skill-founder-spreadsheet
$
npx mdskill add benbrastmckie/nvim/skill-founder-spreadsheetThin wrapper that routes cost breakdown spreadsheet requests to the `founder-spreadsheet-agent`.
SKILL.md
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---
name: skill-founder-spreadsheet
description: Cost breakdown spreadsheet generation with forcing questions
allowed-tools: Agent, Bash, Edit, Read, Write
---
# Spreadsheet Skill
Thin wrapper that routes cost breakdown spreadsheet requests to the `founder-spreadsheet-agent`.
**IMPORTANT**: This skill implements the skill-internal postflight pattern. After the subagent returns,
this skill handles all postflight operations (status update, artifact linking, git commit) before returning.
## Context Pointers
Reference (do not load eagerly):
- Path: `.claude/context/formats/subagent-return.md`
- Purpose: Return validation
- Load at: Subagent execution only
Note: This skill is a thin wrapper. Context is loaded by the delegated agent, not this skill.
## Trigger Conditions
This skill activates when:
### Direct Invocation
- User explicitly runs `/sheet` command with task number
- User runs `/research` on a founder task with `task_type: "sheet"`
### Implicit Invocation (during task implementation)
When an implementing agent encounters any of these patterns:
**Plan step language patterns**:
- "Create cost breakdown"
- "Build financial spreadsheet"
- "Generate cost analysis"
- "Cost modeling spreadsheet"
**Target mentions**:
- "cost breakdown"
- "budget spreadsheet"
- "expense analysis"
- "financial model"
### When NOT to trigger
Do not invoke for:
- Market sizing (use skill-market)
- Revenue projections (use skill-strategy)
- General business analysis (use skill-analyze)
- Project timelines (use skill-project)
---
## Execution Flow
### Stage 1: Input Validation
Validate required inputs:
- `task_number` - Must be provided and exist in state.json
- `mode` - Optional, one of: ESTIMATE, BUDGET, FORECAST, ACTUALS
```bash
# Lookup task
task_data=$(jq -r --argjson num "$task_number" \
'.active_projects[] | select(.project_number == $num)' \
specs/state.json)
# Validate exists
if [ -z "$task_data" ]; then
return error "Task $task_number not found"
fi
# Extract fields
task_type=$(echo "$task_data" | jq -r '.task_type // "founder"')
status=$(echo "$task_data" | jq -r '.status')
project_name=$(echo "$task_data" | jq -r '.project_name')
description=$(echo "$task_data" | jq -r '.description // ""')
# Extract pre-gathered forcing_data (if present)
forcing_data=$(echo "$task_data" | jq -r '.forcing_data // null')
pre_gathered_mode=$(echo "$forcing_data" | jq -r '.mode // null' 2>/dev/null)
# Validate mode if provided
if [ -n "$mode" ]; then
case "$mode" in
ESTIMATE|BUDGET|FORECAST|ACTUALS) ;;
*) return error "Invalid mode: $mode. Must be ESTIMATE, BUDGET, FORECAST, or ACTUALS" ;;
esac
fi
```
---
### Stage 2: Preflight Status Update
Update task status to "researching" BEFORE invoking subagent.
**Update state.json**:
```bash
jq --arg ts "$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ)" \
--arg status "researching" \
--arg sid "$session_id" \
'(.active_projects[] | select(.project_number == '$task_number')) |= . + {
status: $status,
last_updated: $ts,
session_id: $sid
}' specs/state.json > specs/tmp/state.json && mv specs/tmp/state.json specs/state.json
```
**Update TODO.md**: Use Edit tool to change status marker to `[RESEARCHING]`.
---
### Stage 3: Create Postflight Marker
```bash
padded_num=$(printf "%03d" "$task_number")
mkdir -p "specs/${padded_num}_${project_name}"
cat > "specs/${padded_num}_${project_name}/.postflight-pending" << EOF
{
"session_id": "${session_id}",
"skill": "skill-founder-spreadsheet",
"task_number": ${task_number},
"operation": "research",
"reason": "Postflight pending: status update, artifact linking, git commit",
"created": "$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ)"
}
EOF
```
---
### Stage 4: Prepare Delegation Context
Include pre-gathered forcing_data when available:
```json
{
"task_context": {
"task_number": N,
"project_name": "{project_name}",
"description": "{description}",
"task_type": "founder",
"task_type": "sheet"
},
"forcing_data": {
"mode": "{pre_gathered_mode}",
"scope_period": "{pre_gathered_period}",
"scope_entity": "{pre_gathered_entity}",
"gathered_at": "{timestamp}"
},
"mode": "ESTIMATE|BUDGET|FORECAST|ACTUALS or use forcing_data.mode",
"metadata_file_path": "specs/{NNN}_{SLUG}/.return-meta.json",
"metadata": {
"session_id": "sess_{timestamp}_{random}",
"delegation_depth": 1,
"delegation_path": ["orchestrator", "sheet", "skill-founder-spreadsheet"]
}
}
```
**Note**: If `forcing_data` is present from STAGE 0 of /sheet command, pass it to the agent.
The agent will use pre-gathered data and only ask follow-up questions for missing details.
