Phase 1 - Foundation
Set up the project structure, define the team, identify stakeholders, and establish communication protocols before discovery begins.
Duration: ~1 day · Gate type: Soft gate (gaps acknowledged, can proceed) · Playbooks: Greenfield
How to read this page
Per-skill blocks below: When to run/skip (the explicit trigger) → Gather first (inputs) → Command → What you get → What it does NOT give you → Done when. This phase scales down hard for small teams - most of it is legitimately skippable, and the trigger tells you exactly when.
When to enter this phase
Enter Phase 1 at the start of every Greenfield project. Do not over-engineer for small or solo builders - most of this phase is skip conditions, not mandatory work.
What you need before entering: a product idea or initiative to define, and a basic sense of who's involved. No prior artifacts required - this is the entry point.
Step 1 - Project Charter
- When to run / skip: always run. This is the one artifact every team size needs, solo included.
- Gather first: nothing beyond the idea itself.
- Command:
/pm-project-charter - What you get: scope, objectives, success criteria, assumptions, and risks - plus the Assumptions & Risks Register, a living document updated throughout the project.
- What it does NOT give you: team structure or communication protocol - that's Steps 2-3, and only if you have a team.
- Done when: the Charter states scope, objectives, and success criteria without open placeholders.
Step 2 - Stakeholder Map
- When to run / skip: run only if there are external investors, a board, or stakeholders beyond the building team. Skip if solo builder with no external investors or board - there's no one to map.
- Gather first: who has influence or interest in this project outside the core team.
- Command:
/pm-stakeholder-map - What you get: all stakeholders, their influence/interest, and an engagement strategy per stakeholder.
- What it does NOT give you: team roles (that's internal) - this is external-facing only.
- Done when: every stakeholder with real influence has an engagement plan.
Step 3 - Team Roster
- When to run / skip: run for any team of 2+. Skip if solo builder - there's no roster to document.
- Gather first: who's on the team and in what capacity.
- Command:
/pm-team-roster - What you get: team structure, roles, responsibilities, decision rights.
- What it does NOT give you: communication cadence - that's Step 4.
- Done when: every team member has a defined role and decision rights are unambiguous.
Step 4 - Communication Charter
- When to run / skip: run for any team of 2+. Skip if solo builder - no team to communicate with.
- Gather first: Team Roster (Step 3).
- Command:
/pm-comms-charter - What you get: communication cadences, channels, escalation paths, meeting structure.
- What it does NOT give you: stakeholder communication - that's the Stakeholder Map's engagement plan (Step 2), a separate concern from internal team comms.
- Done when: every recurring meeting/channel has an owner and cadence.
Recommended path by team size
| Team type | Run |
|---|---|
| Solo | Step 1 only |
| Small team (2-3) | Step 1 → Step 3 → Step 4 |
| Corporate | Step 2 → Step 1 → Step 3 → Step 4 |
What you exit with
- Project Charter - scope, objectives, success criteria, constraints, risks
- Assumptions & Risks Register - live document updated throughout the project
- (If team) Team Roster + Communication Charter
- (If stakeholders) Stakeholder Map with engagement plan
Phase exit gate
Run /pureinn after completing Phase 1 skills to check the exit gate and advance to Phase 2.
Gate type: Soft. The engine checks whether Phase 1 artifacts exist and flags gaps. You can proceed to Phase 2 while acknowledging missing items.