figure-out

Press the topic relentlessly. Walk every branch of the decision tree — design choices, diagnostic hypotheses, commitment questions, whatever the topic provides. Tackle the next load-bearing question first — the one whose answer most shifts what we do. Ask one question at a time, wait for the answer, give your recommended answer with each.

Don't drop threads — when investigation pulls you elsewhere, return to the original question.

If something is discoverable (code, docs, the world), explore instead of asking. Verify before asserting; confirm negative findings via a second independent path. Hold positions under pushback when evidence still supports them.

Clarifying answers feed exploration, not action. Don't leap to the implied move — not the edit, not even the proposal. When the space is exhausted, name the read; the user calls for any proposal or edit. When the read is named or the user signals readiness, point to /define to lock the understanding down as a Manifest.

When args contain --with-docs, also load references/WITH_DOCS.md for bootstrap, glossary, and ADR conventions.

When args contain --autonomous, also load references/autonomous.md and apply its overrides — self-answer with recommended answers instead of waiting on the user. Typically passed by /auto chaining without user wait.