title	project-init: Initialize projects with AI Dev Flow framework
name	project-init
description	Initialize projects with AI Dev Flow framework using domain-aware setup
tags	sdd-workflow, shared-architecture
custom_fields	[object Object]

project-init

Purpose

Provide AI assistants with structured guidance for initializing brand new (greenfield) projects using the AI Dev Flow framework. This skill handles the one-time setup process that must occur BEFORE workflow execution begins.

⚠️ CRITICAL: This skill is for NEW PROJECT INITIALIZATION ONLY. For ongoing workflow execution on existing projects, use the doc-flow skill instead.

When to Use This Skill

Use project-init when:

Starting a brand new project from scratch (greenfield)
No project folders exist yet
Domain has not been selected
Project structure needs to be initialized

Do NOT use project-init when:

Project already has docs/ folder structure
Domain is already configured
Working on existing project
→ Use doc-flow skill instead for workflow execution

Hand-off to doc-flow

After completing project initialization, AI Assistant MUST inform user:

✅ Project initialization complete!

Next: Use the `doc-flow` skill to begin workflow execution:
- Create BRD (Business Requirements)
- Create PRD (Product Requirements)
- Follow 16-layer architecture (Layers 0-15) with 12 artifact directories (BRD through IPLAN): BRD → PRD → EARS → BDD → ADR → SYS → REQ → [IMPL] → [CTR] → SPEC → TASKS → IPLAN → Code → Tests → Validation

Initialization Workflow (8 Steps)

Step 0: Read Execution Rules

File: AI_ASSISTANT_RULES.md

Purpose: Understand core execution rules before starting

Key Rules:

Domain Selection FIRST
Create Folders BEFORE Documents
Apply Domain Configuration
Run Contract Questionnaire
Initialize Index Files
Validate Setup
Token Optimization
Tool-Specific Guidance

Action: AI Assistant reads this file to understand all 15 rules

Step 1: Domain Selection (REQUIRED FIRST)

File: DOMAIN_SELECTION_QUESTIONNAIRE.md

Purpose: Determine project domain to load correct configuration

AI Assistant Action: Present questionnaire to user

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
                 PROJECT DOMAIN SELECTION
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

What is the purpose and focus of this new project?

Select one:

1. Financial Services (DEFAULT)
   - Trading platforms, banking, insurance, portfolio management
   - Regulatory: SEC, FINRA, SOX, Basel III, PCI-DSS

2. Software/SaaS
   - B2B/B2C software services, multi-tenant applications
   - Regulatory: SOC2, GDPR/CCPA, ISO 27001

3. Healthcare
   - EMR, telemedicine, medical devices, patient management
   - Regulatory: HIPAA, FDA, HITECH, 21 CFR Part 11

4. E-commerce
   - Retail, marketplace, subscription services
   - Regulatory: PCI-DSS, GDPR/CCPA, FTC

5. IoT (Internet of Things)
   - Connected devices, sensors, industrial systems
   - Regulatory: FCC, CE, UL/IEC, FDA (medical devices)

6. Other/Generic
   - Internal tools, utilities, custom domain
   - Regulatory: Company policies only

Enter selection (1-6) or press Enter for default (1):

Output: Domain selected, configuration file determined

Domain Configuration Mapping:

Selection	Domain	Config File
1 or Enter	Financial Services	FINANCIAL_DOMAIN_CONFIG.md
2	Software/SaaS	SOFTWARE_DOMAIN_CONFIG.md
3	Healthcare	DOMAIN_ADAPTATION_GUIDE.md (Healthcare)
4	E-commerce	DOMAIN_ADAPTATION_GUIDE.md (E-commerce)
5	IoT	DOMAIN_ADAPTATION_GUIDE.md (IoT)
6	Other/Generic	GENERIC_DOMAIN_CONFIG.md

Step 2: Folder Structure Creation (REQUIRED SECOND)

Rule: AI Assistant MUST create complete directory structure BEFORE creating any documents.

