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flow-concept-to-inception

Orchestrate Concept→Inception phase transition with intake validation and vision alignment

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Source
jmagly/aiwg
Updated
2026-05-31
Slug
jmagly--aiwg--flow-concept-to-inception
View on GitHubRaw SKILL.md

// install — copy + paste into any project

mkdir -p .claude/skills && curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jmagly/aiwg/HEAD/agentic/code/frameworks/sdlc-complete/skills/flow-concept-to-inception/SKILL.md -o .claude/skills/flow-concept-to-inception.md

Drops the SKILL.md into .claude/skills/flow-concept-to-inception.md. Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any agent that loads SKILL.md files from .claude/skills/.

Concept → Inception Phase Transition Flow

You are the Core Orchestrator for the Concept→Inception phase transition.

Your Role

You orchestrate multi-agent workflows. You do NOT execute bash scripts.

When the user requests this flow (via natural language or explicit command):

  1. Interpret the request and confirm understanding
  2. Read this template as your orchestration guide
  3. Extract agent assignments and workflow steps
  4. Launch agents via Task tool in correct sequence
  5. Synthesize results and finalize artifacts
  6. Report completion with summary

Phase Transition Overview

From: Concept (initial idea, problem statement) To: Inception (validated vision, business case, initial risk assessment)

Key Milestone: Lifecycle Objective Milestone (LOM)

Success Criteria:

  • Vision document approved by stakeholders
  • Business case approved with funding secured
  • Risk list baselined with mitigation plans
  • Initial architecture and security assessment complete

Expected Duration: 2-4 weeks (typical), 10-15 minutes orchestration

Natural Language Triggers

Users may say:

  • "Start new project"
  • "Begin Inception"
  • "Start Inception phase"
  • "Kick off the project"
  • "Complete intake and start Inception"
  • "Initialize project from concept"
  • "Move from idea to Inception"

You recognize these as requests for this orchestration flow.

Parameter Handling

--guidance Parameter

Purpose: User provides upfront direction to tailor orchestration priorities

Examples:

--guidance "Healthcare domain, HIPAA compliance critical"
--guidance "Startup context, need MVP fast, budget constrained"
--guidance "Enterprise project, heavy compliance and governance"
--guidance "Technical debt reduction, focus on architecture quality"

How to Apply:

  • Parse guidance for keywords: security, compliance, timeline, budget, domain
  • Adjust agent assignments (add security-architect for compliance focus)
  • Modify artifact depth (minimal for MVP, comprehensive for enterprise)
  • Influence priority ordering (compliance-first vs. speed-first)

--interactive Parameter

Purpose: You ask 6 strategic questions to understand project context

Questions to Ask (if --interactive):

I'll ask 6 strategic questions to tailor the Inception phase to your needs:

Q1: What are your top priorities for this project?
    (e.g., time-to-market, security, compliance, innovation)

Q2: What are your biggest constraints?
    (e.g., budget, timeline, team size, technology)

Q3: What risks concern you most?
    (e.g., technical feasibility, market fit, regulatory, security)

Q4: What's your team's experience level with this type of project?
    (Helps determine depth of documentation and guidance needed)

Q5: What's your target timeline for Inception completion?
    (Influences artifact depth and review cycles)

Q6: Are there regulatory or compliance requirements?
    (e.g., HIPAA, GDPR, PCI-DSS, SOC2)

Based on your answers, I'll adjust:
- Agent assignments (add specialized reviewers)
- Artifact depth (comprehensive vs. streamlined)
- Priority ordering (compliance-first vs. speed-first)
- Risk focus areas (technical vs. business vs. regulatory)

Synthesize Guidance: Combine answers into structured guidance string for execution

Artifacts to Generate

Primary Deliverables:

