Plan Creator

Public surface: classify → inspect → capture missing decisions → draft → validate → Gate 1. Produces plan.md overview + phase-XX detail files; execution, existing-plan audits, visual rendering, archive, and durable-memory capture stay with their existing owners.

When to Use

Activate when:

• User runs /mk:plan [task] or /mk:cook [task]
• Non-trivial task (> 2 files OR > 1h OR architectural decisions)
• User supplies ≥2 upstream reports/specs (office-hours, brainstorming, planning-engine, confluence-spec, intake output…) → step-00.5 consolidates them into a Plan Intake Packet before planning (see references/plan-intake-packet.md)
• User supplies a design evidence packet (e.g. from mk:figma) → plan consumes it (viewport/state ACs, critical-action validation matrix, phase blocked_on: for high-risk flow ambiguity), never re-analyzes the design source (see references/design-evidence-consumption.md)
• Gate 1 requires a plan before Phase 3
• Green-field product build ("build a kanban app", "create a SaaS dashboard", "make a retro game maker") → step-00 auto-detects and offers --product-level
• Existing-plan audit → mk:validate-plan; archive → lifecycle CLI; visual rendering → mk:visual-plan.
• Hard/deep plan creation still runs its built-in red-team and validation interview before Gate 1. These are design-quality gates, not standalone subcommands, and must never be routed away.
• Compatibility aliases: /mk:plan archive → archive workflow; /mk:plan red-team {path} → standalone red-team workflow; /mk:plan validate {path} → standalone validation workflow.

Standalone aliases route to their compatibility references; they do not replace hard/deep red-team or validation. --html routes to mk:visual-plan.

Skip when:

• /mk:fix with complexity=simple (Gate 1 exception)
• mk:scale-routing returns workflow=one-shot + zero blast radius

Arguments

Flag	Mode	Research	Phase Files	Validation
(default)	Auto-detect from scope	Follows mode	Follows mode	Follows mode
--fast	Fast	Skip	plan.md only	Semantic checks only
--hard	Hard	2 researchers	plan.md + phases	Full interview
--deep	Deep	2-3 researchers	plan.md + phases + bounded phase map: file inventory, test gaps, interfaces, dependencies	Full interview
--parallel	Parallel	2 researchers	plan.md + phases + ownership matrix	Full interview
--two	Two approaches	2 researchers	2 approach files + trade-off matrix	After selection
--product-level	Product spec	2 researchers (broader)	plan.md only (user stories + features + design language; NO phase files)	Semantic + check-product-spec.sh (no red-team, no validation interview — v1)
--spike	Time-boxed investigation	Skip	spike plan from assets/spike-plan-template.md (investigate + findings phases; NO test/ship)	Semantic only

--spike constraints (Agile context only — gated by agile-feedback-cycle.md 2 when loaded):

• Requires --timebox <duration> (e.g., --timebox 2d, --timebox 4h); reject with "spike requires --timebox" if absent
• Sets plan frontmatter spike: true, timebox:, and findings_doc: (default tasks/plans/{slug}/findings.md)
• INCOMPATIBLE with --product-level and mk:autobuild FULL density (autobuild gate breaks). Reject combination "spike incompatible with autobuild FULL — use --fast or mk:cook"
• Advisory cap: warn if story_points > 5 — likely two spikes, or spike + story

Composable flags:

• --tdd — add tests-first phase sections and preserve strict TDD in the cook handoff. See references/tdd-mode.md.
• --advice — opt-in strategic supervision for one planning run, capped at 4 calls: GUIDE after the scope challenge, RESCUE on an unresolved red-team contradiction, REVIEW before Gate 1, RECHECK after a correction. Athena reads the plan and can return it to the planner; it never writes the plan and never approves Gate 1. Without the flag there are zero calls and no state. See references/advice-checkpoints.md.
• Visual work belongs to mk:visual-plan. Plan-creator emits only the handoff metadata needed for that skill; Markdown plan files remain source of truth.

