shape

Decide HOW before building. Shape works dimension by dimension — each aspect that needs a HOW decision gets expert-informed choices the user selects from. This prevents collapsing multi-faceted decisions into a single recommendation.

For tasks with 1 dimension and an obvious approach, collapse to Step 1 → Step 5.

Presentation

These rules govern HOW shape communicates across all steps.

• Minto pyramid via AskUserQuestion — Label = recommendation (conclusion first). Description = one-line tradeoff (always visible). Detail panel = structured plain text in AskUserQuestion's monospace preview box — short lines (~50 chars), ALL CAPS for section headers, dashes for bullets, ASCII tables for structure. No markdown formatting (renders as literal text, not rich text). The choice prompt IS the presentation — no text walls before it.
• Batch independent choices — Non-conflicting dimensions go into a single AskUserQuestion (up to 4 questions per call). Only separate dimensions where one choice constrains another.
• Techniques are internal — Apply reasoning techniques in your thinking. Present the insights they produce in plain language. Never name techniques (inversion, Musashi, obstacle-as-path, etc.) in user-facing output.
• Infer, state, ask only if ambiguous — Classify domain type, reversibility, and expert selection yourself. State your classification as a brief line. Only prompt via AskUserQuestion when genuinely unclear.
• Brief scannable output — Bullets over paragraphs. Findings in 1-2 lines each. No text walls between prompts.

Workflow

Step 1: Extract