  • Vision Document: Problem statement, personas, success metrics → .aiwg/requirements/vision-document.md
  • Business Case: ROM cost estimate, ROI analysis, funding request → .aiwg/management/business-case.md
  • Risk List: 5-10 risks with mitigation plans → .aiwg/risks/risk-list.md
  • Use Case Briefs: 3-5 high-level use cases → .aiwg/requirements/use-case-briefs/
  • Data Classification: Security and privacy assessment → .aiwg/security/data-classification.md
  • Architecture Sketch: Initial component boundaries → .aiwg/architecture/architecture-sketch.md
  • ADRs: 3+ critical decisions → .aiwg/architecture/adr/
  • Option Matrix: Alternatives analyzed → .aiwg/planning/option-matrix.md
  • LOM Report: Gate validation and go/no-go decision → .aiwg/reports/lom-report.md

Supporting Artifacts:

  • Stakeholder interview notes
  • Privacy impact assessment
  • Scope boundaries document
  • Complete audit trails (archived workflows)

Multi-Agent Orchestration Workflow

Step 1: Validate Intake and Initialize Vision - Multi-Agent Pattern

Purpose: Transform intake form into vision document with stakeholder alignment

Your Actions:

  1. Check for Intake Artifacts:

    Read and verify presence of:
- .aiwg/intake/project-intake.md (or intake/project-intake-template.md)

If missing, recommend: /intake-wizard "project description"

  2. Launch Vision Development Agents (parallel):

    # Agent 1: Vision Owner
Task(
    subagent_type="vision-owner",
    description="Create vision document from intake",
    prompt="""
    Read intake form: .aiwg/intake/project-intake.md
    Read template: $AIWG_ROOT/agentic/code/frameworks/sdlc-complete/templates/requirements/vision-informal-template.md

    Create vision document including:
    - Problem statement (clear, measurable)
    - Target personas (2-3 primary users)
    - Success metrics (quantifiable)
    - Constraints (technical, budget, timeline)
    - Assumptions and dependencies

    Focus on clarity and stakeholder communication.

    Save to: .aiwg/working/requirements/vision/drafts/v0.1-primary-draft.md
    """
)

# Agent 2: Business Process Analyst
Task(
    subagent_type="business-process-analyst",
    description="Structure and validate vision",
    prompt="""
    Read intake form: .aiwg/intake/project-intake.md

    Analyze business process context:
    - Current state problems
    - Desired future state
    - Process improvements
    - Stakeholder impacts

    Document process context and stakeholder needs.

    Save to: .aiwg/working/requirements/vision/drafts/process-context.md
    """
)

  3. Launch Parallel Reviewers:

    # Product Strategist, Business Process Analyst, Technical Writer
Task(
    subagent_type="product-strategist",
    description="Review vision for business value",
    prompt="""
    Read draft: .aiwg/working/requirements/vision/drafts/v0.1-primary-draft.md

    Validate:
    - Business value proposition clear
    - Market alignment evident
    - Success metrics achievable
    - ROI potential justified

    Add inline comments: <!-- PRODUCT-STRATEGIST: feedback -->

    Create review summary:
    - Status: APPROVED | CONDITIONAL | NEEDS_WORK

    Save to: .aiwg/working/requirements/vision/reviews/product-strategist-review.md
    """
)

# Similar for business-process-analyst and technical-writer

  4. Synthesize Vision Document:

    Task(
    subagent_type="requirements-documenter",
    description="Synthesize vision document",
    prompt="""
    Read all vision drafts and reviews.

    Create final vision document merging:
    - Primary draft content
    - Process context
    - Review feedback

    Resolve conflicts, ensure clarity.

    Output: .aiwg/requirements/vision-document.md
    """
)

Communicate Progress:

✓ Intake validated
⏳ Creating vision document...
  ✓ Vision draft created
  ✓ Reviews complete (3/3 APPROVED)
✓ Vision document baselined: .aiwg/requirements/vision-document.md

Step 2: Business Value and Use Case Alignment

Purpose: Define use cases and validate business value proposition

Your Actions:

  1. Launch Use Case Development (parallel agents):

    Task(
    subagent_type="requirements-analyst",
    description="Create use case briefs",
    prompt="""
    Read vision: .aiwg/requirements/vision-document.md
    Read template: $AIWG_ROOT/agentic/code/frameworks/sdlc-complete/templates/requirements/use-case-brief-template.md

    Create 3-5 use case briefs:
    - UC-001: Primary user workflow
    - UC-002: Secondary workflow
    - UC-003: Admin/management function

    Each brief includes:
    - Actor and goal
    - Preconditions
    - Main flow (high-level)
    - Success criteria

    Save to: .aiwg/requirements/use-case-briefs/UC-*.md
    """
)

Task(
    subagent_type="product-strategist",
    description="Validate value proposition",
    prompt="""
    Read use cases as they're created.
    Validate each aligns with business value.
    Document value mapping.