Why: Prevents "file not found" errors, ensures proper organization

IMPORTANT: Ensure project root directory exists first:

# Create project root directory if it doesn't exist
mkdir -p {project_root}
cd {project_root}

Replace {project_root} with your actual project path (e.g., /opt/data/my_project)

Commands to Execute:

# Core 16-layer architecture (Layers 0-15) with 12 artifact directories (BRD through IPLAN)
mkdir -p docs/BRD
mkdir -p docs/PRD
mkdir -p docs/EARS
mkdir -p docs/BDD
mkdir -p docs/ADR
mkdir -p docs/SYS
mkdir -p docs/REQ
mkdir -p docs/IMPL
mkdir -p docs/CTR
mkdir -p docs/SPEC
mkdir -p docs/TASKS
mkdir -p docs/IPLAN

# Standard requirements subdirectories (ALL PROJECTS)
mkdir -p docs/REQ/api
mkdir -p docs/REQ/auth
mkdir -p docs/REQ/data
mkdir -p docs/REQ/core
mkdir -p docs/REQ/integration
mkdir -p docs/REQ/monitoring
mkdir -p docs/REQ/reporting
mkdir -p docs/REQ/security
mkdir -p docs/REQ/ui

# Domain-specific subdirectories (based on Step 1 selection)
# Financial Services:
mkdir -p docs/REQ/risk
mkdir -p docs/REQ/trading
mkdir -p docs/REQ/portfolio
mkdir -p docs/REQ/compliance
mkdir -p docs/REQ/ml

# Software/SaaS:
mkdir -p docs/REQ/tenant
mkdir -p docs/REQ/subscription
mkdir -p docs/REQ/billing
mkdir -p docs/REQ/workspace

# Healthcare:
mkdir -p docs/REQ/patient
mkdir -p docs/REQ/clinical
mkdir -p docs/REQ/ehr
mkdir -p docs/REQ/hipaa

# E-commerce:
mkdir -p docs/REQ/catalog
mkdir -p docs/REQ/cart
mkdir -p docs/REQ/order
mkdir -p docs/REQ/payment
mkdir -p docs/REQ/inventory

# IoT:
mkdir -p docs/REQ/device
mkdir -p docs/REQ/telemetry
mkdir -p docs/REQ/firmware
mkdir -p docs/REQ/edge

# Scripts directory
mkdir -p scripts

# Work plans directory (for /save-plan command output)
mkdir -p work_plans

Validation:

ls -la docs/  # Verify 12 artifact directories created
ls -la docs/REQ/  # Verify subdirectories
ls -la work_plans/  # Verify work_plans directory

Step 3: Load Domain Configuration

Files:

Purpose: Apply domain-specific terminology and placeholders

AI Assistant Action:

Read selected domain configuration file
Extract placeholder mappings
Store terminology for document generation

Example Mappings:

Financial Services:

[RESOURCE_COLLECTION] → Portfolio
[RESOURCE_ITEM] → Position
[USER_ROLE] → Trader / Portfolio Manager
[TRANSACTION] → Trade
[REGULATORY_REQUIREMENT] → SEC Rule 15c3-5

Software/SaaS:

[RESOURCE_COLLECTION] → Workspace
[RESOURCE_ITEM] → Resource
[USER_ROLE] → Account Admin / Member
[TRANSACTION] → API Call
[REGULATORY_REQUIREMENT] → SOC2 Control

Generic:

[RESOURCE_COLLECTION] → Collection
[RESOURCE_ITEM] → Entity
[USER_ROLE] → User
[TRANSACTION] → Action
[REGULATORY_REQUIREMENT] → Company Policy

Step 4: Template Copying (Optional)

Purpose: Copy framework templates to project (optional step)

Commands:

# Copy all templates (if framework templates exist)
cp -r {project_root}/ai_dev_flow/* docs/

# Copy validation scripts
cp {project_root}/ai_dev_flow/scripts/*.py scripts/

Note: This step is optional. Templates can also be referenced directly from framework location.

Step 5: Contract Decision (REQUIRED)

File: CONTRACT_DECISION_QUESTIONNAIRE.md

Purpose: Determine if CTR (Contracts) layer should be included in workflow

AI Assistant Action: Present questionnaire to user

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
              CONTRACT DECISION QUESTIONNAIRE
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Does this project require API contracts or interface definitions?

