Ask Matt: Choose the Right Workflow

What it does

This explicitly invoked router helps when a collection has grown beyond a memorable list of commands. It distinguishes an idea that needs discovery, a concrete implementation ticket, an incoming request and a difficult regression. The source requires reading the actual destination skill before describing it or omitting a step. Its main flow preserves discovery context through specification and ticket creation, then allows fresh implementation sessions against self-contained tickets. A large unresolved initiative takes a decision-mapping route before a build plan.

When to use it

• Choose a starting point for a feature whose requirements are still unclear.
• Decide whether an intermittent regression needs diagnosis before implementation.
• Move an agreed multi-session feature into specifications and dependency-aware tickets.

Step-by-step workflow

1. Describe the goal, current evidence and what has already been agreed.
2. Inspect the relevant destination SKILL.md files rather than relying on router summaries.
3. Choose discovery, diagnosis, triage or direct implementation based on the actual starting state.
4. Keep settled decisions accessible through the chosen phase boundary and prepare tickets when needed.
5. Explain the next invocation and the evidence that would justify changing routes.

Example request

Use ask-matt to choose a workflow for our unreliable CSV import. We have customer reports but no reproducible failure, and the feature already exists. Read the candidate skills before recommending a route. Explain the first evidence-producing step, when we can move to implementation, and whether a specification is necessary. Recommend a path only; do not create tickets, launch other agents or modify files.

Worked example

An import that occasionally loses rows should not begin with a speculative feature specification. The router can recommend diagnosing-bugs to establish a failing command, followed by implementation and review once the failure is understood. If investigation reveals a disputed rule about duplicate rows, that decision needs clarification. A small correction can stay in the same session; a redesign spanning multiple sessions may need a spec and tickets. The recommendation should explain that distinction using the observed uncertainty.

What you get

A justified route through the collection, with a concrete starting skill, phase boundaries and conditions for escalation.

How to evaluate the result

• Check the chosen skill’s actual source was read.
• Confirm the route addresses the missing evidence or decision.
• Ensure downstream actions have not silently started.

What you need

The collection’s referenced skills, project context and enough information to distinguish unresolved decisions from executable work.

Setup and activation

The publisher documents plugin setup for Claude Code, Codex and Copilot, and manual Agent Skills setup for Gemini CLI and other clients. Choose one distribution method per client to avoid duplicate skills. The engineering collection expects project-specific tracker, triage-label and document-location settings from setup-matt-pocock-skills. Keep referenced companion skills and files available. This catalogue review does not install or run them; scan the exact source before any later installation. Client tools, permissions and subagent support still need separate validation.

Limits and considerations

A routing recommendation does not perform the downstream work. Some routes use other agents or tracker writes; those still require compatible tools and authorization. Do not use a large planning map for a small settled change.

Related workflows

• Pair with diagnosing-bugs for an unexplained regression.
• Use to-spec and to-tickets after requirements are settled.

License and reuse

MIT at repository level (Copyright 2026 Matt Pocock). Preserve the copyright and permission notice when redistributing substantial source material; inspect any separately licensed dependencies or assets.

Further reading

• Reviewed SKILL.md (immutable commit)
• Publisher README: setup and compatibility
• Reviewed MIT license