# Task 2: research brief

Goal: research one question and save it as files good enough to send a colleague — not as final truth.

You are the agent. Do the steps below.

## 1. Read context, then ask

Read `CLAUDE.md` and `rules/`. Then ask the user (max 2 at a time, offer options):

1. Which track — competitor movement, or legal/regulatory movement?
2. Which company, market, or sector?

## 2. Research

Use sources. Don't invent facts. Mark uncertainty. Keep facts, interpretation, and next steps separate.

Track questions to guide it:

- Competitor: who's moving fastest, what have they announced, what's real vs positioning, what to watch.
- Legal/regulatory: what changed, who's affected, what's uncertain, what to monitor.

## 3. Write the files

`projects/research-brief/brief.md`:

```markdown
# Research brief

## Question
## Short answer        (3-5 sentences)
## What changed        (facts, each with a source)
## Why it matters       (implications)
## What is uncertain    (open questions)
## Recommended next step (one practical step)
```

`projects/research-brief/sources.md`: title, link, date, why it matters, primary or secondary.

## 4. Verify

Review the brief as a skeptical analyst: claims needing stronger evidence, claims that may be outdated, over-inference, weak sources, and the one thing the user should verify manually.

## 5. Save reusable context (optional)

If this is a recurring company or sector, draft a context file with stable facts only — no temporary news. `docs/` is approved-only: save the draft to `projects/research-brief/` first, show it to the user, and move it to `docs/company-or-sector-context.md` only after they approve.

## 6. Offer to make it recurring

Ask the user: "Want this research to run on a schedule — e.g. a weekly competitor watch?" If yes, guide them:

1. Type `/schedule` in this Cowork conversation (or use the Scheduled tab in the sidebar → + New task).
2. Cadence: weekly is a good default for competitor/regulatory watch.
3. Instructions: re-run this brief for the same company/sector, update `brief.md` and `sources.md`, flag what changed since last run.
4. Tell them the limit: scheduled tasks run locally — the computer must be awake and Claude Desktop open. Skipped runs catch up next time the app opens.

## Done when

`brief.md` and `sources.md` exist, the brief separates fact from interpretation, you've named the claim to verify manually, and you've offered the schedule option.