003 Name Skill Afd3bef5

---
name: conductor-setup
description: |
risk: unknown
source: community
date_added: "2026-02-27"
---

# Conductor Setup

Initialize or resume Conductor project setup. This command creates foundational project documentation through interactive Q&A.

## Use this skill when

- Working on conductor setup tasks or workflows
- Needing guidance, best practices, or checklists for conductor setup

## Do not use this skill when

- The task is unrelated to conductor setup
- You need a different domain or tool outside this scope

## Instructions

- Clarify goals, constraints, and required inputs.
- Apply relevant best practices and validate outcomes.
- Provide actionable steps and verification.
- If detailed examples are required, open `resources/implementation-playbook.md`.

## Pre-flight Checks

1. Check if `conductor/` directory already exists in the project root:
   - If `conductor/product.md` exists: Ask user whether to resume setup or reinitialize
   - If `conductor/setup_state.json` exists with incomplete status: Offer to resume from last step

2. Detect project type by checking for existing indicators:
   - **Greenfield (new project)**: No .git, no package.json, no requirements.txt, no go.mod, no src/ directory
   - **Brownfield (existing project)**: Any of the above exist

3. Load or create `conductor/setup_state.json`:
   ```json
   {
     "status": "in_progress",
     "project_type": "greenfield|brownfield",
     "current_section": "product|guidelines|tech_stack|workflow|styleguides",
     "current_question": 1,
     "completed_sections": [],
     "answers": {},
     "files_created": [],
     "started_at": "ISO_TIMESTAMP",
     "last_updated": "ISO_TIMESTAMP"
   }
   ```

## Interactive Q&A Protocol

**CRITICAL RULES:**

- Ask ONE question per turn
- Wait for user response before proceeding
- Offer 2-3 suggested answers plus "Type your own" option
- Maximum 5 questions per section
- Update `setup_state.json` after each successful step
- Validate file writes succeeded before continuing

### Section 1: Product Definition (max 5 questions)

**Q1: Project Name**

```
What is your project name?

Suggested:
1. [Infer from directory name]
2. [Infer from package.json/go.mod if brownfield]
3. Type your own
```

**Q2: Project Description**

```
Describe your project in one sentence.

Suggested:
1. A web application that [does X]
2. A CLI tool for [doing Y]
3. Type your own
```

**Q3: Problem Statement**

```
What problem does this project solve?

Suggested:
1. Users struggle to [pain point]
2. There's no good way to [need]
3. Type your own
```

**Q4: Target Users**

```
Who are the primary users?

Suggested:
1. Developers building [X]
2. End users who need [Y]
3. Internal teams managing [Z]
4. Type your own
```

**Q5: Key Goals (optional)**

```
What are 2-3 key goals for this project? (Press enter to skip)
```

### Section 2: Product Guidelines (max 3 questions)

**Q1: Voice and Tone**

```
What voice/tone should documentation and UI text use?

Suggested:
1. Professional and technical
2. Friendly and approachable
3. Concise and direct
4. Type your own
```

**Q2: Design Principles**

```
What design principles guide this project?

Suggested:
1. Simplicity over features
2. Performance first
3. Developer experience focused
4. User safety and reliability
5. Type your own (comma-separated)
```

### Section 3: Tech Stack (max 5 questions)

For **brownfield projects**, first analyze existing code:

- Run `Glob` to find package.json, requirements.txt, go.mod, Cargo.toml, etc.
- Parse detected files to pre-populate tech stack
- Present findings and ask for confirmation/additions

**Q1: Primary Language(s)**

```
What primary language(s) does this project use?

[For brownfield: "I detected: Python 3.11, JavaScript. Is this correct?"]

Suggested:
1. TypeScript
2. Python
3. Go
4. Rust
5. Type your own (comma-separated)
```

**Q2: Frontend Framework (if applicable)**

```
What frontend framework (if any)?

Suggested:
1. React
2. Vue
3. Next.js
4. None / CLI only
5. Type your own
```

**Q3: Backend Framework (if applicable)**

```
What backend framework (if any)?

Suggested:
1. Express / Fastify
2. Django / FastAPI
3. Go standard library
4. None / Frontend only
5. Type your own
```

