---
name: start
description: Initialize a delivery planning workspace and initiative without overwriting existing artifacts. Use to begin a planning effort; this preview does not start a shipping team.
---

# Start delivery planning

Greenfield ideas and brownfield products are equal entry paths. When the user
needs to establish customer value, preserve owner intent, understand existing
features or assess change impact, continue with `$delivery:product` and the
[shared product contract](../../references/product.md). A greenfield product
record needs no code repository. Existing code/artifacts are inspected and reused
for brownfield; neither path implies a running team or a deployed feature.

Read [host capability guidance](../../references/runtime.md) and
[delivery conventions](../../references/conventions.md).

For an ordinary authorized delivery or shipping workflow, follow the
[bounded-change route](../../references/bounded-change.md) through selection,
story, sprint, independent review, realignment and its authorized shipping
handoff. Existing host tools can carry out authorized actions; planning
initialization alone is not the completed workflow. Missing tools or permissions
remain explicit, and loading this skill grants no shipping authority.

Before treating a publication check as enforcement, establish which actual host
routes it controls, including shell, HTTP, connectors, uploads and delegation.
Keep unavailable routes and unverified audience checks explicit. The optional
[local publication component](../../references/publication.md) includes an opt-in
reviewed local bundle handler. For an explicitly requested local handoff, discover
`delivery_publication_submit`, `delivery_publication_publish` and
`delivery_publication_receipt` on the current host. Follow the documented envelope
and trusted review flow; a submitted candidate is not a released bundle. If the
tools or trusted reviewer are unavailable, keep the handoff pending and report
the missing capability. Do not substitute another output route and call it gated.
The handler's local effect does not establish remote publication, protection for
other host tools, or a complete installed delivery journey.

When the user requests persistent coordination or a persistent delivery team,
read [local team runtime setup](../../references/team-runtime.md). Resolve the
actual roster, planning project, product worktrees, available models and execution
capabilities. Only report role startup from actual coordinator status and native
session results. Explicitly report any unimplemented protected workflow
requirement; a queue entry or a role name is not an operating shipping team.

Resolve the project/component and initiative from the user's request and existing
artifacts. Reuse the existing delivery root; honor project instructions specifying
another root by selecting that root's parent as the helper's project. For a
multi-component repository, resolve the component before initializing. Do not
guess a new initiative when several exist. A requested new named initiative is
authorization to create it; ask only for missing choices.

When a local workspace, shell and Python are actually available, run the helper
with the resolved package path:

```sh
python3 <plugin-root>/scripts/project.py init --project <project-directory> --initiative <kebab-case-slug>
```

It creates directories only, preserves all artifacts and reuses an ancestor
workspace. A nested workspace, symlink or conflicting file is reported as an
error; report it and resolve the path rather than working around the refusal.
The helper does not inspect project instructions or decide product boundaries;
those choices belong to this skill.

Without local execution, establish the project/initiative and canonical artifact
store from accessible documents and the user's request. Do not run or simulate
the helper. Return the chosen artifact namespace and persistence method; if no
write tool exists, explain that subsequent documents will be prepared for export.
Do not claim directories or remote records were created. Existing uploads are
snapshots, not live workspaces. Start can establish a workflow without creating
empty folders on a machine it cannot access.

Report the artifact store, initiative, and any actual directories created or
records saved; otherwise explicitly report planning context only. This starts
planning, with no persistent team, hooks or decision-provider calls. Continue
with `$delivery:brief` for a new framing, or the requested phase when its inputs
exist. Do not create generic placeholder briefs or change project configuration.