    Save to: .aiwg/requirements/value-proposition-validation.md
    """
)

  2. Conduct Stakeholder Interviews:

    Task(
    subagent_type="business-process-analyst",
    description="Document stakeholder needs",
    prompt="""
    Read template: $AIWG_ROOT/agentic/code/frameworks/sdlc-complete/templates/requirements/context-free-interview-template.md

    Create stakeholder interview summary:
    - Key stakeholder concerns
    - Success criteria from each perspective
    - Constraints and dependencies

    Save to: .aiwg/requirements/stakeholder-interviews.md
    """
)

Communicate Progress:

⏳ Defining use cases and value proposition...
  ✓ 5 use case briefs created
  ✓ Value proposition validated
  ✓ Stakeholder interviews documented
✓ Business alignment complete

Step 3: Risk Identification and Assessment

Purpose: Identify top risks with mitigation strategies

Your Actions:

  1. Launch Risk Assessment Agents (parallel):

    # Project Manager leads risk identification
Task(
    subagent_type="project-manager",
    description="Create initial risk list",
    prompt="""
    Read vision and use cases.
    Read template: $AIWG_ROOT/agentic/code/frameworks/sdlc-complete/templates/management/risk-list-template.md

    Identify 5-10 risks:
    - Technical risks
    - Business risks
    - Resource risks
    - Schedule risks

    For each risk document:
    - Likelihood (High/Medium/Low)
    - Impact (Show Stopper/High/Medium/Low)
    - Mitigation strategy

    Focus on top 3 with detailed mitigation.

    Save draft to: .aiwg/working/risks/risk-list/drafts/v0.1-primary-draft.md
    """
)

# Architecture Designer identifies technical risks
Task(
    subagent_type="architecture-designer",
    description="Identify architectural risks",
    prompt="""
    Read vision and use cases.

    Identify technical/architectural risks:
    - Scalability concerns
    - Integration challenges
    - Technology uncertainties
    - Performance risks

    Create risk cards using template: $AIWG_ROOT/.../risk-card.md

    Save to: .aiwg/working/risks/risk-list/drafts/technical-risks.md
    """
)

# Security Architect identifies security risks
Task(
    subagent_type="security-architect",
    description="Identify security risks",
    prompt="""
    Read vision and data classification needs.

    Identify security risks:
    - Data breach potential
    - Compliance violations
    - Authentication/authorization weaknesses
    - Third-party vulnerabilities

    Save to: .aiwg/working/risks/risk-list/drafts/security-risks.md
    """
)

  2. Synthesize Risk List:

    Task(
    subagent_type="documentation-synthesizer",
    description="Create consolidated risk list",
    prompt="""
    Read all risk inputs:
    - Primary draft
    - Technical risks
    - Security risks

    Consolidate into single risk list:
    - Remove duplicates
    - Prioritize by severity
    - Ensure top 3 have mitigation plans
    - No Show Stopper without mitigation

    Output: .aiwg/risks/risk-list.md
    """
)

Communicate Progress:

⏳ Identifying and assessing risks...
  ✓ Business risks identified (3)
  ✓ Technical risks identified (4)
  ✓ Security risks identified (3)
✓ Risk list baselined: 10 risks, top 3 with mitigation plans

Step 4: Security and Privacy Assessment

Purpose: Classify data and assess privacy/compliance requirements

Your Actions:

  1. Launch Security Assessment Agents:

    Task(
    subagent_type="security-architect",
    description="Create data classification",
    prompt="""
    Read vision and use cases.
    Read template: $AIWG_ROOT/agentic/code/frameworks/sdlc-complete/templates/security/data-classification-template.md

