Architect

Sketch types, function signatures, class shapes, and module boundaries with not implemented bodies and pseudocode. Synthesize across multiple independent design candidates, then fill in code against the chosen sketch.

Start

Open a todolist with one entry per phase before starting.

Ground
Sketch
Agree
Implement
Scrap

Phase A: Ground the problem

Build a real mental model of every system the new code touches. Run the how skill (skill://how) over the relevant subsystems. Naming a file isn't grounding. Produce the architectural explanation how prescribes. If the design redefines ownership or layering, also run the why skill (skill://why) on the existing shape so the rationale becomes a constraint, not a guess.

Skip Phase A only when the work is genuinely greenfield with no surrounding system to integrate.