Requirements Capture Contract

Before producing a plan, plan-creator MUST be able to answer all 5 dimensions in concrete sentences (cook's exact-requirements contract — see .claude/skills/cook/SKILL.md "Exact-Requirements Contract (Phase 1)"):

1. Expected output — concrete artifact(s) the user will see at the end (file paths, feature behavior, UI screen, API endpoint + payload, CLI command + flags).
2. Acceptance criteria — specific behaviors / inputs → outputs / edge cases that MUST work to call it "done".
3. Scope boundary — what is explicitly OUT of scope this round.
4. Non-negotiable constraints — stack, file locations, naming, backward compatibility, deadlines, performance.
5. Touchpoints — which existing files/modules (from scout) will be modified or extended; which contracts must stay stable.

Every clarifying question MUST cite scout findings (file paths) in its options. Abstract options like "Add the feature" without a file path are a failure mode — replace with options of the form "Add to src/api/users.ts (matches existing pattern)" or "Create new src/api/profile.ts".

Skip when input is an existing plan path (plan.md / phase-*.md) — the plan already encodes scout output and the 5 dimensions.

Workflow

Before starting, read references/failure-catalog.md for common planning failure modes to avoid.

Execute via workflow.md. Step-file architecture — load one step at a time. Fast mode (--fast) uses workflow-fast.md (steps 00→03→04→07→08).

Agile DoR advisory (Phase 1 entry, conditional): if the parsed plan frontmatter contains a non-empty jira_tickets: list AND agile-story-gates.md is loaded (Agile context active per mk:agent-detector Step 0b), run 1 of agile-story-gates.md for each ticket BEFORE generating phase files. Render the advisory checklist; never block — let the user decide. Skip silently when jira_tickets: is absent or the rule is not loaded.

Step 0: Scope Challenge → trivial (exit) | simple (fast) | complex (hard/deep)
Step 0.5: Intake Packet (conditional: ≥2 external artifacts) → consolidate upstream artifacts, else clean skip
Step 1: Research (hard/deep/parallel/two only) → 2-3 researchers, max 5 calls each
Step 2: Codebase Analysis (hard/deep/parallel/two only) → scout + docs (deep: bounded scope map)
Step 3: Draft Plan → plan.md (≤80 lines) + phase-XX files (12-section template; deep: + phase map; tdd: + regression sections)
Step 4: Semantic Checks → goal/ACs/constraints + structural validation
Step 5: Red Team (hard/deep/parallel/two only) → 4-persona scaling, red-team-findings.md, adjudication
Step 6: Validation Interview (hard/deep/parallel/two only) → 3-5 critical questions with detection keywords, propagate answers
Step 7: Gate 1 → self-check + AskUserQuestion (Approve | Modify | Reject)
Step 8: Hydrate Tasks → phase checkboxes → session tasks
Step 9: Post-Plan Handoff → mode-pruned AskUserQuestion (cook|validate|red-team|end) → write `handoff.next` to plan.md → STOP

Output Structure

Fast mode: Single plan.md (goal, context, scope, approach, ACs) Hard mode: Directory with plan.md + phase files:

tasks/plans/YYMMDD-name/
├── plan.md              ← overview (≤80 lines)
├── research/            ← researcher reports (hard mode)
├── phase-01-name.md     ← 12-section detail (≤150 lines)
├── phase-02-name.md
└── ...