Select all that apply:

1. ☐ REST/GraphQL APIs (External HTTP endpoints)
2. ☐ Event Schemas (Pub/Sub, message queues, webhooks)
3. ☐ Data Contracts (Shared database schemas, data models between services)
4. ☐ RPC/gRPC Interfaces (Service-to-service communication)
5. ☐ WebSocket APIs (Real-time bidirectional communication)
6. ☐ File Format Specifications (CSV, JSON, XML exchange formats)
7. ☐ None - Internal logic only
8. ☐ Unsure - Need guidance

Enter selections (comma-separated, e.g., "1,2" or single "7"):

Decision Matrix:

Selection	Include CTR?	Workflow
1-6	YES	REQ → IMPL → CTR → SPEC → TASKS
7	NO	REQ → IMPL → SPEC → TASKS
8	Ask follow-up questions	See CONTRACT_DECISION_QUESTIONNAIRE.md

Output: Workflow determined (with or without CTR layer)

Step 6: Index File Initialization + Document Control

Purpose: Create index files for each document type

Document Control Requirements: All AI Dev Flow templates include a Document Control section with:

Project metadata (name, version, date, owner, preparer, status)
Document Revision History table
Essential for traceability, change management, and regulatory compliance

AI Assistant Must Emphasize: When creating documents from templates, users must complete the Document Control section with all required fields.

Commands:

# Create index files
touch docs/BRD/BRD-000_index.md
touch docs/prd/PRD-00_index.md
touch docs/ears/EARS-000_index.md
touch docs/BDD/BDD-000_index.md
touch docs/adrs/ADR-000_index.md
touch docs/sys/SYS-000_index.md
touch docs/REQ/REQ-000_index.md
touch docs/IMPL/IMPL-000_index.md
touch docs/CTR/CTR-000_index.md
touch docs/specs/SPEC-000_index.yaml
touch docs/TASKS/TASKS-000_index.md

Index File Purpose:

Track all documents of each type
Provide next available ID
Document registry with status

Step 7: Validation

Purpose: Verify setup complete and correct

Validation Commands:

# Verify directory structure
ls -laR docs/

# Verify index files exist
ls docs/*/index.* || ls docs/*/*_index.*

# Expected: 12 artifact directories (BRD through IPLAN) + domain subdirectories
# Expected: 12 index files

Success Criteria:

✅ All 12 artifact directories exist (BRD, PRD, EARS, BDD, ADR, SYS, REQ, IMPL, CTR, SPEC, TASKS, IPLAN)
✅ Domain-specific subdirectories exist (risk/, trading/, tenant/, etc.)
✅ All index files created
✅ All templates include Document Control sections
✅ Validation scripts present (if copied)
✅ work_plans directory exists (for /save-plan command)

Error Handling:

If folders missing: Re-run Step 2
If index files missing: Re-run Step 6
If domain subdirs missing: Check Step 1 domain selection

Step 8: Project Ready - Hand-off to doc-flow

AI Assistant Confirmation Message:

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
              PROJECT INITIALIZATION COMPLETE
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

✓ Domain: [Financial Services / Software/SaaS / etc.]
✓ Folders: Created (12 artifact directories + domain subdirectories)
✓ Domain Config: Applied ([PLACEHOLDERS] → [domain terms])
✓ Contracts: [Included / Skipped] (CTR layer [active / inactive])
✓ Index Files: Initialized (12 files)
✓ Validation: Passed

Workflow Configuration:
[With CTR]:    REQ → IMPL → CTR → SPEC → TASKS → Code
[Without CTR]: REQ → IMPL → SPEC → TASKS → Code

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
                      NEXT STEPS
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

✅ Project structure ready for development!

