Initialize Context Ledger

Create a new Context Ledger workspace for evidence-based product development.

Context Isolation: This command invokes the initializing-ledger skill which runs in a forked context. The initialization work is performed in isolation, keeping the main conversation clean.

Arguments

$ARGUMENTS: The project brief - a text description of what you're building.

Optional flags:

• --path <path> - Custom workspace location (default: ./ledger/)

Workflow

1. Parse Brief

   • Extract core description (max 5 sentences)
   • Identify target users
   • Extract goals (must be specific/measurable)
   • Extract constraints
   • Identify out-of-scope items

2. Validate Completeness

   • Check for required components
   • Prompt for missing critical information
   • Confirm interpretation with user if ambiguous

3. Create Directory Structure

   ledger/
   ├── 00-brief/
   ├── 01-pillars/
   ├── 02-evidence/{market,users,tech,competitors,design,legal,ops,economics}/
   ├── 03-synthesis/
   ├── 04-decisions/
   ├── 05-risks/
   ├── 06-prd/
   ├── 07-architecture/
   ├── 08-plan/
   ├── 09-brand/
   └── 10-gtm-ops/
   

4. Generate Initial Files

   • 00-brief/BRIEF.md - Structured brief document
   • 01-pillars/PILLARS.md - Pillar configuration with priorities

5. Report Summary

   • Workspace path
   • Brief summary
   • Pillar priorities
   • Next steps

Example Usage

Basic initialization

/ledger-init Build a task management app for remote software teams that integrates with Slack and GitHub

With custom path

/ledger-init --path ~/projects/taskapp/ledger "Build a task management app for remote teams"

Detailed brief

/ledger-init We're building a documentation tool for developers. Target: small dev teams (5-50 people). Must ship MVP in 6 weeks. Web-only for now, no mobile. Key goal is reducing documentation time by 30%.

Output

## Ledger Initialized

**Path:** ./ledger/
**Created:** 2026-01-21

### Brief Summary
Building a task management app for remote software teams with Slack and GitHub integration.

### Pillar Priorities

**High Priority:**
- Users (remote team workflows critical)
- Competitors (crowded market)
- Tech (integration requirements)

**Medium Priority:**
- Market, Design, Economics

**Lower Priority:**
- Legal, Ops (MVP phase)

### Next Step
Run `/ledger-research` to begin parallel evidence collection across all pillars.

User Interaction

Use the AskUserQuestion tool when:

Brief is too vague

User: /ledger-init Build an app
→ Use AskUserQuestion tool:
  Question: "Your brief needs more detail. What type of app and who is it for?"
  Options:
  - "Let me provide a detailed brief"
  - "Help me structure my idea"
  - "Show me example briefs"

Missing goals

User: /ledger-init Build a CRM for small businesses
→ Use AskUserQuestion tool:
  Question: "What are the key goals for this CRM? What does success look like?"
  Options:
  - "Reduce sales cycle time"
  - "Improve customer retention tracking"
  - "Replace spreadsheet-based tracking"
  - "Let me specify goals"

Missing constraints

User: /ledger-init [brief without constraints]
→ Use AskUserQuestion tool:
  Question: "What constraints should I know about?"
  Options:
  - "Timeline: Ship within [X] weeks"
  - "Budget: Under $[X]"
  - "Team: [X] engineers available"
  - "No significant constraints"
  - "Let me specify constraints"

Pillar prioritization

After parsing brief:
→ Use AskUserQuestion tool:
  Question: "Based on your brief, which research areas are most critical?"
  Options:
  - "Market + Users (validate demand first)" (Recommended)
  - "Tech + Competitors (validate feasibility first)"
  - "All equally important"
  - "Let me specify priorities"

Quality Gates

The initialization will fail if:

Check	Failure Condition
Core description	Empty or >5 sentences after prompting
Target users	Cannot identify any user group
Goals	Zero measurable goals after prompting
Constraints	Zero constraints after prompting

After Initialization

Your ledger is ready for evidence collection. The typical workflow:

1. /ledger-init - Initialize (you are here)
2. /ledger-research - Collect evidence across pillars
3. /ledger-synthesize - Synthesize findings
4. /ledger-decide - Make explicit decisions
5. /ledger-spec - Generate constrained PRD + architecture
6. /ledger-plan - Generate implementation plan