---
name: building-team
description: Guided team-building workflow covering first hire decisions, co-founder compatibility, and role planning
version: "1.0"
tools: Read, Write, Edit, Glob, Grep, AskUserQuestion
---

# Building Team Guided Workflow

Guided team-building skill covering first hire decision frameworks, co-founder compatibility assessments, and role planning. Adapts to project context when available and adjusts detail depth based on user experience level.

---

## Purpose

This skill provides structured guidance for team-building decisions at the earliest stages of company formation. It produces outputs in `devforgeai/specs/business/team-building/` when project context is available.

---

## When to Use This Skill

**Use when:**
- A solo founder is considering their first hire
- A founder is evaluating potential co-founder compatibility
- Role definitions and team structure need planning
- General team-building guidance is needed without project context

**Invoked by:**
- `/build-team` command

---

## Mode Detection

This skill supports two execution modes: **standalone** and **project-anchored**.

### Standalone Mode

When no project context is available, the skill provides general team-building guidance without errors or references to missing project files. Standalone mode is the default when:
- No active project exists
- `devforgeai/specs/Stories/` directory is empty or missing
- No epic or sprint files are found

In standalone mode, guidance focuses on general best practices, frameworks, and decision trees applicable to any early-stage company.

### Project-Anchored Mode

When project context is detected, the skill adapts guidance to the project's specific situation. Project-anchored mode activates when:
- Project context files exist (`devforgeai/specs/Stories/*.story.md`, `devforgeai/specs/Epics/*.epic.md`)
- Business plan outputs exist (`devforgeai/specs/business/market-research/`)
- User profile exists (`devforgeai/specs/business/user-profile.md`)

In project-anchored mode, guidance incorporates specific project needs, market constraints, and business context into team-building recommendations.

**Mode Detection Logic:**
```
Check for project files:
- Glob(pattern="devforgeai/specs/Stories/*.story.md")
- Glob(pattern="devforgeai/specs/Epics/*.epic.md")
- Glob(pattern="devforgeai/specs/business/market-research/*.md")

IF any project files found:
    MODE = "project-anchored"
    Adapt guidance to project context
    Reference project-specific needs
ELSE:
    MODE = "standalone"
    Provide general guidance
    No project file dependencies
```

---

## Adaptive Pacing

This skill adjusts detail depth based on user experience level when a user profile is available. The profile's `business_knowledge` field controls question depth and adaptive pacing behavior.

### Experience Levels

| Level | Description | Output Style |
|-------|-------------|--------------|
| **beginner** | New to team-building decisions | Verbose: Detailed explanations, trade-offs, systematic frameworks |
| **intermediate** | Some familiarity with concepts | Standard: Key decision points, concise frameworks |
| **advanced** | Experienced in hiring/team building | Abbreviated: Direct checklists, minimal explanation |

### Default Behavior

When the user profile is missing or the `business_knowledge` field is absent, default to intermediate-level detail. This provides balanced guidance without excessive explanation or assuming advanced knowledge.

**Profile Detection Logic:**
```
Read(file_path="devforgeai/specs/business/user-profile.md")

IF file exists AND business_knowledge field present:
    EXPERIENCE_LEVEL = business_knowledge value
    Adapt detail depth accordingly
ELSE:
    EXPERIENCE_LEVEL = "intermediate" (default mid-level)
    Continue with standard guidance
```

---

## Output Specification

The skill outputs guidance based on the selected topic:

### First-Hire Topic (first-hire)

**Output:** First hire decision framework covering:
- Role prioritization (what to hire first)
- Budget constraints and timing
- Candidate evaluation criteria
- Offer structuring basics

### Co-Founder Topic (co-founder)

**Output:** Co-founder compatibility assessment covering:
- Complementary skills analysis
- Equity split considerations
- Alignment on vision and values
- Decision-making framework

### Role-Planning Topic (role-planning)

**Output:** Role definition and planning covering:
- Core vs. optional roles
- Hiring roadmap prioritization
- Role responsibility definitions
- Team structure options

### Full Topic (full)

**Output:** Comprehensive team-building plan covering all three areas sequentially.

---

## Workflow

### Step 0: Detect Mode and Load Profile

Determine execution mode (standalone vs. project-anchored) and load user profile for adaptive pacing.

```
# Mode detection
IF project files detected:
    MODE = "project-anchored"
    Display: "Project-anchored mode: Adapting guidance to your project context"
ELSE:
    MODE = "standalone"
    Display: "Standalone mode: Providing general team-building guidance"

# Profile detection for adaptive pacing
Read(file_path="devforgeai/specs/business/user-profile.md")
IF file exists:
    EXPERIENCE_LEVEL = extract business_knowledge field
    Adapt verbosity: more explanation for novice, concise for experienced
ELSE:
    EXPERIENCE_LEVEL = "intermediate" (default)
    Display: "Using intermediate detail level (default)"
```

### Step 1: Topic Selection Guidance

Based on the argument passed from the command, provide structured guidance for the selected topic.

