write a brief comment summarizing the task, apply state.        |
+| `needs-triage` | `wontfix`         | Maintainer (via skill) | Maintainer decides not to action. Close with comment (and write `.out-of-scope/` for enhancements).     |
+| `needs-info`   | `needs-triage`    | Skill (detects reply)  | Reporter has replied. Surface to maintainer for re-evaluation.                                          |
+
+The maintainer can override any state directly (see Quick State Override below), but the skill should flag if the transition is unusual.
+
+## Invocation
+
+The maintainer invokes `/triage` and describes what they want in natural language. The skill interprets the request, decides the outcome, then hands off to the configured backend skill (`/github` by default) to apply it.
+
+Example requests:
+
+- "Show me anything that needs my attention"
+- "Let's look at #42"
+- "Move #42 to ready-for-agent"
+- "What's ready for agents to pick up?"
+- "Are there any unlabeled issues?"
+
+## Workflow: Show What Needs Attention
+
+When the maintainer asks for an overview, ask the backend skill to fetch issues grouped into three buckets:
+
+1. **Unlabeled issues** — new, no state at all. These have never been triaged.
+2. **`needs-triage` issues** — maintainer needs to evaluate or continue evaluating.
+3. **`needs-info` issues with new activity** — the reporter has commented since the last triage notes comment.
+
+Display counts per group. Within each group, show issues oldest first (longest-waiting gets attention first). For each issue, show: identifier, title, age, and a one-line summary of the issue body.
+
+Let the maintainer pick which issue to dive into.
+
+## Workflow: Triage a Specific Issue
+
+### Step 1: Gather context
+
+Before presenting anything to the maintainer:
+
+- Read the full issue: body, all comments, all states, who reported it, when (ask the backend skill to fetch it)
+- If there are prior triage notes from previous sessions, parse them to understand what has already been established
+- Explore the codebase to build context — understand the domain, relevant interfaces, and existing behavior related to the issue. Before exploring, follow [../grill-with-docs/DOMAIN-AWARENESS.md](../grill-with-docs/DOMAIN-AWARENESS.md).
+- Read `.out-of-scope/*.md` files and check if this issue matches or is similar to a previously rejected concept
+
+### Step 2: Present a recommendation
+
+Tell the maintainer:
+
+- **Category recommendation:** bug or enhancement, with reasoning
+- **State recommendation:** where this issue should go, with reasoning
+- If it matches a prior out-of-scope rejection, surface that: "This is similar to `.out-of-scope/concept-name.md` — we rejected this before because X. Do you still feel the same way?"
+- A brief summary of what you found in the codebase that's relevant
+
+Then wait for the maintainer's direction. They may:
+
+- Agree and ask you to apply the outcome → hand off to the backend skill
+- Want to flesh it out → start a /grill-with-docs session
+- Override with a different state → apply their choice
+- Want to discuss → have a conversation
+
+### Step 3: Bug reproduction (bugs only)
+
+If the issue is categorized as a bug, attempt to reproduce it before starting a /grill-with-docs session.
+
+- Read the reporter's reproduction steps (if provided)
+- Explore the codebase to understand the relevant code paths
+- Try to reproduce the bug: run tests, execute commands, or trace the logic to confirm the reported behavior
+- If reproduction succeeds, report what you found — include the specific behavior you observed and where in the code it originates
+- If reproduction fails, report that too — the bug may be environment-specific, already fixed, or the report may be inaccurate
+- If the report lacks enough detail to attempt reproduction, note that — this is a strong signal the issue should move to `needs-info`
+
+The reproduction attempt informs the /grill-with-docs session and the agent brief. A confirmed reproduction with a known code path makes for a much stronger brief.
+
+### Step 4: /grill-with-docs session (if needed)
+
+If the issue needs to be fleshed out before it's ready for an agent, interview the maintainer to build a complete specification. Use the /grill-with-docs skill.
+
+### Step 5: Apply the outcome
+
+Determine the outcome, then hand off to the configured backend skill to apply it. The triage outcome consists of:
+
+- **Target state** (one of the states above)
+- **Category** (bug or enhancement)
+- **Comment body** to post — varies by outcome:
+  - **ready-for-agent** — an agent brief (see [AGENT-BRIEF.md](AGENT-BRIEF.md))
+  - **ready-for-human** — a comment summarizing the task, what was established during triage, and why it needs human implementation. Same structure as an agent brief but note the reason it can't be delegated (e.g. requires judgment calls, external system access, design decisions, or manual testing).
+  - **needs-info** — triage notes (see Needs Info Output below)
+  - **wontfix (bug)** — a polite comment explaining why; the backend will close the issue
+  - **wontfix (enhancement)** — write to `.out-of-scope/` (see [OUT-OF-SCOPE.md](OUT-OF-SCOPE.md)), then a comment linking to it; the backend will close the issue
+  - **needs-triage** — optional comment if there's partial progress to capture
+
+End with a handoff hint:
+
+> Outcome ready. Invoke `/github` (or your configured backend equivalent) to apply state `<state>` to issue `<id>` with the comment above.
+
+The backend skill maps the state name to its platform primitive, posts the comment, and closes the issue if `wontfix`.
+
+## Workflow: Quick State Override
+
+When the maintainer explicitly tells you to move an issue to a specific state (e.g. "move #42 to ready-for-agent"), trust their judgment.
+
+Show a confirmation of what you're about to do: target state, category, whether a comment will be posted, whether the issue will be closed. Then hand off to the backend skill. Skip the /grill-with-docs session entirely.
+
+If moving to `ready-for-agent` without a /grill-with-docs session, ask the maintainer if they want to write a brief agent brief comment or skip it.
+
+## Needs Info Output
+
+When moving an issue to `needs-info`, the comment body should be:
+
+```markdown
+## Triage Notes
+
+**What we've established so far:**
+
+- point 1
+- point 2
+
+**What we still need from you (@reporter):**
+
+- question 1
+- question 2
+```
+
+Include everything resolved during the /grill-with-docs session in "established so far" — this work should not be lost. The questions for the reporter should be specific and actionable, not vague ("please provide more info").
+
+## Resuming Previous Sessions
+
+When triaging an issue that already has triage notes from a previous session:
+
+1. Read all comments to find prior triage notes
+2. Parse what was already established
+3. Check if the reporter has answered any outstanding questions
+4. Present the maintainer with an updated picture: "Here's where we left off, and here's what the reporter has said since"
+5. Continue the /grill-with-docs session from where it stopped — do not re-ask resolved questions

