GOAL.md Composer

Overview

An interactive wizard that guides you through composing valid, well-structured GOAL.md files for SGAI (Software Generation AI). This skill walks through 7 phases to help configure agents, models, workflows, and project specifications.

Announce at start: "I'm using the GOAL.md Composer skill to help you create a valid GOAL.md file."

Prerequisites

Before starting, load the REFERENCE.md companion document for the complete agent catalog and format specification:

• skills/product-design/goal-md-composer/REFERENCE.md

The 7-Phase Process

Phase 1: Project Description

Understand what the user is building.

Ask these questions (one at a time):

1. "What type of project are you building?"

   • Options: API/Backend, CLI Tool, Web Application, Full-Stack App, Documentation, Library/SDK, Other

2. "What programming language(s) will you use?"

   • Options: Go, TypeScript, Python, Shell/Bash, Multiple languages, Other

3. "What's the scope of this project?"

   • Options: Quick prototype, MVP, Production-ready application, Exploratory research

4. "Are there any specific constraints?"

   • Free-form answer about: external dependencies, testing requirements, security needs, etc.

Log answers in: @.sgai/PROJECT_MANAGEMENT.md under "## GOAL.md Composer Session"

Hand control back to human after each question.

Phase 2: Agent Recommendations

Based on project description, recommend appropriate agents.

CRITICAL - Mandatory Reviewer Pairing Rules: When selecting a development agent, you MUST automatically include its paired reviewer:

Process:

1. Based on Phase 1 answers, present recommended agents organized by category
2. For each development agent recommended, show: "This will automatically include [reviewer] for code review"
3. Present the full agent list with descriptions (see REFERENCE.md)
4. Ask: "Do you want to add or remove any agents from this selection?"

Example recommendation for Go Backend API:

Recommended agents for your Go Backend API:
- backend-go-developer (Go development)
- go-readability-reviewer (automatically paired)
- general-purpose (cross-domain tasks)
- stpa-analyst (safety analysis)

Do you want to add or remove any agents?

Hand control back to human for confirmation.

Phase 3: Flow Builder

Generate the DOT syntax DAG defining agent execution order and dependencies.

Auto-generation rules:

1. Development agents always flow into their paired reviewers:

   "backend-go-developer" -> "go-readability-reviewer"
   

2. Reviewers typically flow into terminal analysis agents:

   "go-readability-reviewer" -> "stpa-analyst"
   

3. Standalone agents (no dependencies) are listed without arrows:

   "general-purpose"
   

Present the generated flow:

flow: |
  "backend-go-developer" -> "go-readability-reviewer"
  "go-readability-reviewer" -> "stpa-analyst"
  "general-purpose" -> "stpa-analyst"

Ask: "Does this workflow look correct? Would you like to add or modify any dependencies?"

Hand control back to human for adjustments.

Phase 4: Model Configuration

Configure per-agent model assignments.

Available models (see REFERENCE.md for full list):

• anthropic/claude-opus-4-6 - Most capable, highest cost ($$$$)
• anthropic/claude-opus-4-6 (max) - Extended thinking variant
• anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5 - Balanced capability/cost ($$$)
• anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5 (max) - Extended thinking variant
• google/gemini-2.0-flash-001 - Fast, lower cost ($$)
• openai/gpt-4.1 - Alternative high-capability model ($$$)

Default recommendations:

• coordinator: anthropic/claude-opus-4-6 (max) (always use strongest for coordination)
• Development agents: anthropic/claude-opus-4-6 (complex reasoning)
• Review agents: anthropic/claude-opus-4-6 (thorough analysis)
• Frontend agents: anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5 (good balance)
• Utility agents: anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5 (cost-effective)

Present configuration:

models:
  "coordinator": "anthropic/claude-opus-4-6 (max)"
  "backend-go-developer": "anthropic/claude-opus-4-6"
  "go-readability-reviewer": "anthropic/claude-opus-4-6"
  "general-purpose": "anthropic/claude-opus-4-6"

Ask: "Do you want to adjust any model assignments? (e.g., use a faster/cheaper model for certain agents)"

Hand control back to human for adjustments.

