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flow-define

flow-define orchestrates multi-provider requirements scoping across Claude, Codex, and Gemini CLIs during the Double Diamond Define phase. Use this skill when transitioning from discovery to formalize technical requirements, business constraints, and project scope through structured consensus-building between different AI models, with mandatory cost transparency and state tracking before execution begins.

Install in Claude Code
Copy
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/nyldn/claude-octopus /tmp/flow-define && cp -r /tmp/flow-define/.claude/skills/flow-define ~/.claude/skills/flow-define
Then start a new Claude Code session; the skill loads automatically.

SKILL.md

{{PREAMBLE}}

## Pre-Definition: State Check

Before starting definition:
1. Read `.octo/STATE.md` to verify Discover phase complete
2. Update STATE.md:
   - current_phase: 2
   - phase_position: "Definition"
   - status: "in_progress"

```bash
# Verify Discover phase is complete
if [[ -f ".octo/STATE.md" ]]; then
  discover_status=$("${HOME}/.claude-octopus/plugin/scripts/octo-state.sh" get_phase_status 1)
  if [[ "$discover_status" != "complete" ]]; then
    echo "⚠️ Warning: Discover phase not marked complete. Consider running discovery first."
  fi
fi

# Update state for Definition phase
"${HOME}/.claude-octopus/plugin/scripts/octo-state.sh" update_state \
  --phase 2 \
  --position "Definition" \
  --status "in_progress"
```

---

## ⚠️ EXECUTION CONTRACT (MANDATORY - CANNOT SKIP)

This skill uses **ENFORCED execution mode**. You MUST follow this exact sequence.

### STEP 1: Display Visual Indicators (MANDATORY - BLOCKING)

**MANDATORY: You MUST use the Bash tool to run this provider check BEFORE displaying the banner. Do NOT skip it. Do NOT assume availability.**

```bash
bash "${HOME}/.claude-octopus/plugin/scripts/helpers/check-providers.sh"
```

**Use the ACTUAL results below. PROHIBITED: Showing only "🔵 Claude: Available ✓" without listing all providers.**

If `OCTO_ALLOWED_PROVIDERS` is set, treat it as the source of truth for which providers may participate. Providers filtered out by that allowlist are intentionally reported as unavailable; do not invoke or recommend them in the workflow.


**Display this banner BEFORE orchestrate.sh execution:**

```
🐙 **CLAUDE OCTOPUS ACTIVATED** - Multi-provider definition mode
🎯 Define Phase: [Brief description of what you're defining/scoping]

Provider Availability:
🔴 Codex CLI: ${codex_status} - Technical requirements analysis
🟡 Gemini CLI: ${gemini_status} - Business context and constraints
🔵 Claude: Available ✓ - Consensus building and synthesis

💰 Estimated Cost: $0.01-0.05
⏱️  Estimated Time: 2-5 minutes
```

**DO NOT PROCEED TO STEP 2 until banner displayed.** The banner shows users which providers will run and what costs they'll incur — starting API calls without this visibility violates cost transparency.

---

### STEP 2: Read Prior State (MANDATORY - State Management)

**Before executing the workflow, read any prior context:**

```bash
# Initialize state if needed
"${HOME}/.claude-octopus/plugin/scripts/state-manager.sh" init_state

# Set current workflow
"${HOME}/.claude-octopus/plugin/scripts/state-manager.sh" set_current_workflow "flow-define" "define"

# Get prior decisions (if any)
prior_decisions=$("${HOME}/.claude-octopus/plugin/scripts/state-manager.sh" get_decisions "all")

# Get context from discover phase
discover_context=$("${HOME}/.claude-octopus/plugin/scripts/state-manager.sh" get_context "discover")

# Display what you found (if any)
if [[ "$discover_context" != "null" ]]; then
  echo "📋 Building on discovery findings:"
  echo "  $discover_context"
fi

if [[ "$prior_decisions" != "[]" && "$prior_decisions" != "null" ]]; then
  echo "📋 Respecting prior decisions:"
  echo "$prior_decisions" | jq -r '.[] | "  - \(.decision) (\(.phase)): \(.rationale)"'
fi
```

**This provides context from:**
- Discovery phase research (if completed)
- Prior architectural decisions
- User vision captured earlier
- If **claude-mem** is installed, its MCP tools (`search`, `timeline`, `get_observations`) are available — use them to find past decisions on similar topics

**DO NOT PROCEED TO STEP 3 until state read.**

---

### STEP 3: Phase Discussion - Capture User Vision (MANDATORY - Context Gathering)

**Before executing expensive multi-AI orchestration, capture the user's vision to scope the work effectively.**

**Ask clarifying questions using AskUserQuestion:**

```
Use AskUserQuestion tool to ask:

1. **User Experience**
   Question: "How should users interact with this feature?"
   Header: "User Flow"
   Options:
   - label: "API-first (programmatic access)"
     description: "Build API endpoints first, UI later"
   - label: "UI-first (user-facing interface)"
     description: "Build user interface first, API supports it"
   - label: "Both simultaneously"
     description: "Develop API and UI in parallel"
   - label: "Not applicable"
     description: "This feature doesn't have a user interaction"

2. **Implementation Approach**
   Question: "What technical approach do you prefer?"
   Header: "Approach"
   Options:
   - label: "Fastest to market"
     description: "Prioritize speed, use existing libraries"
   - label: "Most maintainable"
     description: "Focus on clean architecture, may take longer"
   - label: "Best performance"
     description: "Optimize for speed and efficiency"
   - label: "Multi-LLM debate (Claude + Codex + Gemini)"
     description: "Three AI models debate the best approach — uses external API credits"

3. **Scope Boundaries**
   Question: "What's explicitly OUT of scope for this phase?"
   Header: "Out of Scope"
   Options:
   - label: "Testing and QA"
     description: "Focus on implementation, test later"
   - label: "Performance optimization"
     description: "Get it working first, optimize later"
   - label: "Edge cases"
     description: "Handle happy path only initially"
   - label: "Nothing excluded"
     description: "Everything is in scope"
   multiSelect: true
```

**If user selected "Multi-LLM debate (Claude + Codex + Gemini)" for approach:**
Before proceeding with orchestrate.sh, run a Multi-LLM debate to determine the technical approach:
```
/octo:debate --rounds 2 --debate-style collaborative "What is the best technical approach for [feature]? Consider: speed to market, maintainability, performance, and the existing codebase patterns."
```
Use the debate synthesis to set the approach context for the Define phase.

**After gathering answers, create context file:**

```bash
# Source context manager
source "${HOME}/.claude-octopus/plugin/scripts/context-manager.sh"

# Extract user