**For first-hire topic:**
```
Key considerations (see references/first-hire-framework.md for details):
1. What business function needs support most?
2. Budget constraints and cash flow
3. Full-time vs. contract/consultant
4. Skills gap analysis

AskUserQuestion:
  Question: "What is your primary constraint for the first hire?"
  Header: "First Hire Constraints"
  Options:
    - "Budget limited - need maximum impact"
    - "Time sensitive - need immediate capacity"
    - "Specialized skill - hard to find expertise"
    - "Generalist support - flexible role"
  multiSelect: false
```

**For co-founder topic:**
```
Key considerations (see references/co-founder-assessment.md for scoring framework):
1. Complementary skills and experience
2. Shared vision and values
3. Equity split fairness
4. Decision-making alignment

AskUserQuestion:
  Question: "What is your primary concern about co-founder compatibility?"
  Header: "Co-Founder Compatibility"
  Options:
    - "Skills gap - need complementary expertise"
    - "Equity split - fair division discussion"
    - "Vision alignment - ensuring shared goals"
    - "Decision authority - how we decide"
  multiSelect: false
```

**For role-planning topic:**
```
Key considerations (see references/role-definitions.md for core role definitions):
1. Core vs. optional roles
2. Hiring sequence and timing
3. Role responsibility boundaries
4. Future team structure

AskUserQuestion:
  Question: "What stage of role planning are you in?"
  Header: "Role Planning Stage"
  Options:
    - "Early stage - defining core roles"
    - "Growing team - adding specialists"
    - "Scaling - structuring for growth"
  multiSelect: false
```

**For full topic:**
Execute all three topics sequentially, with context carrying forward between topics.

### Step 2: Adapt Output Based on Mode

**In standalone mode:**
Provide general frameworks, checklists, and best practices applicable to any early-stage company. Output is comprehensive but not project-specific.

**In project-anchored mode:**
Adapt guidance based on detected project context:
- Reference project stories to understand product needs
- Incorporate market research for hiring priorities
- Align role planning with business model constraints

```
IF MODE == "project-anchored":
    Read available project context:
    - Glob(pattern="devforgeai/specs/Stories/*.story.md")
    - Read(file_path="devforgeai/specs/business/market-research/market-sizing.md")

    Adapt output:
    - "Based on your project stories..."
    - "Given your market size estimates..."
    - "For your product category..."

ELSE:
    # Standalone mode - general guidance
    - "Common considerations include..."
    - "Best practices for early-stage companies..."
    - "Typical first hire patterns..."
```

### Step 3: Adjust Verbosity Based on Profile

Adjust output detail depth based on detected experience level:

```
IF EXPERIENCE_LEVEL == "beginner":
    Provide verbose output:
    - Explain why each consideration matters
    - Provide examples for each point
    - Include detailed decision frameworks
    - Add "For context" and "Why this matters" notes

ELSE IF EXPERIENCE_LEVEL == "intermediate":
    Provide standard output:
    - Key considerations with brief context
    - Decision points highlighted
    - Concise frameworks

ELSE IF EXPERIENCE_LEVEL == "advanced":
    Provide concise output:
    - Summary bullet points
    - Direct to reference documents
    - Minimal explanation
```

### Step 4: Write Output (Optional)

When in project-anchored mode or when user requests persistence, write guidance to output file:

```
Write(file_path="devforgeai/specs/business/team-building/${TOPIC}-guidance.md", content=output)
```

In standalone mode, output is displayed but not persisted unless explicitly requested.

---

## Reference Files

| Reference | Path | Purpose | Related Story |
|-----------|------|---------|---------------|
| Team Building Fundamentals | references/team-building-fundamentals.md | First-hire guidance basics | STORY-562 |
| First Hire Framework | references/first-hire-framework.md | Decision tree & questionnaire | STORY-562 |
| Co-Founder Assessment | references/co-founder-assessment.md | Compatibility scoring framework | STORY-563 |
| Contractor vs Employee | references/contractor-vs-employee.md | Classification decision framework | STORY-565 |
| Role Definitions | references/role-definitions.md | Core vs. optional roles | All topics |
| Hiring Checklist | references/hiring-checklist.md | End-to-end hiring workflow | All topics |

---

## Error Handling

| Error | Recovery |
|-------|----------|
| Project files not found | Continue in standalone mode (graceful degradation) |
| User profile not found | Default to intermediate experience level |
| Reference files missing | Display warning: "Detailed reference not yet available - STORY-562/563 pending" |
| Invalid topic | Display usage and valid options |

---

## Success Criteria

- [ ] Skill file exists at src/claude/skills/building-team/SKILL.md
- [ ] Skill file references external files in references/ directory
- [ ] Standalone mode works without project context (no errors)
- [ ] Project-anchored mode adapts when project context detected
- [ ] Adaptive pacing adjusts detail depth based on profile
- [ ] Default behavior when profile missing (intermediate level)
- [ ] Total directory size under 50 KB
- [ ] Reference files use consistent formatting
- [ ] Cross-references link related content