/arc:start
The front door to Arc. Understands context, asks what you want to do, routes to the right workflow.
Process
Step 1: Gather Context (in parallel)
Explore the codebase:
code
Task Explore model: haiku: "Quick overview of this codebase: - What is this project? (framework, language, purpose) - Key directories and their purposes - Any obvious patterns or conventions Keep it brief — 5-10 bullet points max."
Check for existing Arc artifacts:
bash
ls docs/vision.md docs/plans/*.md 2>/dev/null | head -10
Check for existing tasks: Use TaskList tool to see if there are pending tasks.
Read progress journal for recent work:
bash
head -50 docs/progress.md 2>/dev/null
Step 2: Present Context
Briefly share what you found:
- •Project type and key patterns
- •Any existing plans or tasks
- •Recent work from progress journal (if found)
Step 3: Ask What They Want to Do
Present options based on context:
If pending tasks exist: "You have [N] pending tasks. Want to:"
- •Work on one of those
- •Start something new
- •See suggestions (/arc:suggest)
If recent plans exist: "I found a plan for [topic]. Want to:"
- •Continue that work
- •Start something different
If fresh codebase: "What would you like to work on?"
- •Describe a feature or change
- •Fix a bug
- •Explore what needs work (/arc:suggest)
Step 4: Route to Workflow
Based on their answer:
| Intent | Route to |
|---|---|
| "I want to build [feature]" | /arc:ideate |
| "Quick fix/small change" | /arc:build |
| "Continue [existing plan]" | /arc:implement or /arc:detail |
| "Not sure what to work on" | /arc:suggest |
| "Review/improve existing code" | /arc:deslop or /arc:review |
| "Ship to production" | /arc:letsgo |
| "Run tests" | /arc:test |
Invoke the skill:
code
Skill arc:[chosen]: "[user's description]"
What /arc:start is NOT
- •Not a replacement for specific commands — it routes TO them
- •Not for when you already know what command to use
- •Not a status dashboard (use /arc:suggest for that)
Interop
- •Routes to all other /arc:* commands
- •Reads TaskList, /arc:vision, /arc:progress for context
- •Uses /arc:suggest when user is unsure