practice-wdyd

- references/feedback-rubric.md - references/answer-anti-patterns.md - references/stage-coaching.md Select a question using spaced repetition, adopt an interviewer persona, coach the user's answer, then log a detailed session file. Load Configuration

<load-config>
  <action>Resolve the user's home directory.</action>
  <command language="bash" output="home" tool="Bash">echo $HOME</command>
  <constraint>Never pass `~` to the Read tool.</constraint>

  <read path="<home>/.things/config.json" output="config" />
  <if condition="config-missing">Tell the user: "Run `/things:setup-things` first." Then stop.</if>

  <read path="<home>/.things/shared/professional-profile.json" output="profile" />

  <read path="<home>/.things/what-did-you-do/preferences.json" output="preferences" />
  <if condition="preferences-missing">Tell the user: "Run `/setup-wdyd` first." Then stop.</if>
</load-config>

Load the User's Arsenal

<action>Read all files in `<home>/.things/i-did-a-thing/arsenal/` to understand logged skills and evidence. Read professional goals from `<home>/.things/shared/professional-profile.json`.</action>

<if condition="no-logs-exist">

> You haven't logged any entries yet. Run `/thing-i-did` first so I have your arsenal to coach you with. I can still ask questions, but my feedback will be much richer with your evidence loaded.

</if>

Load Session History

<command language="bash" tool="Bash">bash <plugin_root>/scripts/search-sessions.sh --recent 10</command>

<constraint>Use recent session data for spaced repetition: avoid recently asked questions, weight toward weak dimensions.</constraint>

Select Persona

<if condition="persona-specified">
  <read path="<home>/.things/shared/roles/<persona>.md" output="persona" />
</if>

<if condition="no-persona-specified">
  <action>Select based on the question's `interviewer_types` field.</action>
</if>

<if condition="no-persona-and-no-question-yet">
  <ask-user>
  Who's interviewing you today?

  <options>
  - Staff Engineer -- technical depth, architecture, tradeoffs
  - Engineering Manager -- collaboration, communication, growth
  - Principal Engineer -- system thinking, organizational impact
  - Bar Raiser -- judgment, ownership, cross-functional depth
  - Recruiter -- motivation, culture fit, communication clarity
  - Surprise -- I'll pick based on the question
  </options>
  </ask-user>
</if>

<action>Read the selected persona file and adopt their voice, evaluation weights, and follow-up patterns.</action>

Select Question Category

<if condition="category-provided">
  <action>Use the provided category argument.</action>
</if>

<if condition="no-category-provided">
  <ask-user>
  What kind of question?

  <options>
  - `behavioral` -- "Tell me about a time when..."
  - `technical` -- Architecture, code quality, operations
  - `system-design` -- End-to-end system architecture
  - `leadership` -- Mentorship, decisions, strategy
  - `situational` -- "What would you do if..."
  - `surprise` -- Weighted toward your gaps
  </options>
  </ask-user>
</if>

Select Question Using Spaced Repetition

<action>Read `<plugin_root>/questions/<category>.yaml` and `<home>/.things/what-did-you-do/questions/custom.yaml` for custom questions.</action>

<algorithm name="spaced-repetition">
  <phase name="filter-category" number="1">Filter by category (and stage if `default_stage` is set in config).</phase>
  <phase name="filter-level" number="2">Filter by level appropriate to `current_role` and `target_roles`.</phase>
  <phase name="filter-recency" number="3">Filter out questions asked in the last 7 days (from session history).</phase>
  <phase name="score-candidates" number="4">
    Score remaining questions:
    - `weakness_weight = 5 - avg_score_for_skills_tested` (from session history)
    - `recency_bonus = days_since_last_asked / 14` (capped at 2.0)
    - `aspirational_bonus = 1.5 if any skill_tested is in aspirational_skills, else 0`
    - `total = weakness_weight + recency_bonus + aspirational_bonus`
  </phase>
  <phase name="weighted-random" number="5">Select from top-scored questions with some randomness (weighted random, not strictly top).</phase>
</algorithm>

Ask the Question

<action>Present the question in the persona's voice.</action>

<template name="persona-question">

> **[Persona Name]**: <question>
>
> Take your time. Answer as if you're in an actual interview.

</template>

<constraint>Note the question's `time_budget_minutes` and `expected_format` for coaching context, but don't display them to the user.</constraint>

Receive and Analyze the Answer

<action>After the user answers, analyze against five dimensions (from `references/feedback-rubric.md`).</action>

<rubric>
1. Specificity (1-5) -- Concrete details vs vague claims
2. Structure (1-5) -- Clear narrative arc (STAR/CAR)
3. Impact (1-5) -- Quantified outcomes, scope of effect
4. Relevance (1-5) -- Actually answers the question asked
5. Self-Advocacy (1-5) -- Owns contribution without hogging credit
</rubric>

<validate>Check the answer against the question's `red_flags` and `green_flags`.</validate>

<action>Cross-reference with arsenal, prioritizing evidence types by question theme.</action>

