mb-start

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Main Branch business router. Detects repo facts, save/sync state, updates, readiness, and live operator intent, then routes to the right skill or CLI contract. Use when the user starts/returns, asks what to do, needs setup, bookkeeping/books, provider setup, save/checkpoint/sync help, repair/update guidance, launch routing, or help.

noontide-co By noontide-co schedule Updated 6/13/2026
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name: mb-start description: "Main Branch business router. Detects repo facts, save/sync state, updates, readiness, and live operator intent, then routes to the right skill or CLI contract. Use when the user starts/returns, asks what to do, needs setup, bookkeeping/books, provider setup, save/checkpoint/sync help, repair/update guidance, launch routing, or help." loops: [sense, decide]

Start

Single entry point: detect business state, intent, save/sync posture, and the smallest useful next route.

Router and language contract

This skill routes; it is not the worker for coordinated output. Use references/router-and-language.md as the business router before presenting a menu. Business language comes first. Say saved checkpoint, unsaved local work, catch up, sync, reconcile, shared repo, workspace, and provider readiness. Keep raw git terms, checkpoint ids, branch names, origin, ahead, behind, rebase, and commit out of the first response unless the user asks for technical detail or the exact command must be shown.

When summarizing repo state, count pushes/ records, flag campaigns/ as legacy only, and use core/vocabulary.md display words (real paths in commands).

CLI facts first: Once the business repo path is known, run mb status --json --peek before asking setup or routing questions. Treat JSON as source of truth for update severity, readiness, drift, onboarding, integrations, GitHub, team, bets, dirty git, since-last-check, content_strategy, money_path, validation.file_contracts, and ranked_actions. Use GitHub author_display/author_known when naming people. Parse the full JSON once; do not slice status output with head or sed.

Shared source: The portable daily start/status workflow contract lives in workflows/mb-start-status/workflow.md; this skill is its Claude shell.

Shared contract markers: Keep these aligned with the shared source.

Required commands:

  • mb status --json --peek
  • mb start --json
  • mb doctor repair --plan Required fact paths:
  • money_path
  • money_path.policy
  • money_path.policy.thresholds_declared
  • money_path.active_bets
  • money_path.active_bets.unanchored
  • money_path.active_bets.over_cap
  • money_path.objects.proof.quality
  • validation.file_contracts
  • content_strategy
  • ranked_actions
  • update
  • readiness
  • readiness.dimensions.repo_runtime
  • readiness.dimensions.business_memory
  • drift.items
  • runtime.codex_cli
  • runtime.claude_code
  • since_last_check
  • journal
  • checkpoint
  • onboarding
  • integrations
  • github
  • topology.repo_boundary
  • brain.bets
  • brain.bets.active
  • brain.bets.due_soon
  • brain.bets.overdue
  • brain.bets.exit_criteria
  • brain.bets.exit_criteria.missing
  • brain.bets.exit_criteria.triggered_failure_signals
  • brain.bets.exit_criteria.triggered_double_down_signals
  • vocabulary Approval gates: updates_repairs_migrations, file_writes, checkpoint, provider_mutation, publishing_or_spend, customer_contact, private_data, destructive_operations, and status_marker.

Public/private boundaries: no_secrets, no_raw_provider_exports, no_customer_member_data, no_private_runtime_settings, and no_raw_finance_legal_records.

Core route: status facts first, runtime mismatch gates before business routing, one owner-facing recommendation, business language first, and explicit approval before mutating the status marker or doing durable writes.

Continuity facts: Use since_last_check.journal, top-level journal, GitHub activity, and checkpoint from status to explain "where we left off." Do not run raw git log unless status says journal facts are unavailable. If core/operations/pulse/ exists, read today's log/<date>-*-pulse.md and carry its ONE action into the session open (offer the pulse skill if missing). Saving progress: mb checkpoint --plan --json, validate, then after approval mb checkpoint --message "..." --yes.

Provider facts first: When setup or routing depends on GitHub, Cloudflare, Google/Workspace, Meta Ads, or Apify, read the status integrations facts first; for a provider choice or repair explanation, run mb connect plan or mb connect doctor --json and use the cited next_command/repair_command. Never ask for tokens or setup in prose before the CLI names the missing step.