Gotchas

• Wrong workflow model: feature-model on a bug fix skips investigation → confirm type at Step 0
• Goal describes activity: "Implement OAuth" vs "Users can log in with OAuth" → rewrite as outcome
• ACs can't be verified: "code is clean" blocks Gate 2 → every AC must reference a command/file check
• Monolithic plan: plan.md over 80 lines → move detail to phase files or research reports
• Research disconnected: findings archived but not cited in plan → Step 3 MUST integrate research into Key Insights
• Over-planning trivial tasks: 2-file config change gets full research → Step 0 scope gate exits early
• Skipping scout on unfamiliar codebases: → always run mk:scout if codebase is new
• Using --deep to decide architecture: deep maps a chosen approach; if the approach is unclear, route to mk:brainstorming first.
• Dropping TDD at handoff: when tdd_mode=true, step-09 MUST print cook with --tdd; sentinel/env state alone is not a cross-session contract.
• Post-Plan Handoff is deterministic: step-09 fires AskUserQuestion; do NOT auto-invoke the chosen command. User must type it in a fresh session for clean context.
• handoff.next enum is validated: values outside {cook, validate, red-team, autobuild, end} fail validate-plan.py.
• Whole-Plan Consistency Gates W1 / W2 fire after red-team and validation interview: stage-then-apply algorithm — no edits land until the user resolves any unresolved contradictions. See references/whole-plan-sweep.md.
• consistency_sweeps frontmatter is optional: legacy plans without it still validate as PLAN_COMPLETE.
• Sweep recursion is bounded: "resolve now" caps at 2 attempts per gate; further unresolved items convert to Risk rows.
• .plan-state.json v1.2 schema is additive: consumers MUST treat unknown keys (verification_tier, consistency_sweeps_passed) as optional and default-empty. v1.1 readers ignore them silently.
• Post-hydration integrity-check failure is a hard stop: cycle / count-mismatch / missing-metadata failures print an explicit diff and STOP — do NOT auto-recover or silently continue. Human resolution required before step-09. See references/task-management.md "Post-Hydration Integrity Checks".
• Re-analyzing a design source that already has a packet duplicates interpretation: when a design evidence packet path is present, cite the packet — do NOT call the design source's tools or re-parse its raw JSON. See references/design-evidence-consumption.md.

