/vision-to-mission

name: vision-to-mission
description: "Transform a user's builder vision into a complete, executable GSD mission package. Use this skill whenever a user has described what they want to BUILD (a product, tool, feature, system, educational pack, or ecosystem component) and wants it structured for GSD execution. Triggers include: 'structure this for GSD', 'make this into a milestone', 'turn this vision into a mission', 'package this up for Claude Code', 'create the mission files', 'I want to hand this to GSD', 'make me a mission package', or any request to decompose a described system into wave-based executable tasks. Also trigger when the user has a vision doc already written and needs mission decomposition. Prefer this skill over generic document creation whenever the GSD ecosystem is mentioned alongside building something."
version: 1.0.0
format: 2025-10-02
triggers:
  - "a user has described what they want to BUILD (a product, tool, feature, system, educational pack, or ecosystem component) and wants it structured for GSD execut"
  - "'structure this for GSD', 'make this into a milestone', 'turn this vision into a mission', 'package this up for Claude Code', 'create the mission files', 'I wan"
  - the user has a vision doc already written and needs mission decomposition
updated: 2026-04-25
status: ACTIVE

Vision → Mission Skill

Transform a user's builder vision — described in conversation — into a complete, GSD-ready mission package: a structured folder of markdown files ready for handoff to Claude Code and the GSD orchestrator.

**This skill produces builders' output, not researchers' output.** It generates the executable files: milestone spec, component specs, wave plan, test plan, and README. Compare with `research-mission-generator`, which produces a LaTeX research document. Use this skill when the goal is to *build* something.

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Pipeline Speed Detection

Detect which pipeline the conversation warrants — **do not ask the user** unless genuinely ambiguous.

| Speed | When | Stages Produced | |-------|------|-----------------| | **Full** (Vision → Research → Mission) | Domain requires professional accuracy, safety, or cultural sensitivity (electronics, nutrition, cultural heritage, medical) | All three stages | | **Fast** (Vision + Mission, skip research) | Domain within Claude's training, pure software/tooling, internal GSD components | Vision doc + mission files | | **Mission-only** | User already has a vision doc, needs decomposition | Mission files only |

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Step 1: Harvest the Conversation

Scan the current conversation (and past conversations if referenced) for:

| Element | Where to Find It | Fallback | |---------|-------------------|----------| | **What to build** | User's description, framing, analogies | Ask one targeted question | | **Why it matters** | User's motivation, problem statement | Infer from context | | **Architecture hints** | ASCII diagrams, component lists, agent descriptions | Derive from vision | | **Existing dependencies** | Other GSD vision docs referenced | Search past conversations | | **Success picture** | "Done looks like..." statements | Synthesize from goals | | **Safety/sensitivity** | Domain signals (cultural content, health, electronics) | Detect from domain | | **User's metaphors** | Analogies, framings, philosophical arcs | Carry into vision narrative | | **Thinking time sessions** | User stream-of-consciousness while Claude listened | Highest priority — preserve verbatim insights |

**Critical:** Preserve the user's own language. Their metaphors, framings, and analogies belong in the vision narrative. Don't replace user thinking with generic content.

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Step 2: Identify the Archetype

Read `references/vision-archetypes.md` to classify the vision. Each archetype has characteristic components, common failure modes, and chipset patterns. Classification shapes the output structure.

Quick reference:

| Archetype | Key Signals | Mission Shape | |-----------|-------------|---------------| | **Educational Pack** | Curriculum, modules, Try Sessions, cultural content | Safety Warden mandatory; 6–10 components | | **Infrastructure Component** | Filesystem contracts, message schemas, APIs, technical spec | Schema-first Wave 0; 4–6 components | | **Organizational System** | Roles, activation profiles, responsibilities, communication | Role mapping Wave 0; 5–8 components | | **Creative Tool** | UX/workflow, rendering pipeline, user experience | UX-first prototyping; 4–7 components | | **Agent/Skill Pack** | Agents, skills, skill-creator integration, chipset | Chipset YAML central; 5–9 components | | **Research Mission** | Surveys, findings, academic structure, evidence | Use research-mission-generator instead |

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Step 3: Draft the Vision Document (if needed)

Skip if the user already has a vision doc. Otherwise, write `01-vision-doc.md` from harvested content.

See `references/mission-templates.md` → **Vision Document Template** for the complete structure.

**Vision doc quality gates (run before proceeding):**

• [ ] Narrative makes someone *want* to build this (not a spec — a destination)
• [ ] Problem statement has 3–5 concrete, recognizable problems
• [ ] Core concept described in one interaction arc sentence
• [ ] ASCII architecture diagram present
• [ ] Chipset YAML configures the actual agents needed
• [ ] Success criteria are testable by an agent (8–12 criteria)
• [ ] No function signatures in the vision (those belong in component specs)
• [ ] Through-line connects to a GSD ecosystem principle

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Step 4: Research Reference (Full Pipeline Only)

For Full pipeline speed only. Otherwise skip.

Conduct targeted web research using these source quality rules (**ABSOLUTE**):

• Government agencies (USGS, NIH, NASA, EPA, NIST, etc.)
• Peer-reviewed journals and university research
• Professional organizations and official standards bodies
• **NEVER** entertainment media, blogs, or unsourced claims

Structure as `02-res