Paid-traffic facts first: When routing a paid-traffic minisite, Google Ads, GTM, retargeting, or "ready to launch" request, load docs/google-ads-gtm-conversion-rubric.md; with a known site repo, run mb site check "$SITE_REPO" --business-repo "$REPO_PATH" --json before any /mb-site or /mb-ads launch advice. blocked = stop; ready_for_preview = preview-only; ready_for_operator_review = manual review first. Never publish GTM, mutate Google Ads, upload conversions, or ask for tokens in prose; never invent ready_for_launch (valid states: missing, blocked, ready_for_preview, ready_for_operator_review, ready).

Offer launch path: When the operator asks to launch an offer, use references/launch-orchestration.md: keyword-gate with /mb-think, create/select a launch push, build/check the lander with /mb-site, ads with /mb-ads, checkpoint approved artifacts.

Primitive routing: When a live idea could be a bet, offer, push, proof, or decision, load .claude/reference/business-primitives/offer-bet-push-proof.md and .claude/reference/business-primitives/setup-patterns.md; route by business meaning before suggesting file moves.

Data/ops surface routing: whose-data questions → mb spine declare/ show; money-path-overnight worries (real money flowing unattended) → mb canary init; recurring daily business read → mb pulse init; "show me the business" → mb dashboard open; scripts reading credentials → mb connect token (never echo values). Full map: mb-help references/cli-surfaces.md — business answer first; triggered surfaces stay triggered.

Books/finance routing: When the user mentions bookkeeping, books, finance, accounting, ledgers, statements, P&L, chart of accounts, tax, payroll, hledger, or a restricted finance child repo, run mb books check "$REPO_PATH" --json before drafting files. Keep raw private finance records out of the team-safe hub repo; use the books contract, storage_mode, and topology visibility (restricted or local_only) to route raw records.

Slug/destructive-operation guardrails: Load .claude/reference/business-primitives/slug-conventions.md before naming business objects or topology entries, and .claude/reference/business-primitives/destructive-operations.md before renaming, deleting, merging, archiving, migrating, publishing, mutating providers, spending money, changing topology, or creating checkpoints.

Repo Selection Rules

CWD-first wins. If current Main Branch markers exist in CWD, confirm the repo and continue. If CWD looks like old repo shape, keep CWD as migration input and run mb status --json --peek plus mb doctor repair --plan before discovery.

Only ask which repo when CWD is not a business repo. In fallback mode, list all validated recent_repos, include a switch option, and do not treat the saved default as automatic. Treat legacy config selections as session-scoped unless a current mb command exposes an explicit persistence path. Do not write default_repo into ~/.config/vip/local.yaml, and do not create or update .vip/config.yaml.

Numbered Options Pattern

Always use numbered lists for multi-choice (repo selection, skill routing, launch blockers, provider setup). One active choice namespace per turn: if top recommendations are numbered, use offer slugs or letters for secondary choices; the same number must never mean two actions — ask when ambiguous.

Detection Flow

  1. Detect repo CWD-first; use config only when CWD is not a business repo.
  2. Run mb status --json --peek; status facts gate updates, repair, readiness, onboarding, ranked actions, and continuity.
  3. Use status-cited repair/update commands before routing into output work.
  4. Route live intent through references/router-and-language.md before showing a generic menu.
  5. Resume onboarding from status facts; in rich repos, read existing core/ before asking bounded missing-profile questions.
  6. Resolve multi-offer context without reusing numbered choices or silently writing local state.
  7. Present one clear route set or infer intent: /mb-think, /mb-bet, /mb-ads, /mb-organic, /mb-site, /mb-wiki, /mb-help, or /mb-end. Conversion-script requests route through the owning workflow, not a standalone skill.

Status Preamble: Read Status Facts

After repo selection, run:

mb status --json --peek
  • ranked_actions is the deterministic list of one to three business moves. Surface the first action as the recommendation, including its reason and cited signal summaries.
  • brain.bets.active, brain.bets.due_soon, brain.bets.overdue, and brain.bets.exit_criteria are the deterministic bet trigger facts. Use them for active, due-soon, overdue, missing-exit, triggered kill, triggered double-down, close, update, and narrate moments before inventing bet state from prose.
  • money_path maps customer progress, offer, proof, CTA, channel, push, playbook, page readiness, and outcome feedback. Use it as evidence; cite money_path.objects.proof.quality facts instead of claiming an offer will convert.
  • validation.file_contracts, content_strategy, readiness, and drift.items map file gaps, content layers, setup gates, and repair commands.
  • onboarding.summary and onboarding.checklist replace separate onboarding probes unless the status report is unavailable.
  • journal, since_last_check.journal, integrations, github, measurement, and brain.bets supply continuity facts for routing.