Phase 5: Specification Writing

Guide through writing the markdown body with Goal, Requirements, and Tasks.

Structure to generate:

# [Project Title]

[1-2 paragraph description of what to build, focusing on outcomes not implementation]

## Requirements

- [Behavioral requirement 1]
- [Behavioral requirement 2]
- [Constraint 1]

## Tasks

- [ ] Task 1
  - [ ] Subtask 1.1
  - [ ] Subtask 1.2
- [ ] Task 2
- [ ] Task 3

Guidance:

1. Ask: "Describe the main goal in 1-2 sentences. Focus on WHAT, not HOW."
2. Ask: "What are the key requirements? Think about: user actions, constraints, success criteria."
3. Ask: "What are the major tasks? Break down into actionable items."

Tips to share:

• Focus on behavior, not implementation
• Use checkboxes (- [ ]) for tasks - the coordinator manages these
• Be specific about constraints (e.g., "no external dependencies", "must pass CI")
• Nested checkboxes are supported for subtasks

Hand control back to human after each section.

Phase 6: Options

Configure optional settings.

Ask about each option:

1. Interactive mode: "How should agent questions be handled?"

   • yes - Questions appear in web UI; human responds interactively (RECOMMENDED)
   • no - Workflow exits when an agent asks a question
   • auto - Self-driving mode; agents attempt to proceed without human input

2. Completion gate script: "Should a command verify workflow completion?"

   • Examples: make test, go test ./..., npm run lint && npm test
   • Leave empty if no verification needed

Present configuration:

interactive: yes
completionGateScript: make test

Hand control back to human for confirmation.

Phase 7: Output & Validation

Generate the complete GOAL.md and validate.

Generate the complete file:

---
flow: |
  [generated flow from Phase 3]
models:
  [generated models from Phase 4]
interactive: [from Phase 6]
completionGateScript: [from Phase 6, if set]
---

[generated specification from Phase 5]

Validation checklist (present to user):

• All development agents have paired reviewers in the flow
• Flow has no cycles (DAG is valid)
• Coordinator is NOT in the flow (it's always present automatically)
• Models are assigned to agents that appear in the flow
• Interactive mode is set
• Specification has Goal, Requirements, and Tasks sections
• Tasks use checkbox format (- [ ])

Ask: "I've generated the GOAL.md. Would you like me to:

1. Write it to ./GOAL.md
2. Show me the complete file first
3. Make adjustments"

Hand control back to human for final decision.

Quick Reference

Minimal GOAL.md Template

---
flow: |
  "general-purpose"
interactive: yes
---

# Project Goal

[Description]

## Requirements

- [Requirement]

## Tasks

- [ ] Task

Full-Featured Template

---
completionGateScript: make test
flow: |
  "backend-go-developer" -> "go-readability-reviewer"
  "go-readability-reviewer" -> "stpa-analyst"
  "general-purpose" -> "stpa-analyst"
models:
  "coordinator": "anthropic/claude-opus-4-6 (max)"
  "backend-go-developer": "anthropic/claude-opus-4-6"
  "go-readability-reviewer": "anthropic/claude-opus-4-6"
  "general-purpose": "anthropic/claude-opus-4-6"
  "stpa-analyst": "anthropic/claude-opus-4-6"
interactive: yes
---

# Project Goal

[Description]

## Requirements

- [Requirement 1]
- [Requirement 2]

## Tasks

- [ ] Task 1
  - [ ] Subtask 1.1
- [ ] Task 2

Remember

• Announce skill usage at start
• Ask ONE question at a time during gathering phases
• Auto-enforce reviewer pairing (mandatory, not optional)
• Present configuration incrementally for validation
• Log all decisions in @.sgai/PROJECT_MANAGEMENT.md
• Hand control back to human between phases
• Validate the final output before writing
• Use sgai_ask_user_question for structured questions:

  sgai_ask_user_question({
    questions: [{
      question: "**Phase 1: Project Description**\n\nWhat type of project are you building?",
      choices: ["API/Backend", "CLI Tool", "Web Application", "Full-Stack App", "Documentation", "Other"],
      multiSelect: false
    }]
  })