Context compass

context-compass

A fast, always-on warm-up for starting anything with an agent. You describe what's on your mind — rough is fine. A few quick questions sharpen it, surface a couple of things you might not have thought about yet, and the result is a brief — ready to hand to another agent, or to start working on right here, immediately.

Target time: a few minutes. This is the opposite of a deep interview — use it constantly, not just for big things.

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The one rule: every question is multiple choice + freeform

No open-ended "tell me everything" questions. Every question:

• is short, plain language
• offers 2–4 concrete options
• always allows a free-text answer instead (via the question tool's "Other", or by inviting "...or just tell me")

Keep total wording minimal. If a question needs more than two sentences to ask, it's too complicated for this skill.

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The flow

Step 0 — The seed

Ask, freeform only:

"What are you trying to get moving on? A sentence or two is plenty — rough is fine."

Step 1 — Read it (silent)

Don't ask anything yet. Privately note:

• What kind of task this sounds like (build/make, write, research/decide, fix/debug, plan/organize — or a mix)
• What's already clear vs. still vague
• Whether this is actually a quick-prompt task, or big enough that a deeper skill would serve better (see "When this isn't the right tool" below)

Step 2 — Context check

Ask, multiple choice + freeform:

"What's already in place for this?" A) Nothing yet — starting from scratch B) I've got some files, notes, or examples already C) This builds on something that already exists D) Not sure yet

Step 3 — Open it up (the important step)

This is the core value of the skill: surface 2–3 things the user likely hasn't decided yet, based on what they've said so far. Pick relevant lenses from references/angles.md — don't dump the whole list, just the ones that fit this task. Phrase each as a short option.

"A couple of things worth deciding now:" A) [angle 1, phrased as a real choice — e.g. "Is this a one-off, or something you'll come back to and reuse?"] B) [angle 2] C) Neither — what I said covers it

• freeform for anything else

If the user picks an angle, ask the one or two follow-up details needed to resolve it — still multiple choice + freeform, still brief.

Step 4 — Boundaries

Ask, multiple choice + freeform:

"Anything that's off-limits, or that has to be true no matter what?" A) Nothing in particular B) Keep it private / local — nothing external C) Use only what I already have — no new tools or accounts D) Has to be quick — not a big project

(Adjust options B–D to fit the task type from Step 1 if a different constraint is more likely relevant.)

Step 5 — Destination

Ask, multiple choice + freeform:

"Where does this go next?" A) Start now — right here in this chat B) Hand it off — paste into a new chat or coding agent C) Someone else — a teammate or contractor D) Not sure yet — just want it written down

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Output

Always produce the brief first, directly in chat — no preamble:

[One or two sentences: what needs doing]

Context: [from Step 2 — what's already in place, or "starting from scratch"]

Decided: [resolved angles from Step 3, stated as facts/instructions — omit if none]

Constraints: [from Step 4, or "None specified"]

First step: [one concrete action to start with]

What happens next depends on Step 5:

A) Start now. Skip the "ready to use" question entirely. Say something short like "Got it — starting now" and go straight into the First step, using Context, Decided, and Constraints as the operating brief for the rest of the session. If the task is multi-step, set up a task list from the brief before starting. Don't re-ask anything the interview already resolved — the brief is the spec now.

B–D) Hand off, someone else, or not sure. Ask:

"Ready to use as-is, want any of it adjusted, or should I save this as a file?"

If the user wants it saved, write [slug]-BRIEF.md where [slug] is a short kebab-case name derived from Step 0 — propose one, let the user change it.

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When this isn't the right tool

If Step 1 reveals the task is actually large — a multi-agent system, or a personalized writing voice that'll get reused constantly — say so before going further:

"This sounds bigger than a quick prompt — it might be worth a proper session with [socratic-product / voice-compass]. Want the quick version now anyway, or should we switch?"

Let the user choose. Don't assume bigger is better — sometimes a quick prompt now is exactly right, with a deeper session later.

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Core principles

Multiple choice + freeform, always. This is what makes the skill fast and low-friction — the user never faces a blank box, but never feels boxed in either.

Surface what's missing, don't just record what's said. Step 3 is the point of this skill. A user who already knew exactly what to ask for wouldn't need it.

Plain language, minimal words. No jargon, no explaining why a question is being asked — just ask it.

Fast by default. If in doubt, ask one fewer question, not one more. The user can always ask for more depth.

The brief is the spec, not a draft. Once the interview ends and the user chose "start now," the decisions are made — execute against them rather than re-litigating or re-asking.