Only run a narrower fallback command such as mb onboard status --json, mb doctor, mb validate --cross-refs, or mb connect doctor --json when status points at that section as unavailable, degraded, or needing repair.

Step 1: Check Main Branch Updates

Use the update section from mb status --json --peek. Do not bury available updates inside a general status wall. Users on stale code get broken features, and normal operators will miss a one-line version note.

If update.severity is required or the top ranked action is an update action, run the cited update command. When status does not cite one, use:

mb update --repo . --json

Then run mb status --json --peek again before routing.

If update.severity is recommended, stop there. Use update.release_notes_url or update.update_check_command to answer what changed or run a fresh dry-run. Ask whether to update now, then rerun mb status --json --peek before routing. Use references/router-and-language.md for operator-facing wording and fallback details.

Step 2: Detect Business Repo (CWD-First)

The user starts Claude in their business repo. Check CWD first before falling back to config.

Quick gist:

1. test -d "core"  → THIS IS the business repo. Skip to config.
2. old Main Branch repo markers without current markers → old repo; run
   `mb status --json --peek` and `mb doctor repair --plan` from CWD.
3. test -f ".claude/skills/mb-start/SKILL.md"  → user is in a Main Branch source checkout; migrate.
4. Otherwise → fall back to `~/.config/vip/local.yaml` only as legacy
   machine-local repo memory.

See references/repo-detection.md for the full flow: CWD detection, migration guidance for users in a source checkout, config loading, multi-repo selection, the discovery algorithm when no config exists, the required REPO_PATH variable, and the Main Branch wiring verification block.

Step 3: Read Save/Sync State

Once the business repo is confirmed, use status git, checkpoint, and since_last_check facts to explain whether work is saved locally, unsaved locally, synced to the shared repo, or waiting for reconciliation. Do not blindly pull or rebase the business repo from /mb-start. See references/router-and-language.md for the save/sync vocabulary.

Onboarding Preamble: Resume Onboarding Progress

Prefer the onboarding section from mb status --json --peek. If status is unavailable or the operator specifically asks for onboarding detail, run:

mb onboard status --repo "$REPO_PATH" --json

Use the JSON envelope as the source of truth for onboarding progress:

  • summary.next_recommended_action tells you what to do next
  • checklist[].missing_inputs names the bounded inputs to collect
  • profile.team_size distinguishes solo, small-team, and larger-team setup
  • boundaries.defer_until_needed names data to avoid collecting in the first context window

If core_reference is pending, collect only enough to draft the missing core files. Do not ask for full finances, credentials, raw customer/member exports, or exhaustive operations details before the core files exist.

If the repo already has substantive current core/ files, read and summarize those facts before asking onboarding questions. Mine core/offer.md, core/audience.md, core/voice.md, core/soul.md, and core/proof/ when present; include core/offers/*/offer.md names in multi-offer repos. Propose answers for bounded missing inputs from existing repo truth, cite which files informed the proposal, and ask the operator only to confirm or correct the facts that remain uncertain.

If the user's team size or current success stage is missing, ask briefly and update the plan:

mb onboard plan --repo "$REPO_PATH" --team-size solo --success-stage working

Step 4: Provider And Tool Pre-Flight (Not Full Research Detection)

Check provider and MCP readiness only for skills the user might invoke. See mcp-preflight.md.

Start from CLI facts:

mb status --json --peek
mb connect plan
mb connect doctor --json

Use the status and connect JSON before checking runtime tool presence. The operator-facing pattern is:

"This action needs [business capability].

  1. Set up [provider] now — [exact command]
  2. Skip for this session — [specific limitation]"

Full research tool detection still happens in /mb-think — deferred to when user actually needs research. This keeps /mb-start fast and avoids checking tools user might not use this session.

What /mb-start checks: provider readiness from mb status --json --peek and mb connect plan, selected-skill MCPs when provider status says runtime tools are unknown, and critical blockers such as missing config or broken paths. Leave full research/document tool scans to /mb-think; most sessions do not need every tool checked upfront.

If user's stated intent involves research, route to /mb-think. It will use mb provider facts first, then detect only the runtime tools needed for the selected research path.

Step 5: Tool Status Audit (Deterministic Facts First)

Run a lightweight provider/readiness audit:

  • Use mb status --json --peek facts already gathered.
  • Run mb connect doctor --json when a provider section is degraded, missing, or selected by the operator.
  • Quote the CLI's next_command / repair_command.
  • Do not re-probe provider credentials from prose or mutate .vip/config.yaml.

