Spin Up Skill for Claude

Spin-Up: Start-of-Session Orientation

When the user signals the start of a session, perform ALL of the checks

below in order, then present a tight briefing and ask what today's focus

is.

Unlike wrap-up, this skill is conversational — the purpose is to

surface information, not to act. Keep the briefing scannable (roughly

one screen), and do NOT start work or propose tasks until the user

replies to the closing question.

Step 1: Read project instructions

Read CLAUDE.md at the project root (if it exists). Internalise project

rules, conventions, and any project-specific session-startup instructions.

Also read README.md if present, to ground yourself in the directory

structure and project purpose.

If neither file exists, note that in the briefing but continue.

Step 2: Check git state

If the current working directory is inside a git repository:

• git fetch --quiet to refresh remote refs so divergence is visible.
• git log @{u}..HEAD --oneline to list unpushed commits on the

current branch. If there is no upstream set, fall back to

git log origin/main..HEAD --oneline (or origin/master); if that

also fails, skip.

• git log HEAD..@{u} --oneline to spot remote commits made elsewhere

(e.g. GitHub web, another machine) that would require a pull before

any future push.

• Note the current branch and whether the working tree is clean.

If the project is not a git repo, skip this step silently.

Do not push or pull anything — this step is read-only. Surface

findings; let the user decide.

Step 3: Read the most recent session log

Look for session logs in the project's log directory. Check these

locations in order:

• The path specified in CLAUDE.md, if any.
• Claude Logs/
• Code/_Claude Session Logs/

Find the most recently-dated file and read it. Pay particular attention

to:

• "Where we left off" — the state work was in at end of last session.
• "Problems encountered" — open issues or blockers.
• "Files created or modified" — recent file touch points.

If no log exists, note that and continue.

Step 4: Check the pinboard

Read PINBOARD.md at the project root (if it exists). Count open items

by category. Flag anything dated more than two weeks ago or marked

urgent.

If no pinboard exists, skip.

Step 5: Load the glossary

If GLOSSARY.md exists at the project root, load it adaptively — the goal is to

activate command-phrases without pulling the whole file into context every session:

• Count entries cheaply (Grep -c "^- "). **If under ~25, just read the file

whole** — the cost is trivial and the lazy split isn't worth it.

• Otherwise, load lazily:
• Read only the top of the file through the ## Definitions header — that is the

Command-Phrases section (kept first for exactly this reason). These must be

active for the session (e.g. "push" → commit and push), since the bare phrase

won't trigger the glossary skill on its own.

• Grep the headwords only (the bold terms) to load the *term list* for

Definitions/Abbreviations — names without glosses. Read a full definition on

demand later, when that term actually comes up.

• Load silently; do NOT dump entries into the briefing. Report a one-line count.
• Flag if large: if the glossary exceeds ~50 entries or ~15 command-phrases,

note it and suggest a prune.

If no glossary exists, skip silently. The /glossary skill owns this file — adding,

editing, the behavioral rules for command-phrases, and pruning.

Step 6: Synthesise the briefing

Present a briefing in approximately this format:

## Session briefing — [project name]

**Last session:** YYYY-MM-DD — [one-line summary of last session's work]
**Where we left off:** [short quote or paraphrase]

**Git:**
- Branch: `branch-name` (clean / N unstaged changes)
- Unpushed: N commits [list them, or "none"]
- Remote ahead: N commits [or "in sync"]

**Pinboard:** N open items
- X to-dos (Y older than two weeks)
- Z papers to read
- W data issues

**Glossary:** N terms loaded, M command-phrases active [or "none yet"]

**Project state:** [1–2 sentences synthesising CLAUDE.md + last log]

Keep it tight. One scannable screen. Omit sections cleanly if there's

nothing to report ("No pinboard items outstanding.") rather than

leaving empty headings.

Step 7: Ask the question

End the briefing with exactly:

> What are we working on today?

Then wait. Do not start work, propose tasks, or fix things surfaced

above until the user answers.

Important Rules

• Read-only. Spin-up never writes files, never pushes, never pulls.

It surfaces state and waits.

• Do not create the session log. That is wrap-up's responsibility

at end of session. Spin-up only reads prior logs.

• Do not act on findings. If there are unpushed commits, a dirty

working tree, a stale pinboard item, or an unresolved problem from

last session — list them, but wait for the user to direct action.

• Briefing is scannable, not exhaustive. Aim for ~15–25 lines of

output. If any single step has a lot to say, summarise and offer

detail on request.

• Respect CLAUDE.md. If the project's CLAUDE.md specifies a

different startup ritual or log location, follow it.