Next: Use the `doc-flow` skill to begin workflow execution

Week 1 Tasks (see PROJECT_KICKOFF_TASKS.md):
- Day 1: Create BRD (Business Requirements)
- Day 2: Create PRD + EARS (Product Requirements)
- Day 3: Create BDD + ADR (Tests + Architecture)
- Day 4: Create SYS + REQ (System Specs + Requirements)
- Day 5: Create IMPL + CTR (Implementation Plan + Contracts)
- Day 6: Create SPEC (Technical Specifications)
- Day 7: Create TASKS + Validation

Invoke: doc-flow skill to start Day 1

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Reference Files

All guidance files located in: {project_root}/ai_dev_flow/

Core Guidance Files

AI_ASSISTANT_RULES.md - 15 execution rules
DOMAIN_SELECTION_QUESTIONNAIRE.md - Domain selection
CONTRACT_DECISION_QUESTIONNAIRE.md - Contract decision
PROJECT_SETUP_GUIDE.md - Master setup guide
PROJECT_KICKOFF_TASKS.md - Week 1 tasks
TRACEABILITY_SETUP.md - Validation automation
QUICK_REFERENCE.md - Quick reference card

Domain Configuration Files

FINANCIAL_DOMAIN_CONFIG.md - Financial Services (DEFAULT)
SOFTWARE_DOMAIN_CONFIG.md - Software/SaaS
GENERIC_DOMAIN_CONFIG.md - Generic/Other

Example Usage

Example 1: Software Application Project

User: "Initialize new software application project"

AI Assistant (using project-init skill):

Step 1: Domain Selection
"What is the purpose and focus of this new project?"

User: "2" (Software/SaaS)

AI Assistant:
✓ Domain selected: Software/SaaS
✓ Loading configuration: SOFTWARE_DOMAIN_CONFIG.md
✓ Domain-specific subdirectories: tenant, subscription, billing, workspace

Step 2: Folder Creation
Creating 16-layer architecture (12 artifact directories)...
✓ Created: docs/BRD/
✓ Created: docs/PRD/
✓ Created: docs/EARS/
✓ Created: docs/BDD/
✓ Created: docs/ADR/
✓ Created: docs/SYS/
✓ Created: docs/REQ/
✓ Created: docs/IMPL/
✓ Created: docs/CTR/
✓ Created: docs/SPEC/
✓ Created: docs/TASKS/
✓ Created: docs/IPLAN/
✓ Created: docs/REQ/tenant/
✓ Created: docs/REQ/subscription/
✓ Created: docs/REQ/billing/
✓ Created: docs/REQ/workspace/
✓ Created: scripts/
✓ Created: work_plans/

Step 3: Domain Configuration
Applying Software/SaaS terminology:
✓ [RESOURCE_COLLECTION] → Workspace
✓ [RESOURCE_ITEM] → Resource
✓ [USER_ROLE] → Account Admin
✓ [REGULATORY_REQUIREMENT] → SOC2 Control

Step 5: Contract Decision
"Does this project require API contracts?"

User: "1,2" (REST APIs + Event Schemas)

AI Assistant:
✓ Contracts needed
✓ Contract types: REST API (OpenAPI), Event Schemas (AsyncAPI)
✓ Workflow: REQ → IMPL → CTR → SPEC → TASKS

Step 6: Index Files
✓ All 12 index files created

Step 7: Validation
✓ All directories verified
✓ All index files verified

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
              PROJECT INITIALIZATION COMPLETE
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

✓ Domain: Software/SaaS
✓ Folders: Created (12 artifact directories + 4 SaaS subdirectories)
✓ Contracts: Included (CTR layer active)
✓ Workflow: REQ → IMPL → CTR → SPEC → TASKS

Next: Use `doc-flow` skill to begin workflow execution
Start with: BRD-01 (Business Requirements Document)

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Example 2: Software/SaaS Multi-Tenant Platform

User: "Set up new SaaS project for team collaboration platform"

AI Assistant (using project-init skill):

Step 1: Domain Selection
User: "2" (Software/SaaS)

AI Assistant:
✓ Domain selected: Software/SaaS
✓ Loading configuration: SOFTWARE_DOMAIN_CONFIG.md
✓ Domain-specific subdirectories: tenant, subscription, billing, workspace

