operators-project-init

/operators-project-init

Scaffold the operations/ directory and register it in the project's CLAUDE.md.

What this does

Creates an operations/ folder at the current working directory's project root with three subdirectories:

operations/
├── plans/        # Operating plans, playbooks, runbooks, OKRs
├── reviews/      # Process reviews, post-mortems, operational audits
└── systems/      # SOPs, system documentation, dashboards

Then adds (or creates) a ## Operations section in CLAUDE.md:

## Operations

**Path:** `operations/` (at project root)
**Current plan:** `<user-chosen-slug>` (the plan or focus you're actively working on)

Commands that generate operations artifacts (`/operators-channel` save behavior, `/operators-write-plan`, `/operators-ops-review`) write to `operations/<subdir>/<current-plan>.md` by default. Update `Current plan` when moving to a different focus or quarter.

The operator personas read this file plus the project's `README.md`, prior plans at `operations/plans/`, prior reviews at `operations/reviews/`, and SOPs at `operations/systems/`. For cross-craft projects, they also read `.great-authors/project.md`.

For strategic capital allocation at the executive register, cross-dispatch `great-minds:warren-buffett-persona` — he stays in great-minds.

When to use

• Starting operations work on a business (supply chain, management, ops culture, retail, startup ops).
• Extending an existing project (great-authors / great-filmmakers / great-publishers / great-marketers / great-engineers / great-designers) with operations work — for example, the production ops behind a film, the fulfillment ops behind a book, the support ops behind a SaaS product.
• Before invoking /operators-channel with save triggers (which need to know where to write).

Instructions for Claude

When this skill is invoked:

1. Resolve the project root. Use the current working directory unless the user specifies otherwise.

2. Check for existing operations/ directory. If it exists, ask: "An operations/ directory already exists. Overwrite the scaffold (destroys existing content) or skip (leaves it alone)? (overwrite/skip)" — default skip.

3. Read existing project context. Look for these files and read them if present:

   • README.md
   • CLAUDE.md
   • Prior operations docs (plans, runbooks, dashboards)
   • The manifest (package.json, pyproject.toml, etc.) — informs which operators might be most relevant
   • .great-authors/project.md (if cross-craft project)

   This context informs which operator personas the user should know about (e.g., if there's a supply chain question, mention Cook; if there's a management cadence question, mention Grove; if there's a quality concern, mention Deming).

4. Ask the plan-slug question. One question:

   • "What's the slug for the plan or focus you're starting with? Default: based on what's in the project. Accept any kebab-case identifier (e.g., q2-supply-plan, support-ops-2026, startup-wartime-pivot)."

5. Create the directory tree. Three empty subdirectories under operations/:

   • plans/
   • reviews/
   • systems/

6. Update CLAUDE.md. Read the existing file. If it doesn't exist, create one with a minimal header plus the ## Operations section. If it exists and has an ## Operations section, ask whether to overwrite. If it exists without one, append the ## Operations block documented above.

7. Report:

   Created operations/ with subdirs:
     plans/  reviews/  systems/
   
   Updated CLAUDE.md with ## Operations section.
   Current plan: <slug>
   
   Detected project context:
   - <Operations summary: supply chain / SaaS support / retail / etc.>
   - <Key files present: prior plans, runbooks, etc.>
   
   Next:
   - /operators-channel <persona> for direct collaboration. The personas best-fit to this project are <list 2-3 based on signals>.
   - /operators-write-plan <focus> to draft an operating plan.
   - /operators-ops-review <path> to review an existing process or system.
   
   For strategic capital allocation, dispatch warren-buffett-persona from great-minds:
     Agent({subagent_type: "great-minds:warren-buffett-persona", ...})
   

Notes

• This skill does not commit to git. The user owns their repository.
• The operations/ directory is for ARTIFACTS at the operations stage. The actual running of the operation is the user's. Operations artifacts describe, review, and decide; they don't replace the doing.
• For software-only projects, no .great-authors/ is needed. For cross-craft projects, .great-authors/ is the bible spine and operator personas read it alongside the operations context.
• The current-plan slug names "what we're working on right now." Update it when you move to a different focus.