skills/engineering/zoom-out/SKILL.md

@@ -4,4 +4,6 @@ description: Tell the agent to zoom out and give broader context or a higher-lev
 disable-model-invocation: true
 ---
 
-I don't know this area of code well. Go up a layer of abstraction. Give me a map of all the relevant modules and callers.
+I don't know this area of code well. Go up a layer of abstraction. Give me a map of all the relevant modules and callers, using the language in `CONTEXT.md`.
+
+Use [../grill-with-docs/DOMAIN-AWARENESS.md](../grill-with-docs/DOMAIN-AWARENESS.md) as a reference for how to use `CONTEXT.md`.

skills/misc/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# Misc
+
+Tools I keep around but rarely use.
+
+- **[git-guardrails-claude-code](./git-guardrails-claude-code/SKILL.md)** — Set up Claude Code hooks to block dangerous git commands (push, reset --hard, clean, etc.) before they execute.
+- **[migrate-to-shoehorn](./migrate-to-shoehorn/SKILL.md)** — Migrate test files from `as` type assertions to @total-typescript/shoehorn.
+- **[scaffold-exercises](./scaffold-exercises/SKILL.md)** — Create exercise directory structures with sections, problems, solutions, and explainers.
+- **[setup-pre-commit](./setup-pre-commit/SKILL.md)** — Set up Husky pre-commit hooks with lint-staged, Prettier, type checking, and tests.

skills/personal/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# Personal
+
+Skills tied to my own setup, not promoted in the plugin.
+
+- **[edit-article](./edit-article/SKILL.md)** — Edit and improve articles by restructuring sections, improving clarity, and tightening prose.
+- **[obsidian-vault](./obsidian-vault/SKILL.md)** — Search, create, and manage notes in an Obsidian vault with wikilinks and index notes.

skills/productivity/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# Productivity
+
+General workflow tools, not code-specific.
+
+- **[caveman](./caveman/SKILL.md)** — Ultra-compressed communication mode. Cuts token usage ~75% by dropping filler while keeping full technical accuracy.
+- **[grill-me](./grill-me/SKILL.md)** — Get relentlessly interviewed about a plan or design until every branch of the decision tree is resolved.
+- **[write-a-skill](./write-a-skill/SKILL.md)** — Create new skills with proper structure, progressive disclosure, and bundled resources.

to-issues/SKILL.md

@@ -1,79 +0,0 @@
----
-name: to-issues
-description: Break a plan, spec, or PRD into independently-grabbable GitHub issues using tracer-bullet vertical slices. Use when user wants to convert a plan into issues, create implementation tickets, or break down work into issues.
----
-
-# To Issues
-
-Break a plan into independently-grabbable GitHub issues using vertical slices (tracer bullets).
-
-## Process
-
-### 1. Gather context
-
-Work from whatever is already in the conversation context. If the user passes a GitHub issue number or URL as an argument, fetch it with `gh issue view <number>` (with comments).
-
-### 2. Explore the codebase (optional)
-
-If you have not already explored the codebase, do so to understand the current state of the code.
-
-### 3. Draft vertical slices
-
-Break the plan into **tracer bullet** issues. Each issue is a thin vertical slice that cuts through ALL integration layers end-to-end, NOT a horizontal slice of one layer.
-
-Slices may be 'HITL' or 'AFK'. HITL slices require human interaction, such as an architectural decision or a design review. AFK slices can be implemented and merged without human interaction. Prefer AFK over HITL where possible.
-
-<vertical-slice-rules>
-- Each slice delivers a narrow but COMPLETE path through every layer (schema, API, UI, tests)
-- A completed slice is demoable or verifiable on its own
-- Prefer many thin slices over few thick ones
-</vertical-slice-rules>
-
-### 4. Quiz the user
-
-Present the proposed breakdown as a numbered list. For each slice, show:
-
-- **Title**: short descriptive name
-- **Type**: HITL / AFK
-- **Blocked by**: which other slices (if any) must complete first
-- **User stories covered**: which user stories this addresses (if the source material has them)
-
-Ask the user:
-
-- Does the granularity feel right? (too coarse / too fine)
-- Are the dependency relationships correct?
-- Should any slices be merged or split further?
-- Are the correct slices marked as HITL and AFK?
-
-Iterate until the user approves the breakdown.
-
-### 5. Create the GitHub issues
-
-For each approved slice, create a GitHub issue using `gh issue create`. Use the issue body template below.
-
-Create issues in dependency order (blockers first) so you can reference real issue numbers in the "Blocked by" field.
-
-<issue-template>
-## Parent
-
-#<parent-issue-number> (if the source was a GitHub issue, otherwise omit this section)
-
-## What to build
-
-A concise description of this vertical slice. Describe the end-to-end behavior, not layer-by-layer implementation.
-
-## Acceptance criteria
-
-- [ ] Criterion 1
-- [ ] Criterion 2
-- [ ] Criterion 3
-
-## Blocked by
-
-- Blocked by #<issue-number> (if any)
-
-Or "None - can start immediately" if no blockers.
-
-</issue-template>
-
-Do NOT close or modify any parent issue.

