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+---
+name: firn-workflow
+description: "The contribution workflow for firn-patterned repositories: exec plans before code, ADRs for architecture, Warp spec format for issues, PR ceremony. Use when contributing to a repo that uses firn conventions (has AGENTS.md, docs/design/, docs/exec-plans/, specs/)."
+---
+
+# firn-workflow — Contribution Workflow
+
+Trigger: contributing to a repo with `AGENTS.md`, `docs/design/`, `docs/exec-plans/`, or `specs/` directories — or when the user mentions "exec plan", "ADR", "spec PR", or "firn workflow".
+
+**The short version:**
+- 3+ file changes → write exec plan first
+- Architecture decision → write ADR first
+- New feature issue → spec PR (product.md + tech.md) before implementation PR
+- All changes via branch + PR, never direct to main
+
+---
+
+## Exec Plans
+
+**Required for any change touching 3 or more files.**
+
+1. Create `docs/exec-plans/active/FEATURE.md` before writing any code
+2. Use this format:
+
+```markdown
+# Feature Name
+
+## Purpose
+[>20 words explaining what this does and why]
+
+## Baseline
+Run `just test` (or equivalent) to confirm baseline passes before starting.
+
+## Milestones
+- [ ] Milestone 1 — [what to do]; verify: `[command that confirms it worked]`
+- [ ] Milestone 2 — ...
+
+## Decision Log
+[Key choices made and why]
+
+## Outcomes & Retrospective
+[Fill in after completion]
+```
+
+**Rules:**
+- Every milestone must have a verification command — "it should work" is not a verification
+- File paths must be specific — name the actual file, not "update the config"
+- Move to `docs/exec-plans/completed/` when the PR merges
+
+3. The PR template checklist requires an exec plan for 3+ file changes. CI will fail without one.
+
+---
+
+## ADRs (Architectural Decision Records)
+
+**Required when making a significant architectural decision.**
+
+1. Check `docs/design/` — don't re-litigate settled decisions
+2. Create `docs/design/ADR-NNN-slug.md` using `docs/design/ADR-TEMPLATE.md`
+3. Format:
+
+```markdown
+# ADR-NNN — Short decision title
+
+**Status:** Accepted
+**Date:** YYYY-MM-DD
+
+## Context
+[What situation prompted this? What constraints exist?]
+
+## Options considered
+1. **Option A** — tradeoffs
+2. **Option B** — tradeoffs
+
+## Decision
+[What was decided, stated plainly.]
+
+## Consequences
+[What becomes true after this decision — positive and negative.]
+```
+
+4. The CI doc-validation workflow warns (not fails) when `docs/design/` is modified without a new `ADR-NNN` file.
+
+---
+
+## Spec Format (for pipeline issues)
+
+When a GitHub issue is labeled `needs-spec`, a spec PR is opened before any implementation. The spec lives at `specs/GH{N}/`:
+
+**`specs/GH{N}/product.md`** — numbered behavioral invariants, no implementation detail:
+```markdown
+# Feature Name — Product Spec
+
+**Issue:** GH#N
+**Status:** Draft
+
+## Behavioral Invariants
+1. [Observable outcome in scenario X — no "how", only "what"]
+2. [Observable outcome in scenario Y]
+
+## Out of Scope
+- [Explicit non-goal]
+```
+
+**`specs/GH{N}/tech.md`** — line-referenced implementation plan:
+```markdown
+# Feature Name — Technical Spec
+
+## Implementation Plan
+- `path/to/file.go:42-87` — what to change and why
+- `path/to/new-file.go` — new file: what it does
+
+## Verification
+1. Invariant 1: `[test command or assertion]`
+2. Invariant 2: `[test command or assertion]`
+```
+
+**The spec is a PR itself.** It merges before implementation begins. This forces review of intent before anyone writes code.
+
+---
+
+## PR Checklist
+
+Every PR must satisfy (enforced by `.github/pull_request_template.md` and CI):
+
+- [ ] `just build` passes
+- [ ] `just test` passes
+- [ ] `just lint` passes
+- [ ] If 3+ files changed: exec plan in `docs/exec-plans/`
+- [ ] `STATE.md` updated if a wave task completed
+- [ ] No direct push to main
+
+---
+
+## Repo Layout
+
+```
+docs/
+├── design/          ADRs — one per architectural decision
+│   └── ADR-TEMPLATE.md
+├── exec-plans/
+│   ├── active/      In-progress exec plans
+│   └── completed/   Archived after merge
+└── PHILOSOPHY.md    Why the project is designed this way
+
+skills/              Reusable agent skills (copy to .agents/skills/ in your repo)
+specs/               Spec PRs — one directory per issue (GH{N}/product.md + tech.md)
+STATE.md             Task graph — the project manager (see [[state-md]] skill)
+AGENTS.md            Agent navigation map for this repo
+```
+
+---
+
+## Agent Roles in firn
+
+| Role | Responsibility | Writes to |
+|------|---------------|-----------|
+| **Scanner** | Domain detection, repo analysis | `mentat/` source |
+| **Classifier** | LLM domain classification | `mentat/internal/classifier/` |
+| **Generator** | SKILL.md generation | `mentat/internal/generator/` |
+| **Refiner** | Spec generation from issues | `pipeline/internal/specgen/` |
+| **Worker** | Implementation from merged spec | `pipeline/internal/worker/` |
+| **Verifier** | Post-PR invariant checks | read-only |
+
+---
+
+## References
+
+- [[state-md]] — how to work with the STATE.md task graph
+- `docs/PHILOSOPHY.md` — why firn is designed the way it is
+- `AGENTS.md` — full agent navigation map for this repo
+- `docs/design/` — all architectural decisions