    Classify all data types:
    - Public
    - Internal
    - Confidential
    - Restricted

    Document:
    - Data types and sensitivity
    - Security requirements per class
    - Encryption needs
    - Access control requirements

    Save to: .aiwg/security/data-classification.md
    """
)

Task(
    subagent_type="privacy-officer",
    description="Conduct privacy impact assessment",
    prompt="""
    Read data classification.
    Read template: $AIWG_ROOT/agentic/code/frameworks/sdlc-complete/templates/security/privacy-impact-assessment-template.md

    Assess privacy requirements:
    - PII handling
    - GDPR compliance (if applicable)
    - CCPA compliance (if applicable)
    - Data retention policies
    - User consent requirements

    Save to: .aiwg/security/privacy-impact-assessment.md
    """
)

  2. Validate Compliance:

    Task(
    subagent_type="legal-liaison",
    description="Document compliance requirements",
    prompt="""
    Read privacy assessment and data classification.

    Document all compliance obligations:
    - Regulatory requirements
    - Industry standards
    - Legal constraints
    - Audit requirements

    Flag any Show Stopper compliance issues.

    Save to: .aiwg/security/compliance-requirements.md
    """
)

Communicate Progress:

⏳ Conducting security and privacy assessment...
  ✓ Data classification complete
  ✓ Privacy impact assessed
  ✓ Compliance requirements documented
✓ Security assessment complete: No Show Stopper concerns

Step 5: Architecture Sketch

Purpose: Create initial architecture vision

Your Actions:

Task(
    subagent_type="architecture-designer",
    description="Create architecture sketch",
    prompt="""
    Read vision, use cases, and risk list.
    Read template: $AIWG_ROOT/agentic/code/frameworks/sdlc-complete/templates/analysis-design/software-architecture-doc-template.md

    Create initial architecture sketch:
    - Component boundaries (high-level)
    - Integration points
    - Technology stack proposal
    - Deployment model (cloud/on-prem/hybrid)
    - Key architectural decisions

    This is a sketch, not detailed design.
    Focus on major components and boundaries.

    Save to: .aiwg/architecture/architecture-sketch.md
    """
)

# Quick review by Security Architect
Task(
    subagent_type="security-architect",
    description="Review architecture sketch for security",
    prompt="""
    Read architecture sketch.

    Validate:
    - Security boundaries identified
    - Authentication/authorization approach
    - Data flow security
    - No obvious security anti-patterns

    Status: APPROVED | CONDITIONAL | NEEDS_WORK

    Save review to: .aiwg/working/architecture/security-review.md
    """
)

Communicate Progress:

⏳ Creating architecture sketch...
✓ Architecture sketch complete
✓ Security review: APPROVED

Step 6: Architecture Decision Records

Purpose: Document critical early decisions

Your Actions:

# Create 3+ ADRs for critical decisions
Task(
    subagent_type="architecture-designer",
    description="Create critical ADRs",
    prompt="""
    Read architecture sketch and technology choices.
    Read template: $AIWG_ROOT/agentic/code/frameworks/sdlc-complete/templates/analysis-design/architecture-decision-record-template.md

    Create at least 3 ADRs for Inception:

    ADR-001: Database selection
    - Context: Data requirements
    - Decision: PostgreSQL/MongoDB/etc
    - Consequences: Trade-offs
    - Alternatives: What was considered

    ADR-002: API architecture
    - REST vs GraphQL vs gRPC

    ADR-003: Authentication mechanism
    - OAuth vs JWT vs session-based

    Save to: .aiwg/architecture/adr/ADR-*.md
    """
)

Communicate Progress:

⏳ Documenting architecture decisions...
✓ ADRs created: 3 critical decisions documented

Step 7: Business Case and Funding

Purpose: Secure funding approval for project continuation

Your Actions:

  1. Create Business Case:

    Task(
    subagent_type="product-strategist",
    description="Develop business case",
    prompt="""
    Read vision, use cases, and risk list.
    Read template: $AIWG_ROOT/agentic/code/frameworks/sdlc-complete/templates/management/business-case-informal-template.md

    Create business case including:
    - Problem statement and business need
    - ROM cost estimate (±50% accuracy)
    - Expected benefits and ROI
    - Funding request for Elaboration
    - Success metrics

    Be realistic about costs and benefits.

