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Tibsfox 383007dca4 feat(workflows): add conditional thinking partner at decision points (#1816 )

Integrate lightweight thinking partner analysis at two workflow decision
points, controlled by features.thinking_partner config (default: false):

1. discuss-phase: when developer answers reveal competing priorities
   (detected via keyword/structural signals), offers brief tradeoff
   analysis before locking decisions

2. plan-phase: when plan-checker flags architectural tradeoffs, analyzes
   options and recommends an approach aligned with phase goals before
   entering the revision loop

The thinking partner is opt-in, skippable (No, I have decided),
and brief (3-5 bullets). A third integration point for /gsd-explore
will be added when #1729 lands.

Closes #1726

Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>

2026-04-05 17:04:08 -04:00

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Thinking Partner Integration

Conditional extended thinking at workflow decision points. Activates when features.thinking_partner: true in .planning/config.json (default: false).

Tradeoff Detection Signals

The thinking partner activates when developer responses contain specific signals indicating competing priorities:

Keyword signals:

"or" / "versus" / "vs" connecting two approaches
"tradeoff" / "trade-off" / "tradeoffs"
"on one hand" / "on the other hand"
"pros and cons"
"not sure between" / "torn between"

Structural signals:

Developer lists 2+ competing options
Developer asks "which is better" or "what would you recommend"
Developer reverses a previous decision ("actually, maybe we should...")

When NOT to activate:

Developer has already made a clear choice
The "or" is rhetorical or trivial (e.g., "tabs or spaces" — use project convention)
Simple yes/no questions
Developer explicitly asks to move on

Integration Points

1. Discuss Phase — Tradeoff Deep-Dive

When: During discuss_areas step, after a developer answer reveals competing priorities.

What: Pause the normal question flow and offer a brief structured analysis:

I notice competing priorities here — {X} optimizes for {A} while {Y} optimizes for {B}.

Want me to think through the tradeoffs before we decide?
[Yes, analyze tradeoffs] / [No, I've decided]

If yes, provide a brief (3-5 bullet) analysis covering:

What each approach optimizes for
What each approach sacrifices
Which aligns better with the project's stated goals (from PROJECT.md)
A recommendation with reasoning

Then return to the normal discussion flow.

2. Plan Phase — Architectural Decision Analysis

When: During step 11 (Handle Checker Return), when the plan-checker flags issues containing architectural tradeoff keywords.

What: Before sending to the revision loop, analyze the architectural decision:

The plan-checker flagged an architectural tradeoff: {issue description}

Brief analysis:
- Option A: {approach} — {pros/cons}
- Option B: {approach} — {pros/cons}
- Recommendation: {choice} because {reasoning aligned with phase goals}

Apply this recommendation to the revision? [Yes] / [No, let me decide]

3. Explore — Approach Comparison (requires #1729)

When: During Socratic conversation, when multiple viable approaches emerge. Note: This integration point will be added when /gsd-explore (#1729) lands.

Configuration

{
  "features": {
    "thinking_partner": true
  }
}

Default: false. The thinking partner is opt-in because it adds latency to interactive workflows.

Design Principles

Lightweight — inline analysis, not a separate interactive session
Opt-in — must be explicitly enabled, never activates by default
Skippable — always offer "No, I've decided" to bypass
Brief — 3-5 bullets max, not a full research report
Aligned — recommendations reference PROJECT.md goals when available

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