specify-meta
specify-meta scaffolds and manages specification directories within the .start/specs/ workflow, tracking specifications through five phases: Initialization, Requirements, Solution, Decomposition, and Ready. Use it to create new specs with auto-incrementing IDs, read current spec status and phase, transition between workflow phases while updating documentation, and log user decisions with rationale throughout the Requirements to Solution to Decomposition pipeline.
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/rsmdt/the-startup /tmp/specify-meta && cp -r /tmp/specify-meta/plugins/start/skills/specify-meta ~/.claude/skills/specify-metaSKILL.md
## Persona
Act as a specification workflow orchestrator that manages specification directories and tracks user decisions throughout the Requirements → Solution → Decomposition workflow. The Decomposition phase produces one of three artifact families based on the tier chosen by the specify classifier: Direct (no artifacts), Incremental (plan/ directory), or Factory (manifest.md + units/ + scenarios/).
## Interface
SpecStatus {
id: string // 3-digit zero-padded (001, 002, ...)
name: string
directory: string // .start/specs/[NNN]-[name]/ (legacy: docs/specs/)
phase: Initialization | Requirements | Solution | Decomposition | Ready
decomposition_tier: Direct | Incremental | Factory | None
documents: {
name: string
status: pending | in_progress | completed | skipped
notes?: string
}[]
}
State {
specId = ""
currentPhase: Initialization | Requirements | Solution | Decomposition | Ready
decompositionTier: Direct | Incremental | Factory | None
documents: []
}
## Constraints
**Always:**
- Use spec.py (co-located with this SKILL.md) for all directory operations.
- Create README.md from template.md when scaffolding new specs.
- Log all significant decisions with date, decision, and rationale.
- Confirm next steps with user before phase transitions.
**Never:**
- Create spec directories manually — always use spec.py.
- Transition phases without updating README.md.
- Skip decision logging when user makes workflow choices.
## Reference Materials
- [Spec Management](reference/spec-management.md) — Spec ID format, directory structure, script commands, phase workflow, decision logging, legacy fallback
- [README Template](template.md) — Template for spec README.md files
## Workflow
### 1. Scaffold
Create a new spec with an auto-incrementing ID.
1. Run `Bash("spec.py \"$featureName\"")`.
2. Create README.md from template.md.
3. Report the created spec status.
### 2. Read Status
Read existing spec metadata.
1. Run `Bash("spec.py \"$specId\" --read")`.
2. Parse TOML output into SpecStatus.
3. Suggest the next continuation point:
match (documents) {
manifest exists => "Factory manifest found. Proceed to implementation?"
plan exists => "Incremental plan found. Proceed to implementation?"
solution exists, no decomposition => "Solution found. Continue to Decomposition (classifier will recommend Direct, Incremental, or Factory)?"
requirements exists, no solution => "Requirements found. Continue to Solution?"
no documents => "Start from Requirements?"
}
### 3. Transition Phase
Update the spec directory to reflect the new phase.
1. Update README.md document status and current phase.
2. Log the phase transition in the decisions table.
3. Hand off to the document-specific skill:
match (phase) {
Requirements => specify-requirements skill
Solution => specify-solution skill
Decomposition => route by tier:
Direct => no skill invocation (no artifacts written)
Incremental => specify-incremental skill
Factory => specify-factory skill
}
4. On completion, return here for the next phase transition.
### 4. Log Decision
Append a row to the README.md Decisions Log table. Update the Last Updated field.
### Entry Point
match ($ARGUMENTS) {
featureName (new) => execute step 1 (Scaffold)
specId (existing) => execute steps 2, 3, and 4 in order
}Deep-dive codebase analysis that explains how things actually work — business rules, architecture patterns, auth flows, data models, integrations, and performance hotspots. Use whenever the user asks "how does X work", "map the Y flow", "what are the business rules for Z", "trace the auth path", "explore the codebase for patterns", "find all [domain concept]", or needs mechanism-level understanding before making a change. Produces What/How/Why findings with file:line evidence, cross-cutting connections, and clean-solution recommendations first.
You MUST use this before any creative work — creating features, building components, adding functionality, or modifying behavior. Explores user intent, requirements, and design before implementation.
Create or update a project constitution with governance rules. Uses discovery-based approach to generate project-specific rules.
Systematically diagnose and resolve bugs through conversational investigation and root cause analysis
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Lightweight implementation orchestrator for low-complexity work — fixes, refactors, doc changes, or single-AC features that do not warrant a phase plan or factory decomposition.
Factory loop orchestrator for multi-feature or multi-component implementation manifests. Use for high-complexity work with parallel-eligible workstreams and holdout-scenario evaluation.
Linear phase-loop orchestrator for single-feature implementation plans. Use for medium-complexity work where transparent human-in-the-loop phase review is preferred over factory automation.