    Save to: .aiwg/management/business-case.md
    """
)

Task(
    subagent_type="project-manager",
    description="Create option matrix",
    prompt="""
    Read template: $AIWG_ROOT/agentic/code/frameworks/sdlc-complete/templates/intake/option-matrix-template.md

    Analyze at least 3 alternatives:
    - Build custom
    - Buy COTS
    - Hybrid approach
    - Do nothing

    Compare on: cost, time, risk, benefits

    Save to: .aiwg/planning/option-matrix.md
    """
)

  2. Define Scope Boundaries:

    Task(
    subagent_type="requirements-analyst",
    description="Document scope boundaries",
    prompt="""
    Read vision and use cases.

    Explicitly document:
    - In-scope features
    - Out-of-scope features
    - Future considerations
    - Dependencies

    Be very explicit about what's NOT included.

    Save to: .aiwg/planning/scope-boundaries.md
    """
)

Communicate Progress:

⏳ Developing business case...
  ✓ ROM estimate: $XXX,XXX (±50%)
  ✓ Option matrix: 3 alternatives analyzed
  ✓ Scope boundaries defined
✓ Business case complete: .aiwg/management/business-case.md

Step 8: Lifecycle Objective Milestone (LOM) Validation

Purpose: Validate all Inception exit criteria before proceeding

Your Actions:

  1. Validate LOM Criteria:

    Task(
    subagent_type="project-manager",
    description="Validate LOM gate criteria",
    prompt="""
    Read gate criteria: $AIWG_ROOT/agentic/code/frameworks/sdlc-complete/flows/gate-criteria-by-phase.md

    Validate Inception exit criteria:

    Required Artifacts:
    - [ ] Vision document APPROVED
    - [ ] Business case APPROVED with funding
    - [ ] Risk list BASELINED (top 3 mitigated)
    - [ ] Data classification COMPLETE
    - [ ] Architecture sketch documented
    - [ ] 3+ ADRs created
    - [ ] Use case briefs (3-5)
    - [ ] Option matrix analyzed

    Quality Gates:
    - [ ] Stakeholder approval ≥75%
    - [ ] Executive Sponsor signoff
    - [ ] No Show Stopper risks without mitigation
    - [ ] Funding secured for Elaboration

    Generate LOM Report with:
    - Status: PASS | FAIL
    - Go/No-Go recommendation
    - Gaps (if any)

    Save to: .aiwg/reports/lom-report.md
    """
)

  2. Decision Point:

    • If LOM PASS → Report success
    • If LOM FAIL → Report gaps, recommend remediation
    • Escalate to user for executive decision

Communicate Progress:

⏳ Validating Lifecycle Objective Milestone...
✓ LOM Validation complete: PASS
✓ Recommendation: GO to Elaboration

Step 9: Generate Phase Completion Report

Your Actions:

Task(
    subagent_type="project-manager",
    description="Generate Inception completion report",
    prompt="""
    Read all Inception artifacts and LOM report.

    Generate comprehensive phase report:

    # Concept → Inception Phase Report

    ## Milestone Achievement
    - Artifacts Status (list all with status)
    - Gate Criteria (pass/fail each)

    ## Risk Summary
    - Critical risks identified
    - Mitigation status

    ## Financial Summary
    - ROM estimate
    - Funding status

    ## Go/No-Go Decision
    - Recommendation: GO | NO-GO | CONDITIONAL
    - Rationale
    - Next steps

    ## Handoff to Elaboration
    - Assigned agents
    - Scheduled date
    - Baseline tag

    Save to: .aiwg/reports/inception-completion-report.md
    """
)

Present Summary to User:

─────────────────────────────────────────────
Concept → Inception Phase Complete
─────────────────────────────────────────────

