stage-manager

Stop and check whether the work in progress is still coherent — still pointing at the original intent, still serving the right user, still worth building in this form. Use this skill when a builder senses something is off but can't name it, feels like the work has drifted, wants to reset before continuing, asks "are we still on track," "does this still make sense," or "should we keep going." Also use at natural transition points — between chunks, after unexpected results from a coding tool, or whenever the plot feels lost mid-build. Can be run on any artifact: a prompt, a chunk, a PRD, a conversation, a set of cards. This is a lightweight gate — 2 minutes at any transition point. For the full shape/stage boundary synthesis with inline change suggestions and a staged spec, use Shape Brief instead. Part of the Stage Manager Artful Making Skill Library by Manifest AI.

Read the accumulated output from one or more shape skills (Find the Holes, Collapsed Options, Risk Sequence, Soul Check) and synthesize findings into a ranked top-three problem areas with suggested fixes — then generate inline change suggestions for the builder to accept or reject, produce a Stage_Manager_Brief.md handoff document, and write an updated spec as [original-filename]-Staged.md ready for /ce:brainstorm, /ce:work, /ce:plan, or Superpowers. Use when a builder has run one or more shape skills and wants to move forward without manually synthesizing the output themselves. Also use when a builder says "brief this," "synthesize the shape," "what are the top problems," or "I'm ready to hand off." Part of the Stage Manager Artful Making Skill Library by Manifest AI.

Analyze a PRD, MRD, architecture doc, prompt, or prototype for places where the builder has already committed to a typical solution without knowing it — especially when they are trying to push the envelope on something. Use this skill when a vibe coder asks "am I thinking too small," "are there better approaches," "what are my options before I build this," "am I moving too fast," or wants to protect a breakthrough idea from being averaged down by safe, default choices. Also use when transitioning from prototype to production. Part of the Stage Manager Artful Making Skill Library by Manifest AI.

Analyze a PRD, MRD, architecture doc, or prompt for specification gaps where coding tools will invent behavior on their own. Use this skill whenever a vibe coder or builder asks to "find the holes," "review my spec," "what will the AI fill in," "check my PRD," or wants to identify underspecified areas before handing work to Claude Code, Cursor, Replit, or any agentic coding tool. Part of the Stage Manager Artful Making Skill Library by Manifest AI.

Analyze a PRD, MRD, architecture doc, design doc, or prompt for the load-bearing assumptions — the things that, if wrong, make everything downstream irrelevant. Use this skill when a vibe coder wants to know what to build first, asks "what could go wrong," wants to sequence work to surface the riskiest assumptions early, is worried about building the wrong thing, or wants to apply lean startup or Jobs to Be Done thinking before committing to a full build. Also use before writing prompts for Claude Code, Cursor, or Replit to ensure the highest-risk work gets proven before the lower-risk work gets built. Part of the Stage Manager Artful Making Skill Library by Manifest AI.