**Q4: Database (if applicable)**

```
What database (if any)?

Suggested:
1. PostgreSQL
2. MongoDB
3. SQLite
4. None / Stateless
5. Type your own
```

**Q5: Infrastructure**

```
Where will this be deployed?

Suggested:
1. AWS (Lambda, ECS, etc.)
2. Vercel / Netlify
3. Self-hosted / Docker
4. Not decided yet
5. Type your own
```

### Section 4: Workflow Preferences (max 4 questions)

**Q1: TDD Strictness**

```
How strictly should TDD be enforced?

Suggested:
1. Strict - tests required before implementation
2. Moderate - tests encouraged, not blocked
3. Flexible - tests recommended for complex logic
```

**Q2: Commit Strategy**

```
What commit strategy should be followed?

Suggested:
1. Conventional Commits (feat:, fix:, etc.)
2. Descriptive messages, no format required
3. Squash commits per task
```

**Q3: Code Review Requirements**

```
What code review policy?

Suggested:
1. Required for all changes
2. Required for non-trivial changes
3. Optional / self-review OK
```

**Q4: Verification Checkpoints**

```
When should manual verification be required?

Suggested:
1. After each phase completion
2. After each task completion
3. Only at track completion
```

### Section 5: Code Style Guides (max 2 questions)

**Q1: Languages to Include**

```
Which language style guides should be generated?

[Based on detected languages, pre-select]

Options:
1. TypeScript/JavaScript
2. Python
3. Go
4. Rust
5. All detected languages
6. Skip style guides
```

**Q2: Existing Conventions**

```
Do you have existing linting/formatting configs to incorporate?

[For brownfield: "I found .eslintrc, .prettierrc. Should I incorporate these?"]

Suggested:
1. Yes, use existing configs
2. No, generate fresh guides
3. Skip this step
```

## Artifact Generation

After completing Q&A, generate the following files:

### 1. conductor/index.md

```markdown
# Conductor - [Project Name]

Navigation hub for project context.

## Quick Links

- Product Definition
- Product Guidelines
- Tech Stack
- Workflow
- Tracks

## Active Tracks

<!-- Auto-populated by /conductor:new-track -->

## Getting Started

Run `/conductor:new-track` to create your first feature track.
```

### 2. conductor/product.md

Template populated with Q&A answers for:

- Project name and description
- Problem statement
- Target users
- Key goals

### 3. conductor/product-guidelines.md

Template populated with:

- Voice and tone
- Design principles
- Any additional standards

### 4. conductor/tech-stack.md

Template populated with:

- Languages (with versions if detected)
- Frameworks (frontend, backend)
- Database
- Infrastructure
- Key dependencies (for brownfield, from package files)

### 5. conductor/workflow.md

Template populated with:

- TDD policy and strictness level
- Commit strategy and conventions
- Code review requirements
- Verification checkpoint rules
- Task lifecycle definition

### 6. conductor/tracks.md

```markdown
# Tracks Registry

| Status | Track ID | Title | Created | Updated |
| ------ | -------- | ----- | ------- | ------- |

<!-- Tracks registered by /conductor:new-track -->
```

### 7. conductor/code_styleguides/

Generate selected style guides from `$CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT/templates/code_styleguides/`

## State Management

After each successful file creation:

1. Update `setup_state.json`:
   - Add filename to `files_created` array
   - Update `last_updated` timestamp
   - If section complete, add to `completed_sections`
2. Verify file exists with `Read` tool

## Completion

When all files are created:

1. Set `setup_state.json` status to "complete"
2. Display summary:

   ```
   Conductor setup complete!

   Created artifacts:
   - conductor/index.md
   - conductor/product.md
   - conductor/product-guidelines.md
   - conductor/tech-stack.md
   - conductor/workflow.md
   - conductor/tracks.md
   - conductor/code_styleguides/[languages]

   Next steps:
   1. Review generated files and customize as needed
   2. Run /conductor:new-track to create your first track
   ```

## Resume Handling

If `--resume` argument or resuming from state:

1. Load `setup_state.json`
2. Skip completed sections
3. Resume from `current_section` and `current_question`
4. Verify previously created files still exist
5. If files missing, offer to regenerate

## Error Handling

- If file write fails: Halt and report error, do not update state
- If user cancels: Save current state for future resume
- If state file corrupted: Offer to start fresh or attempt recovery