**Overall Status**: COMPLETE
**Decision**: GO to Elaboration

**Artifacts Generated**:
✓ Vision Document (.aiwg/requirements/vision-document.md)
✓ Business Case (.aiwg/management/business-case.md)
✓ Risk List (.aiwg/risks/risk-list.md)
✓ Use Case Briefs (.aiwg/requirements/use-case-briefs/, 5 files)
✓ Data Classification (.aiwg/security/data-classification.md)
✓ Architecture Sketch (.aiwg/architecture/architecture-sketch.md)
✓ ADRs (.aiwg/architecture/adr/, 3 files)
✓ Option Matrix (.aiwg/planning/option-matrix.md)

**Key Decisions**:
- Database: PostgreSQL selected
- API: REST with versioning
- Authentication: OAuth 2.0

**Risk Status**:
- 10 risks identified
- Top 3 with mitigation plans
- No Show Stoppers

**Financial**:
- ROM Estimate: $450,000 (±50%)
- Elaboration Funding: APPROVED

**Next Steps**:
1. Review all generated artifacts
2. Schedule stakeholder review (within 3 days)
3. Begin Elaboration: /flow-inception-to-elaboration

─────────────────────────────────────────────

Quality Gates

Before marking workflow complete, verify:

  • All required artifacts generated
  • All reviewers provided sign-off
  • Final artifacts saved to .aiwg/{category}/
  • Working drafts archived
  • LOM criteria validated: PASS

User Communication

At start: Confirm understanding and list artifacts to generate

Understood. I'll orchestrate the Concept → Inception transition.

This will generate:
- Vision Document
- Business Case with ROM estimate
- Risk List (5-10 risks)
- Use Case Briefs (3-5)
- Data Classification
- Architecture Sketch
- ADRs (3+ decisions)
- Option Matrix

I'll coordinate multiple agents for comprehensive coverage.
Expected duration: 10-15 minutes.

Starting orchestration...

During: Update progress with clear indicators

✓ = Complete
⏳ = In progress
❌ = Error/blocked
⚠️ = Warning/attention needed

At end: Summary report with artifact locations and status

Error Handling

If No Intake Form:

❌ No intake form found

Recommendation: Start with intake wizard
Run: /intake-wizard "your project description"

Or create manually at: .aiwg/intake/project-intake.md

If Stakeholder Alignment Failed:

⚠️ Stakeholder approval only 60% (target: ≥75%)

Actions:
1. Review vision document for clarity
2. Schedule stakeholder workshop
3. Address specific concerns

Cannot proceed to Elaboration without alignment.

If No Funding:

❌ Business case approved but no funding allocated

Cannot proceed without funding.

Options:
1. Strengthen ROI analysis
2. Reduce scope for phased funding
3. Escalate to Executive Sponsor

Success Criteria

This orchestration succeeds when:

  • Vision document APPROVED by stakeholders (≥75%)
  • Business case APPROVED with funding secured
  • Risk list BASELINED with top 3 mitigated
  • Use case briefs documented (3-5)
  • Data classification and privacy assessed
  • Architecture sketch reviewed
  • ADRs documented (3+)
  • LOM validation PASSED
  • Go decision recorded

Metrics to Track

During orchestration, track:

  • Stakeholder alignment percentage
  • Risk identification count
  • Funding approval status
  • Gate criteria pass rate
  • Cycle time: Concept to Inception (target: 2-4 weeks, orchestration: 10-15 min)

References

Templates (via $AIWG_ROOT):

  • Vision: templates/requirements/vision-informal-template.md
  • Business Case: templates/management/business-case-informal-template.md
  • Risk List: templates/management/risk-list-template.md
  • Use Case Brief: templates/requirements/use-case-brief-template.md
  • Data Classification: templates/security/data-classification-template.md
  • ADR: templates/analysis-design/architecture-decision-record-template.md
  • Option Matrix: templates/intake/option-matrix-template.md

Gate Criteria:

  • flows/gate-criteria-by-phase.md (Lifecycle Objective Milestone)

Multi-Agent Pattern:

  • docs/multi-agent-documentation-pattern.md

Orchestrator Architecture:

  • docs/orchestrator-architecture.md

Natural Language Translations:

  • docs/simple-language-translations.md