---
### Stage 5: Invoke Agent
**CRITICAL**: You MUST use the **Agent** tool to spawn the agent.
**Required Tool Invocation**:
```
Tool: Agent (NOT Skill, NOT Plan)
Parameters:
- subagent_type: "founder-spreadsheet-agent"
- prompt: [Include task_context, forcing_data, mode, metadata_file_path, metadata]
- description: "Cost breakdown spreadsheet generation"
```
The agent will:
- Use pre-gathered forcing_data if available (skip already-answered questions)
- Present mode selection only if not pre-selected
- Ask follow-up forcing questions for cost details
- Generate XLSX with native Excel formulas
- Export JSON metrics for Typst integration
- Create research report at specs/{NNN}_{SLUG}/reports/
- Write metadata file
- Return brief text summary
---
### Stage 5b: Self-Execution Fallback
**CRITICAL**: If you performed the work above WITHOUT using the Agent tool (i.e., you read files,
wrote artifacts, or updated metadata directly instead of spawning a subagent), you MUST write a
`.return-meta.json` file now before proceeding to postflight. Use the schema from
`return-metadata-file.md` with the appropriate status value for this operation.
If you DID use the Agent tool, skip this stage -- the subagent already wrote the metadata.
---
## Postflight (ALWAYS EXECUTE)
The following stages MUST execute after work is complete, whether the work was done by a
subagent or inline (Stage 5b). Do NOT skip these stages for any reason.
### Stage 6: Read Metadata File
```bash
padded_num=$(printf "%03d" "$task_number")
metadata_file="specs/${padded_num}_${project_name}/.return-meta.json"
if [ -f "$metadata_file" ] && jq empty "$metadata_file" 2>/dev/null; then
status=$(jq -r '.status' "$metadata_file")
artifacts=$(jq -r '.artifacts' "$metadata_file")
else
status="failed"
fi
```
---
### Stage 7: Update Task Status (Postflight)
If status is "researched", update state.json and TODO.md.
**Update state.json**:
```bash
jq --arg ts "$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ)" \
--arg status "researched" \
'(.active_projects[] | select(.project_number == '$task_number')) |= . + {
status: $status,
last_updated: $ts
}' specs/state.json > specs/tmp/state.json && mv specs/tmp/state.json specs/state.json
```
**Update TODO.md**: Use Edit tool to change status marker to `[RESEARCHED]`.
---
### Stage 8: Link Artifacts
Add artifacts to state.json with summaries.
**IMPORTANT**: Use two-step jq pattern to avoid escaping issues.
```bash
# For each artifact type (research, spreadsheet, metrics)
for artifact in $(echo "$artifacts" | jq -c '.[]'); do
path=$(echo "$artifact" | jq -r '.path')
type=$(echo "$artifact" | jq -r '.type')
summary=$(echo "$artifact" | jq -r '.summary')
# Step 1: Filter out existing artifacts of same type (use "| not" pattern)
jq '(.active_projects[] | select(.project_number == '$task_number')).artifacts =
[(.active_projects[] | select(.project_number == '$task_number')).artifacts // [] | .[] | select(.type == "'$type'" | not)]' \
specs/state.json > specs/tmp/state.json && mv specs/tmp/state.json specs/state.json
# Step 2: Add new artifact
jq --arg path "$path" \
--arg type "$type" \
--arg summary "$summary" \
'(.active_projects[] | select(.project_number == '$task_number')).artifacts += [{"path": $path, "type": $type, "summary": $summary}]' \
specs/state.json > specs/tmp/state.json && mv specs/tmp/state.json specs/state.json
done
```
**Update TODO.md**: Link artifact using count-aware format.
Apply the four-case Edit logic from `@.claude/context/patterns/artifact-linking-todo.md`
with `field_name=**Research**`, `next_field=**Plan**`.
---
### Stage 9: Git Commit
```bash
git add -A
git commit -m "task ${task_number}: complete research
Session: ${session_id}
```
---
### Stage 10: Cleanup
```bash
rm -f "specs/${padded_num}_${project_name}/.postflight-pending"
rm -f "specs/${padded_num}_${project_name}/.postflight-loop-guard"
rm -f "specs/${padded_num}_${project_name}/.return-meta.json"
```
---
### Stage 11: Return Brief Summary
```
Cost breakdown research completed for task {N}:
- Mode: {mode}, {questions_asked} forcing questions completed
- Categories: {category_list}
- Line items: {count}
- Monthly total: ${total_monthly}
- Pre-gathered data used: {yes/no}
- Spreadsheet: specs/{NNN}_{SLUG}/cost-breakdown.xlsx
- Research report: specs/{NNN}_{SLUG}/reports/01_{short-slug}.md
- Status updated to [RESEARCHED]
- Changes committed
- Next: Run /plan {N} to create implementation plan
```
---
## Return Format
Brief text summary (NOT JSON).
Expected successful return:
```
Cost breakdown research completed for task 234:
- Mode: BUDGET, 8 forcing questions completed
- Categories: Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing, Operations
- Line items: 12
- Monthly total: $81,200
- Pre-gathered data used: yes (2 questions from STAGE 0)
- Spreadsheet: specs/234_cost_breakdown_saas/cost-breakdown.xlsx
- Research report: specs/234_cost_breakdown_saas/reports/01_cost-breakdown.md
- Status updated to [RESEARCHED]
- Changes committed with session sess_1736700000_abc123
- Next: Run /plan 234 to create implementation plan
```
---
## Error Handling
### Input Validation Errors
Return immediately if task not found.
### Metadata File Missing
Keep status as "researching" for resume.
### User Abandonment
Return partial status with progress made.
### Git Commit Failure
Non-blocking: Log failure but continue.
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