session-init

The session-init skill serves as the primary entry point for structured software development workflows within the Claude Code Harness environment. Designed to transform a cold start into a fully context-aware session, this skill automates the reconnaissance phase required for effective development. It is intended for developers and software engineers who utilize the Claude Code agent as a disciplined partner. When a user requests to begin work, check status, or resume a task, this skill executes a multi-step diagnostic process to ensure the agent is aligned with the current state of the repository, task backlog, and team protocols.

• Performs automated environment diagnostics, including Git branch verification, pending change detection, and system health status.

• Synchronizes project context by retrieving resume packs from the unified harness memory (harness-mem.db), ensuring seamless transitions between different sessions.

• Parses task management files such as Plans.md to identify and surface active Work-In-Progress (WIP) items, incoming PM requests, and prioritized TODOs.

• Reviews AGENTS.md and project-level guardrails to enforce role-based constraints, prohibitions, and established contribution guidelines.

• Checks file hygiene by monitoring the line counts of Plans.md and session-log.md to prevent log bloating and suggest proactive maintenance or archival.

• Generates a concise session overview report, providing the developer with an immediate snapshot of the branch state, critical tasks, potential blockers, and recommended next actions.

• Trigger the skill using natural language prompts like start session, beginning work, or what should I work on?

• The skill is specifically tuned for project startup; do not invoke during deep-dive implementation, code reviews, or mid-session debugging phases where it might disrupt the execution context.

• If Plans.md is absent, the skill will suggest executing /harness-init to bootstrap the project management structure.

• It interfaces directly with the Claude Code v2.1+ toolset, leveraging bash scripts for Git status, log analysis, and database queries for harness-mem synchronization.

• It assumes the use of the Harness v4+ engine, relying on Go-native hooks for rapid session initialization and metadata retrieval, ensuring minimal latency at the start of every work session.