---
name: desk-flip
description: Autopsy a stuck project, extract salvageable artifacts, and route to a fresh start via /bootstrap-repo reset or new-repo bootstrap
type: execution
version: v0.3
argument-hint: "<project-path>"
---

# Desk Flip

Autopsy a stuck project, extract salvageable artifacts (lessons, valid specs, non-code assets), and route the user to a fresh start either in a new repo or by resetting the existing repo with `/bootstrap-repo` (repo-maintenance pack) `--reset-existing`.

Always desk-flip. If the user invoked it, the decision to restart is already made — do not offer incremental migration or attempt to fix the old project in place.

## Process

1. **Identify the stuck project.**
   - Accept an optional project path from `$ARGUMENTS`; default to the current working directory.
   - Verify the target is a git repo with existing code (not an empty repo).
   - If the project appears to already use the new workflow (file-backed specs, prototype-first artifacts, healthy structure), warn the user and confirm before proceeding.

2. **Survey the project.**
   - Read `CLAUDE.md`, `README.md`, `package.json` or equivalent manifest, and directory structure.
   - Read `tasks/`, `specs/`, `docs/` directories if they exist.
   - Scan recent git history (last ~50 commits) for commit patterns and timeline.
   - Read any existing `tasks/lessons.md` or post-mortem docs.

3. **Run the autopsy** using subagents in parallel:
   - **Lessons extraction:** What went wrong? Look for evidence of failure modes — infrastructure before prototype, late testing, chat-driven alignment drift, scope creep, untestable architecture. Cite specific commits, files, or timeline evidence.
   - **Spec/design extraction:** Identify specs, designs, research docs, interview logs, and product briefs that capture valid domain knowledge or user needs — regardless of whether the implementation matched. Mark each as `valid`, `partially valid`, or `stale` with a one-line rationale.
   - **Asset inventory:** Find non-code assets worth preserving — icons, images, copy, API contracts, design tokens, brand assets, research documents.

   Do NOT extract code, dependencies, database schemas, or infrastructure config.

4. **Write the autopsy report.**
   - Produce `desk-flip-report.md` in the project root with these sections:

   ```
   ## Project Summary
   What the project was and what state it's in now.

   ## What Went Wrong
   Specific failure modes with evidence (commits, files, timeline).

   ## Salvageable Specs & Designs
   List with file paths, validity status, and one-line descriptions.

   ## Salvageable Assets
   Non-code assets with file paths.

   ## Lessons for the Fresh Start
   Actionable guidance for the new project to avoid the same mistakes.

   ## Recommended Bootstrap Input
   A condensed brief suitable as input to /bootstrap-repo.
   ```

5. **Choose the fresh-start path.**
   - If the user explicitly wants a new repository, route to `/bootstrap-repo` (repo-maintenance pack) `<condensed brief>`.
   - If the user wants to keep the existing repository, or the current repo name, remotes, issues, deployment linkage, or local tooling are valuable, route to `/bootstrap-repo` (repo-maintenance pack) `--reset-existing <condensed brief>`.
   - For in-place reset, state that `/bootstrap-repo --reset-existing` (repo-maintenance pack) must archive the old implementation under `archive/` before writing the fresh bootstrap docs. It must not delete the old code outright.
   - The archive should preserve old implementation and documentation evidence without treating it as reusable foundation code or active source-of-truth docs. The fresh start should continue only from a high-level concept seed derived from the report, plus lessons captured in the report.

6. **Present and route.**
   - Show the user a terminal summary of the report.
   - Recommend the appropriate `/bootstrap-repo` (repo-maintenance pack) command with the recommended bootstrap input from the report.
   - Do NOT create the new repo or run `/bootstrap-repo` — the user does this.
   - After bootstrap, route product/app restarts into the research-first alignment workflow using the high-level concept seed as input: `/customer-discovery` to define who this is for, `/competitive-analysis` to map the market, `/journey-map` to map lifecycle and task flow, `/positioning` to lock the product direction, `/user-flow-map` to map screen flow, `/ui-interview --requirements-only` to define content/actions/states, `/ux-variations --layout-mode` to explore layouts, then prototype work, `/uat --variant-evaluation`, and `/consolidate-variations` before `/spec-interview` or `/roadmap`.
   - If the business-discovery or customer-lifecycle packs are not enabled in the fresh repo, recommend `/pack install business-discovery` and `/pack install customer-lifecycle` before the research sequence.

## Output

```markdown
Desk-flipped: <project name>
- Report: desk-flip-report.md written to <project-path>
- Specs extracted: <count> (<valid>/<partial>/<stale>)
- Assets found: <count>
- Lessons captured: <count>

**Next work:** Reset the existing repo by archiving old implementation files, or create a new repo if the user prefers a separate fresh start
**Recommended next command:** /bootstrap-repo (repo-maintenance pack) --reset-existing <condensed brief from report>
```

## Constraints

- **Read-only during desk-flip** — no modifications to existing files, no archival, no branch creation. The only file written by this skill is `desk-flip-report.md`.
- Do not carry forward code, dependencies, infrastructure, old research, old specs, or old task docs from the old project as active files.
- Do not create the new repo or invoke `/bootstrap-repo` — the user handles that transition.
- Do not commit or push (the report is informational, not a meaningful mutation to ship).
- Do not delete, archive, or rename anything in the old repo during desk-flip. Only the downstream `/bootstrap-repo --reset-existing` step may perform archival after the user chooses that route.
- If the project has no specs, docs, or meaningful git history, produce the report anyway but note the thin evidence in each section.
- When recommending a skill from another pack, verify the pack is installed via `.agents/project.json` `enabled_packs`. If not installed, prepend `/pack install <pack-name>` to the recommendation.


## Alignment Page

When this skill produces durable deliverables (research, specs, plans, reports, prototypes, or any document output), build a full-depth HTML alignment page following `ALIGNMENT-PAGE.md` in this skill's directory. Output: `alignment/desk-flip-{topic}.html`.

## Default Shipping Contract

- Do NOT commit or push. The only side effect is `desk-flip-report.md` written to the project root.
- **Default next-step routing:** when reporting completion, include the two-line pair `**Next work:** <specific task>` and `**Recommended next command:** /bootstrap-repo (repo-maintenance pack) --reset-existing <brief>` for in-place restarts, or `/bootstrap-repo` (repo-maintenance pack) `<brief>` only when a separate new repo is explicitly the right path.
- **Post-bootstrap route:** include in the report that the fresh project should proceed from the high-level concept seed to `/customer-discovery`, then `/competitive-analysis`, `/journey-map`, `/positioning`, `/user-flow-map`, `/ui-interview --requirements-only`, `/ux-variations --layout-mode`, and prototype work. Mention `/pack install business-discovery`, `/pack install customer-lifecycle`, or `/pack install product-design` first if those packs are not enabled.