<if condition="question-about-failure-or-challenge">Prioritize `lesson` entries from arsenal.</if>
<if condition="question-about-expertise-or-depth">Prioritize `expertise` entries.</if>
<if condition="question-about-technical-decision">Prioritize `decision` entries.</if>
<if condition="question-about-influence-or-mentoring">Prioritize `influence` entries.</if>
<if condition="question-about-vision-or-hypothetical">Prioritize `insight` entries.</if>
<if condition="standard-behavioral-question">Default to `accomplishment` entries.</if>

For each relevant arsenal entry:
- Find logged entries that could strengthen the answer
- Identify skills demonstrated but not mentioned
- Note metrics from logs they could have cited

Deliver Follow-Ups (Based on Depth Config)

Based on `follow_up_depth` in config:

<if condition="depth-concise">
  <action>Skip follow-ups. Go directly to feedback.</action>
</if>

<if condition="depth-detailed">
  <action>Ask the question's `depth: 2` follow-up in the persona's voice. Analyze the follow-up answer.</action>
</if>

<if condition="depth-coaching">
  <action>Ask `depth: 2` follow-up, analyze, then ask `depth: 3` follow-up. Continue the conversation until the user is satisfied.</action>
</if>

Deliver Feedback

<action>Use the persona's voice and evaluation weights. Reference `references/feedback-rubric.md` for scoring and `references/answer-anti-patterns.md` for anti-pattern detection. Use `references/stage-coaching.md` for stage-specific guidance.</action>

<template name="feedback-format">

> **[Persona Name]'s Assessment**
>
> | Dimension | Score | Notes |
> |-----------|-------|-------|
> | Specificity | x/5 | <brief note> |
> | Structure | x/5 | <brief note> |
> | Impact | x/5 | <brief note> |
> | Relevance | x/5 | <brief note> |
> | Self-Advocacy | x/5 | <brief note> |
>
> What worked: <specific strength in the persona's voice>
>
> To strengthen: <specific improvement in the persona's voice>
>
> From your arsenal: <reference to logged entries that could enhance the answer, adapted by evidence type -- e.g., "Your lesson about X is directly relevant here" or "Your expertise entry on X covers exactly what they're asking about" or "Your decision entry about X demonstrates the tradeoff analysis they want to see">
>
> Anti-patterns detected: <any from the question's red_flags or references/answer-anti-patterns.md>

</template>

<if condition="depth-coaching">
  <template name="coaching-action-items">

  > Action items:
  > 1. <specific thing to practice>
  > 2. <accomplishment to log that would fill a gap>
  > 3. <skill to develop>

  </template>
</if>

Log the Session

<write path="<home>/.things/what-did-you-do/sessions/<date>-practice-<question-id>.md">
  <schema name="session-frontmatter">
  ```markdown
  ---
  type: practice
  date: <date>
  question_id: <id>
  question_category: <category>
  question_text: "<text>"
  persona: <persona used>
  follow_up_depth: <concise|detailed|coaching>
  scores:
    specificity: <1-5>
    structure: <1-5>
    impact: <1-5>
    relevance: <1-5>
    self_advocacy: <1-5>
    overall: <average>
  anti_patterns_detected:
    - pattern: "<name>"
      example: "<quote from user's answer>"
  green_flags_hit:
    - "<flag>"
  arsenal_references:
    - file: "<log filename>"
      relevance: "<how it could strengthen the answer>"
  skills_tested:
    - "<skill>"
  unlogged_accomplishment_hints:
    - "<something the user mentioned that isn't in their logs>"
  comparison_to_previous:
    same_question: <null or previous score>
    same_skills: <avg score for these skills across sessions>
  ---
  ```
  </schema>

  <template name="session-body">
  ```markdown
  # Practice Session: <date>

  ## Question
  <question text>

  ## User's Answer
  <summary of their answer>

  ## Feedback Given
  <summary of feedback>

  ## Arsenal Connections
  <which logs were referenced and how>
  ```
  </template>
</write>

Update Progress Dashboard

<action>Read and update `<home>/.things/what-did-you-do/progress.json`.</action>

- Update dimension averages with new scores
- Update category breakdown
- Add to recent sessions list
- Recalculate strongest/weakest categories

Handle Git Workflow

<git-workflow>
  <command language="bash" tool="Bash">git -C <home>/.things pull --rebase 2>/dev/null || true</command>

  <action>Based on the `git_workflow` setting (from config.json):</action>

  <if condition="workflow-ask">
    <ask-user>Use AskUserQuestion -- "Would you like to commit and push this practice session?"</ask-user>
  </if>
  <if condition="workflow-auto">
    <action>Automatically `git add` the session file and progress.json, `git commit -m "practice: <question-id>"`, and `git push`.</action>
  </if>
  <if condition="workflow-manual">
    <action>Tell the user the session has been saved and they can commit when ready.</action>
  </if>
</git-workflow>

Suggest Logging Unlogged Accomplishments

<if condition="user-mentioned-unlogged-experiences">

> I noticed you mentioned some experiences that aren't logged yet:
> - <experience summary> -- this sounds like a <evidence type> entry
>
> These would strengthen your arsenal. Run `/thing-i-did` when you're ready to log them.

</if>

Offer Next Steps

<ask-user>
What next?

<options>
- Practice another question
- Practice the same category again
- Review my progress across sessions
- Done for now
</options>
</ask-user>

<if condition="another-question">Go back to Step 5.</if>
<if condition="review-progress">Display a summary from `progress.json`.</if>