References

File	Purpose
workflow.md	Step sequence, variable table, flow diagram (hard mode)
workflow-fast.md	Compact step sequence for --fast mode (00→03→04→07→08)
step-03a-product-spec.md	Product-level spec drafter: user stories, features, design language. Replaces step-03 when planning_mode = product-level.
assets/product-spec-template.md	Product spec template (Vision, Features, Design Language, AI Integration, Out-of-Scope)
assets/spike-plan-template.md	Spike plan template (used when planning_mode = spike). Two phases: investigate + findings. Required frontmatter: spike: true, timebox:, findings_doc:. NOT compatible with mk:autobuild FULL.
references/anthropic-example-plan.md	RetroForge few-shot calibration example for product-level mode (ambition + feature density reference)
step-00-5-intake-packet.md	Conditional intake packet builder: consolidates ≥2 pre-existing external artifacts before research/drafting
references/plan-intake-packet.md	Plan Intake Packet contract: purpose, activation, 6-block schema, quality rules, boundaries
references/design-evidence-consumption.md	Consuming a design evidence packet (e.g. Figma): do/don't, adjudication precedence, decision-ledger, flow→validation-matrix, blocked_on: phase blocking. Never re-analyzes the design source.
step-05-red-team.md	Red team review: persona scaling, subagent dispatch, adjudication
step-06-validation-interview.md	Critical question generation and answer propagation
step-07-gate.md	Self-check and Gate 1 AskUserQuestion presentation
step-09-post-plan-handoff.md	Deterministic post-Gate-1 handoff: mode-pruned AskUserQuestion (cook | validate | red-team | autobuild | end), live risk re-scan, writes handoff.next to plan.md frontmatter, prints command + STOPs.
references/whole-plan-sweep.md	Whole-Plan Consistency Sweep algorithm (Gates W1 + W2). Stage-then-apply: read-only Pass 1 stages Pending Sweep Edits; decision check blocks on unresolved contradictions; write Pass 2 applies edits and logs.
references/deep-mode.md	Deep mode contract: when to use/avoid, scout budgets, phase-map appendix, context rules.
references/tdd-mode.md	TDD flag contract: phase sections, optional frontmatter, cook handoff propagation, RED-task hydration.
references/verification-roles.md	Verification Roles for step-04 sub-step 4d (Fact Checker / Flow Tracer / Scope Auditor / Contract Verifier) with tier selection by phase count. Subagents are READ-ONLY; orchestrator writes the ## Verification Log.
prompts/personas/plan-assumption-destroyer.md	Plan-specific assumption skeptic persona
prompts/personas/plan-scope-complexity-critic.md	Plan-specific YAGNI/scope minimalist persona
prompts/personas/plan-security-adversary.md	Plan-specific security adversary (auth bypass, injection, data exposure). Used at 4+ phases.
prompts/personas/plan-failure-mode-analyst.md	Plan-specific failure mode analyst (race conditions, cascading failures, recovery). Used at 6+ phases.
references/phase-template.md	12-section phase file template
references/ops-metrics-design.md	If task involves metrics/KPIs/dashboards, load for metric philosophy, templates, and domain fallbacks
references/cold-start-context-brief.md	When writing phase files, follow this template for self-contained, cold-start-safe phase files
references/plan-mutation-protocol.md	When modifying an existing plan (split/insert/skip/reorder/abandon), follow this protocol
references/worked-example-stripe-billing.md	For plan detail level reference, see this complete worked example (the 7-phase model)
references/scope-challenge.md	Scope modes (HOLD/EXPANSION/REDUCTION)
references/research-phase.md	Researcher spawning protocol
references/plan-organization.md	Directory structure, naming, size rules
references/output-standards.md	YAML frontmatter, required sections
references/validation-questions.md	Critical question categories for interview
references/gate-1-approval.md	AskUserQuestion gate + Context Reminder
references/task-management.md	Hydration, cross-session resume, sync-back
references/solution-evaluation.md	Trade-off scoring criteria
references/gotchas.md	Full gotchas list
references/solution-design-checklist.md	Trade-off analysis checklist for Architecture/Risk/Security sections (5 dimensions)
references/adr-generation.md	Architecture Decision Record generation
references/parallel-mode.md	Ownership matrix template, parallel group rules
references/two-approach-mode.md	Approach file template, trade-off matrix, selection flow
scripts/validate-plan.py	Plan completeness validator. Depends on PyYAML (installed via .claude/scripts/bin/setup-workflow into .claude/skills/.venv/). Run via .claude/skills/.venv/bin/python3 scripts/validate-plan.py <plan.md>.
scripts/check-product-spec.sh	Product-spec structural validator (POSIX bash). Enforces feature count, user stories, forbidden patterns. Used by step-03a and step-04 for --product-level mode.
references/workflow-models/feature-model.md	Workflow template for feature tasks (loaded JIT by step-00)
references/workflow-models/bugfix-model.md	Workflow template for bug fix tasks (loaded JIT by step-00)
references/workflow-models/refactor-model.md	Workflow template for refactor tasks (loaded JIT by step-00)
references/workflow-models/security-model.md	Workflow template for security tasks (loaded JIT by step-00)

Known Exceptions

• references/anthropic-example-plan.md — filename retained as the source-provenance attribution for the few-shot calibration example. The file content is the appendix of a published harness-design article (Prithvi Rajasekaran, Labs); renaming would obscure the research origin. Future brand-prose audits skip this filename per this documented exception.

Related Rules

• .claude/rules/gate-rules.md — Gate 1 hard-stop conditions this skill enforces (plan approval before Phase 3)
• .claude/rules/orchestration-rules.md — boundary contract; verification subagents stay READ-ONLY; sweep stays in planner context (never delegated)
• .claude/rules/task-state-emission.md — when an active durable task record exists, emit status/step via mewkit task-state update (advisory; active durable tasks only)

Start

Read and follow workflow.md.