triage-issue/SKILL.md

@@ -1,102 +0,0 @@
----
-name: triage-issue
-description: Triage a bug or issue by exploring the codebase to find root cause, then create a GitHub issue with a TDD-based fix plan. Use when user reports a bug, wants to file an issue, mentions "triage", or wants to investigate and plan a fix for a problem.
----
-
-# Triage Issue
-
-Investigate a reported problem, find its root cause, and create a GitHub issue with a TDD fix plan. This is a mostly hands-off workflow - minimize questions to the user.
-
-## Process
-
-### 1. Capture the problem
-
-Get a brief description of the issue from the user. If they haven't provided one, ask ONE question: "What's the problem you're seeing?"
-
-Do NOT ask follow-up questions yet. Start investigating immediately.
-
-### 2. Explore and diagnose
-
-Use the Agent tool with subagent_type=Explore to deeply investigate the codebase. Your goal is to find:
-
-- **Where** the bug manifests (entry points, UI, API responses)
-- **What** code path is involved (trace the flow)
-- **Why** it fails (the root cause, not just the symptom)
-- **What** related code exists (similar patterns, tests, adjacent modules)
-
-Look at:
-- Related source files and their dependencies
-- Existing tests (what's tested, what's missing)
-- Recent changes to affected files (`git log` on relevant files)
-- Error handling in the code path
-- Similar patterns elsewhere in the codebase that work correctly
-
-### 3. Identify the fix approach
-
-Based on your investigation, determine:
-
-- The minimal change needed to fix the root cause
-- Which modules/interfaces are affected
-- What behaviors need to be verified via tests
-- Whether this is a regression, missing feature, or design flaw
-
-### 4. Design TDD fix plan
-
-Create a concrete, ordered list of RED-GREEN cycles. Each cycle is one vertical slice:
-
-- **RED**: Describe a specific test that captures the broken/missing behavior
-- **GREEN**: Describe the minimal code change to make that test pass
-
-Rules:
-- Tests verify behavior through public interfaces, not implementation details
-- One test at a time, vertical slices (NOT all tests first, then all code)
-- Each test should survive internal refactors
-- Include a final refactor step if needed
-- **Durability**: Only suggest fixes that would survive radical codebase changes. Describe behaviors and contracts, not internal structure. Tests assert on observable outcomes (API responses, UI state, user-visible effects), not internal state. A good suggestion reads like a spec; a bad one reads like a diff.
-
-### 5. Create the GitHub issue
-
-Create a GitHub issue using `gh issue create` with the template below. Do NOT ask the user to review before creating - just create it and share the URL.
-
-<issue-template>
-
-## Problem
-
-A clear description of the bug or issue, including:
-- What happens (actual behavior)
-- What should happen (expected behavior)
-- How to reproduce (if applicable)
-
-## Root Cause Analysis
-
-Describe what you found during investigation:
-- The code path involved
-- Why the current code fails
-- Any contributing factors
-
-Do NOT include specific file paths, line numbers, or implementation details that couple to current code layout. Describe modules, behaviors, and contracts instead. The issue should remain useful even after major refactors.
-
-## TDD Fix Plan
-
-A numbered list of RED-GREEN cycles:
-
-1. **RED**: Write a test that [describes expected behavior]
-   **GREEN**: [Minimal change to make it pass]
-
-2. **RED**: Write a test that [describes next behavior]
-   **GREEN**: [Minimal change to make it pass]
-
-...
-
-**REFACTOR**: [Any cleanup needed after all tests pass]
-
-## Acceptance Criteria
-
-- [ ] Criterion 1
-- [ ] Criterion 2
-- [ ] All new tests pass
-- [ ] Existing tests still pass
-
-</issue-template>
-
-After creating the issue, print the issue URL and a one-line summary of the root cause.