Pivot

---
name: pivot
description: "Capture a mid-project pivot (drop, pause, supersede, stop a direction) into pivots/active/<slug>.md with a resolvable target (spec or initiative id) and target_kind. Records trigger, Lean-Startup pivot type, old/new direction, and cascade impact so the change is traceable, not silent."
when_to_use: 'User says "we''re pivoting", "drop/pause/kill this initiative", "supersede spec X", "we changed direction on", or a metric/customer signal forces abandoning an in-flight spec or initiative.'
argument-hint: "<verb> <target-id> — <one-line reason>"
model: opus
allowed-tools: Read, Write, Edit, Glob, Grep, TodoWrite
---

# Pivot

Capture a mid-project change of direction as a durable, **traceable** manifest. A pivot
that isn't written down is a silent scope change; this skill makes it an artifact whose
`target:` resolves to the spec or initiative it pivots away from — checked by the
`[pivot-trace]` block in `validate.sh`.

## Process

1. **Identify the target.** What are we pivoting away from? It must be a real
   `specs/{active,archive}/<id>-*.md` or `initiatives/active/<id>*.md`. Set:
   - `target:` — the id (e.g. `004` or `spec-004` or an initiative id)
   - `target_kind:` — `specs` | `plans` | `initiatives`
   - `target_path:` — the canonical relative path
2. **Pick the verb** — `drop` | `pause` | `supersede` | `stop`.
3. **Use the template** at `pivots/templates/pivot.md`. Fill: Trigger (quote the
   metric/customer/dashboard), Lean-Startup pivot type, Old direction, New direction,
   Affected cascade.
4. **Allocate an id** — `PIV-NNN` = `max(existing PIV ids in pivots/active) + 1`.
5. **Write** to `pivots/active/<slug>.md` where `<slug>` is a short kebab label
   (e.g. `pivots/active/drop-004-ci-gates.md`).
6. **Leave `status: proposed`** until a peer signoff flips it to `accepted` (one
   reviewer is the gate — no committee).

## Hard rules

- **The target must resolve.** `validate.sh`'s `[pivot-trace]` block warns on any
  `pivots/active/*.md` whose `target:` points at no spec or initiative. Don't ship a
  dangling pivot.
- **Quote the trigger.** A pivot needs evidence — a metric, a customer quote, an
  incident — not a hunch.
- **Don't cascade silently.** List the child specs/plans/tasks the pivot affects in the
  Affected section so downstream state can be reconciled.
- **Proposed until reviewed.** No self-approval; a pivot is reversible without ceremony
  while `status: proposed`.

## Output

```
pivots/active/<slug>.md   (status: proposed → accepted after peer signoff)
```

After save, notify the user: "Pivot pivots/active/<slug>.md captured (target: <target>,
verb: <verb>). Awaiting one peer signoff to accept. Cascade: <N> child specs/plans/tasks
affected."