See tool-status-audit.md for the full procedure and messaging rules.

Step 6: Readiness Assessment

Use readiness, money_path, and ranked_actions from mb status --json --peek before routing. The reference below is fallback detail for gaps that status does not expose yet.

See readiness-assessment.md for complete scoring rubric, session state checks, soul health check, skill-specific requirements, and display format.

Quick summary: status readiness gates setup, repair, and output skills; fallback scoring only fills missing detail. Adapt display to user.experience level without making the repo feel audited or behind.

Step 7: Defer Full Context Loading

Do not read full reference files into main. Status readiness already names the scores, files, and gaps needed for routing. The selected skill or triage agent loads deep context. Exception: read [repo]/CLAUDE.md when present because it is small and helps with routing tone.

Onboarding exception: When onboarding is incomplete and current core/ files already exist, read enough of those files to avoid asking for facts the repo already contains. Keep this bounded: summarize the existing facts and ask only for confirmation or missing profile fields.

Multi-offer context: If CLI facts or the current session identify an active offer, note it for routing; the selected skill loads the offer file.

Step 8: Offer Detection (Multi-Offer Only)

Use the active-offer resolution contract in .claude/reference/business-primitives/offer-bet-push-proof.md; load setup-patterns.md and slug-conventions.md from that same directory when setup shape or naming is unclear.

find "$REPO_PATH/core/offers" -mindepth 2 -maxdepth 2 -name "offer.md" 2>/dev/null

If core/offers is absent and core/ is also absent, do not infer the offer from old paths; treat old shape as migration input after mb status --json --peek or mb doctor repair --plan.

No core/offers/ means single-offer mode. If offers exist, use current CLI status facts first, never silently route from .vip/local.yaml, present choices by slug/name when route numbers are already visible, and keep selection session-scoped unless the operator approves a current mb persistence command. /mb-start [offer-name] can select a validated offer for this session. all means brand-level core/ context.

Step 9: Detect State and Assess Completeness

Use readiness, onboarding, drift.items, money_path, and ranked_actions from status first. Prefer money_path.ranked_actions for path gaps unless the top-level ranked action already incorporates it.

Fallback: check core/*.md. If CWD looks like an old Main Branch repo, run mb status --json --peek and/or mb doctor repair --plan before routing. No folder → /mb-setup. If two or more core files are missing/thin, route to /mb-think codify; otherwise route by intent. Use readiness-assessment.md for the exact fallback thresholds.

Multi-offer completeness: When status does not expose offer readiness, check the active offer's offer.md; a thin/missing offer-specific file should route to /mb-think.

Step 10: Route by Intent

Respect readiness gates from Step 6. If status is MINIMAL or EMPTY, do not offer output skills. If THIN, warn. See readiness-assessment.md for skill-specific requirements.

Show context: "Business: [repo name] | Offer: [active offer or 'single']"

If the user stated intent, route directly using references/router-and-language.md. If the session is open-ended, surface the top ranked action, update recommendation, top non-duplicated MoneyPath action, or compact route menu. Use references/triage-menu.md only for prioritization or deep triage.

Step 11: Help Mode

"Help" or confused → route to /mb-help. Give quick overview first:

"Open your business folder, start Claude, then run /mb-start. Main Branch uses the mb CLI for facts and skills for judgment. Details: /mb-help."

Context And Experience

Fresh context gets a fuller load; working context routes directly; heavy context gets a brief warning; critical context routes to /mb-end. If legacy ~/.config/vip/local.yaml has user.experience, use it as a machine-local fallback: beginner explains more, returning confirms quickly, expert routes fast. If the user asks for a faster mode, offer to update local experience.

Intent Keywords

Auto-detect user intent through references/router-and-language.md. Key clusters: save/checkpoint/sync, bookkeeping/books/finance, provider/tool setup, repair/update/drift, decide/codify/research, bets, launches, sites, ads, organic, wiki, and help.

Generic "set up" is not enough to route. Use the noun: repo setup routes to /mb-setup, bookkeeping setup runs mb books check, provider setup reads mb connect, and decision/tool setup routes to /mb-think.

Recovering from Compaction

If re-invoked after compaction: use CWD and mb status --json --peek first; read ~/.config/vip/local.yaml only as legacy fallback for repo + identity; treat business .vip/local.yaml as audit input only, and do not write it.

References

Install via CLI
npx skills add https://github.com/noontide-co/mainbranch --skill mb-start
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