workflow-trellis
Workflow Trellis
Use this skill to turn messy workflow evidence into a clear representation of how the work actually functions, what obligation forces it to exist, where the representation is fragmented, and where AI can be inserted safely.
The central thesis: do not start with "AI can automate X." Start by representing the work. Once the obligation, entities, states, deadlines, dependencies, evidence, fragments, and human judgment points are visible, the AI opportunities become obvious and less hand-wavy.
The output should make the workflow visible as an object. Tables are not decoration here; they force the analysis to separate the parts of the work that get blurred in prose. Every deep workflow model must include the required tables, a workflow diagram, an Intuition Gained section, and a Product Implications section.
When Starting
If the user provides interviews, transcripts, notes, support tickets, customer research, or a domain description, treat that material as evidence. Extract workflows from it rather than brainstorming from scratch.
Ask at most three clarifying questions only when the answer materially changes the representation:
- Which workflow or user segment should be modeled first?
- Is the goal product strategy, AI feature design, customer discovery, or startup exploration?
- Should the output favor breadth across many workflows or depth on one workflow?
If the user sounds like they want momentum, skip questions and state assumptions.