ORIENT Phase

Map the problem space before committing to a direction.

Process

1. Domain Mapping (Width)

Ask: "What domains does this touch?"

Always consider:

•Technical (obvious)
•Business (value, stakeholders, ROI)
•Users (behavior, needs, friction)
•Operations (deployment, maintenance, monitoring)
•Design (interaction, experience)

Output a simple domain list with relevance notes.

2. Thinking Level Check (Depth)

Assess current thinking level:

Level	Signs	Risk
Level 1 (Conformist)	"This is how it's always done"	Following patterns blindly
Level 2 (Individualist)	"My approach is right"	Dogmatic, closed to alternatives
Level 3 (Synthesist)	"Multiple approaches could work"	Can hold contradictions

If stuck at Level 1-2, ask: "What would make a different approach correct?"

3. Skill Dependencies (Height)

Ask: "What capabilities must exist for this to succeed?"

•What skills does this require that we may lack?
•What domain knowledge unlocks other capabilities?
•Is progress blocked by underdevelopment elsewhere?

4. Quadrant Check

For each quadrant, surface one key question:

Quadrant	Question to Answer
Individual Inner	What assumptions am I making?
Collective Inner	Who else has stakes? Do we share understanding?
Individual Outer	What concrete output will exist?
Collective Outer	What systems/constraints already exist?

5. Time Context

Determine:

•Is this greenfield or evolution of existing?
•What must we "transcend and include" from current state?
•What's the trajectory—V1, V2, long-term vision?

6. Identity Check

Ask the user: "What are you most attached to about this idea?"

Flag this for later—attachment points become blind spots.

Output Format

code

## Orientation Summary

**Domains involved:** [list]

**Key assumptions to validate:**
- [assumption 1]
- [assumption 2]

**Stakeholder alignment needed:** [yes/no, with whom]

**Existing constraints:** [systems, processes, dependencies]

**Attachment risk:** [what the user seems attached to]

**Ready for SPAR phase:** [yes/no]

Exit Criteria

Proceed to SPAR when:

•At least 3 domains are mapped
•Key assumptions are explicit (not hidden)
•User acknowledges what they're attached to