flow-next-strategy

# /flow-next:strategy — repo-root STRATEGY.md anchor

`flow-next-strategy` produces and maintains `STRATEGY.md` — a short, durable anchor at the repo root (peer of `README.md` / `GLOSSARY.md`) that captures what the product is, who it serves, how it succeeds, and where the team is investing. Downstream skills (`/flow-next:prospect`, `/flow-next:plan`, `/flow-next:interview`, `/flow-next:capture`, `/flow-next:sync`) read it as grounding when `sections_filled >= 1`.

The document is short and structured on purpose. Good answers to a handful of sharp questions produce a better strategy than any amount of prose. This skill asks those questions, pushes back on weak answers, and writes the doc.

**Note: The current year is 2026.** Use this when dating the strategy document.

## Preamble

flowctl is **bundled — NOT installed globally.** `which flowctl` will fail (expected). Define once; subsequent blocks use `$FLOWCTL`:

```bash
FLOWCTL="${DROID_PLUGIN_ROOT:-${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}}/scripts/flowctl"
[ -x "$FLOWCTL" ] || FLOWCTL=".flow/bin/flowctl"
```

## Interaction Method

Default to `AskUserQuestion` (call `ToolSearch` with `select:AskUserQuestion` first if its schema isn't loaded). Fall back to numbered options in chat only when the tool is unreachable in the harness or the call errors — never silently skip the question. (sync-codex.sh rewrites this to a plain-text numbered prompt in the Codex mirror.)

Ask one question at a time. **Free-form responses for the substantive sections** (Target problem / Our approach / Who it's for / Key metrics / Tracks). **Single-select with lead-with-recommendation only for routing decisions** (which section to revisit, include this optional section, foreign-file resolution).

## Focus Hint

<focus_hint> #$ARGUMENTS </focus_hint>

Interpret any argument as an optional focus: a section name to revisit (`metrics`, `approach`, `tracks`, `problem`, `persona`, `milestones`, `not-working-on`) or a scope hint. With no argument, proceed open-ended and let the file state decide the path.

## Core Principles

1. **Anchor, not plan.** Strategy is what the product is and why. Features belong in `/flow-next:prospect`; tasks belong in specs and `/flow-next:plan`. Do not let either creep into the doc.
2. **Rigor in the questions, not the headings.** The section headers are plain English. The interview questions enforce strategy discipline (`references/interview.md`).
3. **Short is a feature.** The template is constrained. Adding sections costs more than it looks like. Push back on expansion.
4. **Durable across runs.** This skill is rerunnable. On a second run it updates in place, preserves what is working, and only challenges sections that look stale or weak.
5. **Survives `.flow/` wipe.** `STRATEGY.md` lives at repo root, never under `.flow/`. The project's strategy belongs to the project, not flow-next (R18 invariant from the 0.39.0 glossary epic).

## Pre-check: local setup version

Same pattern as `/flow-next:plan` and `/flow-next:audit` — non-blocking notice when `.flow/meta.json` `setup_version` lags the plugin version:

```bash
if [[ -f .flow/meta.json ]]; then
  SETUP_VER=$(jq -r '.setup_version // empty' .flow/meta.json 2>/dev/null)
  PLUGIN_JSON="${DROID_PLUGIN_ROOT:-${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}}/.claude-plugin/plugin.json"
  PLUGIN_VER=$(jq -r '.version' "$PLUGIN_JSON" 2>/dev/null || echo "unknown")
  if [[ -n "$SETUP_VER" && "$PLUGIN_VER" != "unknown" && "$SETUP_VER" != "$PLUGIN_VER" ]]; then
    echo "Plugin updated to v${PLUGIN_VER}. Run /flow-next:setup to refresh local scripts (current: v${SETUP_VER})." >&2
  fi
fi
```

## Execution Flow

### Phase 0: Route by file state

**0.1 — Ralph block (R17)**

`/flow-next:strategy` is exploratory and human-in-the-loop. Autonomous loops have no business deciding repo strategy. Hard-error with exit 2 when running under Ralph.

```bash
if [[ -n "${REVIEW_RECEIPT_PATH:-}" || "${FLOW_RALPH:-}" == "1" ]]; then
  echo "[STRATEGY: user-triggered only — Ralph cannot run /flow-next:strategy]" >&2
  exit 2
fi
```

No env-var opt-in. Ralph never decides direction.

**0.2 — Read file state**

```bash
STATUS_JSON=$("$FLOWCTL" strategy status --json)
EXISTS=$(printf '%s' "$STATUS_JSON" | jq -r '.exists')
HUSK=$(printf '%s' "$STATUS_JSON" | jq -r '.husk')
SECTIONS_FILLED=$(printf '%s' "$STATUS_JSON" | jq -r '.sections_filled')
GENERATOR_MATCH=$(printf '%s' "$STATUS_JSON" | jq -r '.generator_match')
FILE_PATH=$(printf '%s' "$STATUS_JSON" | jq -r '.file_path // empty')
```

JSON fields (frozen by Task 1):

- `exists` (bool) — file present
- `husk` (bool) — `exists: true` AND `sections_filled == 0`
- `sections_filled` (int) — populated required-section count (0-5)
- `total_sections` (int) — always 5 (the 5 required)
- `last_updated` (str|null) — ISO date from frontmatter
- `file_path` (str|null) — absolute path of resolved STRATEGY.md
- `generator` (str|null) — frontmatter `generator` value
- `generator_match` (bool) — `generator == "flow-next-strategy"`

**0.3 — Subdirectory walk-up surfacing (R16)**

If `file_path` is set and differs from `${PWD}/STRATEGY.md`, surface one line in chat before any question fires:

```
Using repo-root STRATEGY.md at <file_path>.
```

This is the only line printed before routing — keep the noise floor low.

**0.4 — Foreign-file resolution (R15)**

If `exists: true` AND `generator_match: false`, do not write. Fire `AskUserQuestion`:

- `body`: "Found a STRATEGY.md at `<file_path>` not generated by flow-next-strategy (generator: `<generator or "missing">`). Recommended: `keep` — do not overwrite a hand-written or external-tool strategy doc. Confidence: [your-call] — your project, your call."
- `options`:
  - `keep` → exit 0 with one-line stdout: `Keeping existing STRATEGY.md unchanged.`
  - `migrate` → exit 0 with stderr: `Multi-format migration deferred to v2. Either delete or rename the file, then re-run /flow-next:strategy to bootstrap from scratch.`
  - `rewrite` → second confirmation `AskUserQuestion`:
    -