Step 2: Folder Creation
✓ All core directories created
✓ SaaS subdirectories created: tenant/, subscription/, billing/, workspace/
✓ Support directories created: scripts/, work_plans/

Step 3: Domain Configuration
✓ [RESOURCE_COLLECTION] → Workspace
✓ [RESOURCE_ITEM] → Resource
✓ [USER_ROLE] → Account Admin
✓ [TRANSACTION] → API Call
✓ [REGULATORY_REQUIREMENT] → SOC2 Control

Step 5: Contract Decision
User: "1,2" (REST API + Event Schemas)

AI Assistant:
✓ Contracts included
✓ Workflow: REQ → IMPL → CTR → SPEC → TASKS

Project Ready!
Next: Use `doc-flow` skill for BRD-01 creation

Troubleshooting

Issue: Directory Already Exists

Error: mkdir: cannot create directory 'docs': File exists

Resolution:

Project may already be initialized
Verify: ls -la docs/
If folders exist, skip to doc-flow skill
If folders incomplete, delete and re-run project-init

Issue: Permission Denied

Error: mkdir: cannot create directory: Permission denied

Resolution:

Check current working directory permissions
Ensure write access to parent directory
Use pwd to verify location

Issue: Domain Unclear

User says: "I'm not sure which domain to choose"

AI Assistant Action: Run follow-up questions from DOMAIN_SELECTION_QUESTIONNAIRE.md:

Does project involve financial transactions? → Financial Services
Multi-tenant SaaS application? → Software/SaaS
Handle patient health information? → Healthcare
Online store or marketplace? → E-commerce
Connected devices or sensors? → IoT
None of above? → Generic

Tool Optimization Notes

Claude Code

File limit: 50K tokens (200KB) standard, 100K max
Strategy: Single comprehensive files
No artificial splitting needed

Gemini CLI

@ reference limit: 10K tokens (40KB)
Large files: Use file read tool instead of @
Command: gemini read FILE.md

GitHub Copilot

Optimal: 10-30KB per file
Large files: Create companion summaries
Working set: Max 10 files in Edits mode

Related Skills

After project-init completes, use:

doc-flow - Main workflow execution skill
- Create BRD, PRD, EARS, BDD, ADR, SYS, REQ, IMPL, CTR, SPEC, TASKS, IPLAN
- Follow 16-layer architecture (Layers 0-15: Strategy layer + 11 functional layers (15 artifact types) + 3 execution layers)
- Generate code from specifications

Other complementary skills:

mermaid-gen - Generate Mermaid diagrams
charts-flow - Create architecture diagrams
test-automation - Test suite creation
code-review - Code quality review
security-audit - Security analysis

Quick Reference

When to use project-init:

✅ Brand new project (no folders exist)
✅ Greenfield development
✅ Starting from scratch

When to use doc-flow:

✅ Project already initialized
✅ Folders exist (docs/BRD/, docs/PRD/, etc.)
✅ Workflow execution (creating BRD, PRD, SPEC, etc.)

Workflow sequence:

project-init (Day 0) → doc-flow (Day 1+) → other skills (as needed)

End of project-init Skill

project-init

Install Skill

SKILL.md

project-init

Purpose

When to Use This Skill

Hand-off to doc-flow

Initialization Workflow (8 Steps)

Step 0: Read Execution Rules

Step 1: Domain Selection (REQUIRED FIRST)

Step 2: Folder Structure Creation (REQUIRED SECOND)

Step 3: Load Domain Configuration

Step 4: Template Copying (Optional)

Step 5: Contract Decision (REQUIRED)

Step 6: Index File Initialization + Document Control

Step 7: Validation

Step 8: Project Ready - Hand-off to doc-flow

Reference Files

Core Guidance Files

Domain Configuration Files

Example Usage

Example 1: Software Application Project

Example 2: Software/SaaS Multi-Tenant Platform

Troubleshooting

Issue: Directory Already Exists

Issue: Permission Denied

Issue: Domain Unclear

Tool Optimization Notes

Claude Code

Gemini CLI

GitHub Copilot

Related Skills

Quick Reference