Ask Maestro
You do not remember every Maestro route, so ask.
This skill is a router. It chooses the next Maestro skill or lifecycle recipe; it does not replace the chosen skill. After routing, follow that skill and the repo harness.
Quick Start
Run maestro status before routing. If implementation might overlap another
session, run maestro active and respect any conflict-handoff hard stop.
If the next move is still unclear, run maestro loop next. It is read-only and
routes from local artifacts. Read the selected recipe with
maestro loop show <recipe>.
Rule: loop next recommends; outcome/proof/memory verbs write. Use
maestro loop next --chain to explain current chain position without writing,
maestro loop outcome to record structured attempt outcomes and transition
receipts after native work, maestro loop trace <card> to audit card-scoped
receipts, and maestro loop improve for read-only improvement proposals. Do
not use hidden stores, hidden schedulers, silent recipe mutation, or proof/QA
bypass.
The Main Flow: Idea To Ship
Most Maestro work moves through this path:
maestro-design- use for unsettled behavior, brainstorm, workflow design, specs, PRD synthesis, domain modeling, grilling, UX shape, or skill/harness design. Stay here until material forks are locked and the feature handoff is finalized. "lock all", "all rec", and all-recommendations batches must be a DecisionSet or separate child decisions, not one compressed summary lock.maestro-card- use after design approval or for already-scoped executable work: implement, bugfix, verify, QA, close, release, archive, or continue active work. Behavior-changing implementation defaults to test-first work unless the task is explicitly docs/config/mechanical/light/spike.maestro-cardship path - usemaestro loop show shipfor close, release, local install, archive, and proof-backed handoff boundaries.
Do not route approved build work back into design just because more discussion is possible. Do route back to design when the requested outcome depends on an unsettled product, lifecycle, schema, command, or UX decision.
On-Ramps
- Setup, sync, install, hooks, global skills, doctor, or harness initialization:
use
maestro-setup. - Repo-wide improvement, architecture review, code review, harness backlog, or
read-only deepening proposals: use
maestro-audit. - Raw incoming bug report with an obvious reproduction target: use
maestro-cardand the bugfix loop: reproduce, root cause, smallest correct fix, regression coverage, verification, scoped commit. - Raw incoming feature request with open questions: use
maestro-design. - External PRD or plan that is already approved enough to execute: use
maestro-cardintake. - Small same-session work: use the Progress task surface through
maestro task setupormaestro task add/start/done; proof is still required on completion.
Cross-Session Continuation
Use Maestro artifacts instead of chat memory:
- Design continuation:
maestro feature reconcile <id>writes or refreshes the pre-finalize receipt, thenmaestro feature finalize <id>writes the handoff; the next session starts from that handoff. - Active work continuation:
maestro status,maestro task show <id>, andmaestro card show <id>reveal the current task, locked acceptance, and proof state. - Shared-store coordination: use
maestro active, links, messages, and theconflict-handoffrecipe when sessions may overlap.
Quick Router
- "What should I use?" -> this skill, then the closest row below.
- "Set up Maestro here" ->
maestro-setup. - "Brainstorm/design/grill/spec/PRD/domain model this" ->
maestro-design. - "Go build/implement/fix/verify/close/archive/release" ->
maestro-card. - "Review/audit/find improvements/propose backlog" ->
maestro-audit. - "Work while away/asleep/keep looping" ->
maestro-card, thenmaestro loop show unattended. - "Record a reusable lesson" ->
maestro-card, thenmaestro loop show learning. - "There are active sessions or possible overlap" ->
maestro loop show conflict-handoff.
Completion criterion: one route is chosen with the exact next skill, recipe, or command; if no route fits, the missing fact is explicit before fallback.
Stop
If no route fits, say what is missing and use maestro loop next before
inventing a custom flow. Custom flows still use Maestro verbs, proof, QA,
authority gates, hard stops, and the loop grammar:
perceive -> choose -> act -> observe -> learn -> continue.