Gmacko Plan Generator

Generate INITIAL_PLAN.md from an existing PROJECT_MANIFEST.json.

Prerequisites

• PROJECT_MANIFEST.json must exist in the repository root
• Run gmacko-init-interview first if manifest doesn't exist

Workflow

digraph plan {
    rankdir=TB;
    node [shape=box];
    
    start [label="Start" shape=ellipse];
    check [label="1. Check for PROJECT_MANIFEST.json"];
    exists [label="Manifest exists?" shape=diamond];
    read [label="2. Read and validate manifest"];
    generate [label="3. Generate plan sections"];
    write [label="4. Write INITIAL_PLAN.md"];
    handoff [label="5. Create handoff document"];
    done [label="Plan Complete" shape=ellipse];
    error [label="Error: Run interview first" shape=ellipse];
    
    start -> check -> exists;
    exists -> read [label="yes"];
    exists -> error [label="no"];
    read -> generate -> write -> handoff -> done;
}

Execution Steps

Step 1: Check for Manifest

# Verify PROJECT_MANIFEST.json exists
if [ ! -f "PROJECT_MANIFEST.json" ]; then
  echo "ERROR: PROJECT_MANIFEST.json not found"
  echo "Run the gmacko-init-interview skill first"
  exit 1
fi

Step 2: Read and Validate

Read PROJECT_MANIFEST.json and validate:

• Required fields present: project.name, platforms, integrations
• Version is supported (1.0.0)
• At least one platform enabled

Step 3: Generate Plan Sections

Generate INITIAL_PLAN.md with these sections:

Executive Summary

• Project name and description
• Key decisions table (platforms, auth, payments, API style, deployment)

MVP Scope

• In-scope features (from goals.mvpScope)
• Out-of-scope features (from goals.outOfScope)

Success Metrics

• Table of metrics from goals.successMetrics

Data Model

• Entity relationship diagram (ASCII art)
• Table definitions for each entity in database.entities
• Relationship descriptions

API Routers

• List each router from api.routers
• Generate standard CRUD operations for each
• Note real-time requirements if api.realtime is true

Screen Specifications

For each screen in screens.mvp:

• Purpose
• Key components
• Auth requirements
• Data dependencies (which API calls)

Integration Configuration

For each enabled integration:

• Provider and purpose
• Key configuration options
• Webhooks needed (if any)
• Events to track (for analytics)

Deployment Environments

• Table of environments (name, branch, domain)
• Environment-specific notes

Implementation Milestones

Generate 4-week milestone plan:

Week 1: Foundation

• Setup and provisioning
• Database schema
• Auth integration
• Basic API routers

Week 2: Core Features

• Primary CRUD operations
• Main screens
• Real-time integration (if enabled)

Week 3: Polish

• Payment integration (if enabled)
• Settings/preferences
• Analytics events
• Error handling

Week 4: Launch

• Landing page
• Staging deployment
• QA testing
• Production deployment

Step 4: Write INITIAL_PLAN.md

Write the generated plan to INITIAL_PLAN.md in the repository root.

Include header:

# Initial Plan: [Display Name]

> Generated from PROJECT_MANIFEST.json on [date]
> Template Version: 1.0.0

Include footer:

---

*This plan was generated by the gmacko-init-plan skill. Updates should be reflected in PROJECT_MANIFEST.json first, then regenerate this document.*

Step 5: Create Handoff Document

Write docs/ai/handoffs/init-plan.md:

# Initialization Handoff: Plan Generated

## Status
- [x] PROJECT_MANIFEST.json created
- [x] INITIAL_PLAN.md generated

## Artifacts
- PROJECT_MANIFEST.json: Project configuration (source of truth)
- INITIAL_PLAN.md: Human-readable implementation roadmap

## Next Steps
- [ ] Review INITIAL_PLAN.md with stakeholders
- [ ] Run `gmacko-init-bootstrap` to execute setup.sh
- [ ] Run `gmacko-init-provision` to configure services

## Verification Checklist
- [ ] Project name is correct
- [ ] All required integrations are listed
- [ ] Data model matches requirements
- [ ] Screens cover MVP scope
- [ ] Milestones are realistic

Output Example

See docs/ai/examples/INITIAL_PLAN.example.md for a complete example.

Red Flags

Rationalization	Correction
"I'll generate a plan without a manifest"	STOP: Manifest is required source of truth
"I'll add features not in the manifest"	Only include what's specified in manifest
"I'll skip the handoff document"	ALWAYS create handoff for audit trail
"The milestones seem too long, I'll shorten them"	Keep 4-week structure; adjust scope instead

Dependencies

• Requires: PROJECT_MANIFEST.json
• Produces: INITIAL_PLAN.md, docs/ai/handoffs/init-plan.md
• Next skill: gmacko-init-bootstrap