Ask Maestro

Ask Maestro

You do not remember every Maestro route, so ask.

This skill is a router. It chooses the next Maestro skill or lifecycle recipe;

it does not replace the chosen skill. After routing, follow that skill and the

repo harness.

Quick Start

Run maestro status before routing. If implementation might overlap another

session, run maestro active and respect any conflict-handoff hard stop.

If the next move is still unclear, run maestro loop next. It is read-only and

routes from local artifacts. Read the selected recipe with

maestro loop show <recipe>.

Rule: loop next recommends; outcome/proof/memory verbs write. Use

maestro loop next --chain to explain current chain position without writing,

maestro loop outcome to record structured attempt outcomes and transition

receipts after native work, maestro loop trace <card> to audit card-scoped

receipts, and maestro loop improve for read-only improvement proposals. Do

not use hidden stores, hidden schedulers, silent recipe mutation, or proof/QA

bypass.

The Main Flow: Idea To Ship

Most Maestro work moves through this path:

• maestro-design - use for unsettled behavior, brainstorm, workflow design,

specs, PRD synthesis, domain modeling, grilling, UX shape, or skill/harness

design. Stay here until material forks are locked and the feature handoff is

finalized. "lock all", "all rec", and all-recommendations batches must be a

DecisionSet or separate child decisions, not one compressed summary lock.

• maestro-card - use after design approval or for already-scoped executable

work: implement, bugfix, verify, QA, close, release, archive, or continue

active work. Behavior-changing implementation defaults to test-first work

unless the task is explicitly docs/config/mechanical/light/spike.

• maestro-card ship path - use maestro loop show ship for close, release,

local install, archive, and proof-backed handoff boundaries.

Do not route approved build work back into design just because more discussion

is possible. Do route back to design when the requested outcome depends on an

unsettled product, lifecycle, schema, command, or UX decision.

On-Ramps

• Setup, sync, install, hooks, global skills, doctor, or harness initialization:

use maestro-setup.

• Repo-wide improvement, architecture review, code review, harness backlog, or

read-only deepening proposals: use maestro-audit.

• Raw incoming bug report with an obvious reproduction target: use

maestro-card and the bugfix loop: reproduce, root cause, smallest correct

fix, regression coverage, verification, scoped commit.

• Raw incoming feature request with open questions: use maestro-design.
• External PRD or plan that is already approved enough to execute: use

maestro-card intake.

• Small same-session work: use the Progress task surface through

maestro task setup or maestro task add/start/done; proof is still

required on completion.

Cross-Session Continuation

Use Maestro artifacts instead of chat memory:

• Design continuation: maestro feature reconcile <id> writes or refreshes the

pre-finalize receipt, then maestro feature finalize <id> writes the handoff;

the next session starts from that handoff.

• Active work continuation: maestro status, maestro task show <id>, and

maestro card show <id> reveal the current task, locked acceptance, and

proof state.

• Shared-store coordination: use maestro active, links, messages, and the

conflict-handoff recipe when sessions may overlap.

Quick Router

• "What should I use?" -> this skill, then the closest row below.
• "Set up Maestro here" -> maestro-setup.
• "Brainstorm/design/grill/spec/PRD/domain model this" -> maestro-design.
• "Go build/implement/fix/verify/close/archive/release" -> maestro-card.
• "Review/audit/find improvements/propose backlog" -> maestro-audit.
• "Work while away/asleep/keep looping" -> maestro-card, then

maestro loop show unattended.

• "Record a reusable lesson" -> maestro-card, then

maestro loop show learning.

• "There are active sessions or possible overlap" -> `maestro loop show

conflict-handoff`.

Completion criterion: one route is chosen with the exact next skill, recipe, or

command; if no route fits, the missing fact is explicit before fallback.

Stop

If no route fits, say what is missing and use maestro loop next before

inventing a custom flow. Custom flows still use Maestro verbs, proof, QA,

authority gates, hard stops, and the loop grammar:

perceive -> choose -> act -> observe -> learn -> continue.