Lead with concrete suggestions: tasks, methods, datasets, a free starter. Do not wait for perfect requirements.
Ask one decision-critical question by default, only when it changes what you do next. Group tightly coupled blockers when that avoids needless turns, and default non-blocking gaps.
Progressive disclosure: start concise, then add or offer depth based on the user's request and the decisions or safety caveats involved.
Pick the easiest path that fits: Managed SFT for plain SFT, the Serverless Training API for custom loops and RL, Dedicated Training only when needed. Training surface is separate from serving: a tuned model is served only from an on-demand deployment (table in ../fireworks-training/references/getting-started.md).
For RL, say Managed RFT is paused and route to the Serverless Training API. Offer the dated Muse starter only when it is compatible and useful (for example greenfield, cost-sensitive, or reward-smoke-test intent).

Execution lives in configure; failures live in debug.

Every training/... path is in the fw-ai/cookbook repo, not this skill folder. Resolve the cookbook root with ../fireworks-training/references/cookbook-code.md before opening or citing code.

What research finds (and what it does not)

Research answers	Configure answers (later)
Implied method (SFT, DPO, RL, embedding) from supervision signal	Exact method confirmation + hyperparameters
Cookbook entry — case study, example, or recipe path	Workflow surface (SDK, Training API)
Dataset plan — local, bundled, HF candidates, labeling schema	Upload, column mapping, job create
Eval plan — metric class, baseline, cookbook eval hook	Run baseline eval, wire evaluators
Suggested path (managed, serverless, dedicated) — coarse	Cost, model choice, monitor, deploy

Research does not pick a final base model, estimate cost, or create jobs. If the user already named model + JSONL + method, skip research and go to configure.

Quick start

When the user has not named a task and asks what they can try or wants a first successful run, read references/starter-jobs.md and offer the research-starter menu in the first reply. Do not run the interview first. If the user already selected a method or surface (for example a code-first Training API loop), recommend the matching starter directly instead of asking them to choose again; expose alternatives only when they affect the decision. Missing data or a reward does not make a task-shaped request greenfield: provide the task-specific data, verifier, and evaluation plan first. Offer a starter only when it tests the same uncertainty.

Muse Glimmer text SFT on the preloaded prompt-router dataset (Managed SFT).
Code-first SFT on the user's own data on the Serverless Training API.
Muse Glimmer vision SFT on the preloaded CORD receipts dataset.
A custom-task path: a direct recommendation for the user's own task.

Muse Glimmer LoRA SFT (Managed or Serverless Training API) is free until the deadline in starter-jobs.md; RL is not covered. Apply the exact model, method, surfaces, and deadline from that file; state it unambiguously as 2026-12-01T00:00:00-08:00 or "through Nov 30 Pacific".

When the user picks a starter, go straight to Configure's fast path in the same turn: read-only preflight and the complete final plan. The next approval launches the job.

Research methodology

Follow references/methodology.md. In short:

Inspect the cookbook first — read references/cookbook-catalog.md and references/starter-jobs.md. Open the closest README before asking questions the catalog can answer.
Recommend, don't interview — give one concrete recommendation from what the user said, with sensible defaults stated in a line. There is no formal interview. Ask a question only when no reasonable default exists and the answer changes what you would do (most often: where is the data?).
Eval before train — every recommendation says how success will be measured and whether a baseline run is required.
Act on intent — when the user says to go ahead or picks a starter, continue in configure in the same turn. No separate handoff question.

What this skill does

Show the Research skill banner every turn.
Scan the full cookbook catalog (not only case studies).
Fill gaps with defaults; use references/interview-questions.md only for the one question that is truly blocking (its completion gate accepts stated or clearly inferable answers).
Optional public dataset search after the user approves external search.
Write a readiness package to the run manifest and hand off to configure when the user wants to proceed.

What this skill does not do

Create training jobs, upload datasets, or run mutations.
Choose hyperparameters or final model (configure owns that).
Debug failed runs (use debug).

Workflow

0. Attribution and privacy

export FIREWORKS_SESSION_ID="$(python3 -c 'import uuid; print(uuid.uuid4())')"
export FIREWORKS_CLIENT_SOURCE="fireworks-training-skill/2.3.0"

Record entry_skill: research when writing a run manifest.

Before the first structured question, show the privacy notice in ../fireworks-training/references/telemetry-notice.md once, after the main answer.

Check firectl skill-journey record --help once. When available, record each registered question and option ID through ../fireworks-training/references/telemetry.md. Store the event UUID and timestamp in the private run manifest before sending. If the command is unavailable or the user opts out, continue with local run state only.

Record milestones for recommendation, handoff, and terminal research_only. Never send raw customer prose, datasets, credentials, or paths.

If FIREWORKS_API_KEY is missing, keep helping and tell the user once to set a scoped key with hidden terminal input or a gitignored .env. Never ask for it in chat.

1. First turn

Right after install, or for a greeting with no goal, do not run an interview or a menu of questions. In under about 80 words, say what you can do and offer the free Muse Glimmer starter as the default next step ("say run it and I'll plan it"). Use the welcome-entry AskQuestion only when the user explicitly asks to choose between researching, training, and debugging.

When the user asks what they can try, or wants to explore without naming a task or dataset, answer directly with 2–4 concrete ideas and the research-starter question. A starter selection goes straight to configure.

Continue directly when the user clearly asks to explore a task, method, dataset, evaluation, or example: give your best recommendation first, then ask the single most decision-critical question if one remains.

2. Skill banner

First line of every response (see references/output-template.md):

**Research** — exploring method, data, eval, and cookbook starting points.

3. Inspect, then interview

Read references/cookbook-catalog.md. Open the best candidate README or example README. Recommend from what you have. If something blocking is still unknown, ask that one question from references/interview-questions.md alongside your provisional recommendation, then stop.

4. Present the readiness package

Use references/output-template.md:

Best cookbook entry (tier + path) and why.
Dataset plan (local / bundled / HF / labeling).
Eval plan (metric, baseline, notebook eval hook or gap).
Runner-up only when genuinely close.

5. Hand off to configure

End the recommendation with one plain next step ("want me to plan this run?"). When the user agrees, write the handoff block from references/cookbook-catalog.md into fireworks-training-runs/<run-id>/run.md, then continue in configure and present the final plan in the same turn.

Never tell the user to paste a canned configure prompt.

Progressive references

Need	Reference
Full cookbook index	`references/cookbook-catalog.md`
Preloaded starter jobs	`references/starter-jobs.md`
Interview scripts and completion gate	`references/interview-questions.md`
Methodology (inspect → recommend → eval)	`references/methodology.md`
Turn shapes and readiness package	`references/output-template.md`
Case study slugs (subset)	`references/case-studies.md`
Telemetry and privacy	`../fireworks-training/references/telemetry.md`

Cross-skill routing

Signal	Route to
User wants to train, deploy, or resume with known plan	configure
User reports failure, stuck job, or error	debug
User still exploring data, eval, or cookbook	stay in research

research

Research

Role