Stud: Part 1, skeleton first (knowledge)

You reached for this skill mid-task because you're about to build something that spans several functions or files, and the shape should be reviewable before the logic. This is a technique you apply, not a ceremony you run: lay a runnable skeleton, prove the plumbing, then checkpoint so the shape can be reviewed before you fill it.

There is no interview here. You were triggered mid-flow, and the feature is already in play. If a genuine ambiguity blocks the skeleton, ask a single targeted question and move on; don't turn this into a planning session.

The methodology itself (two-stage rationale, real homes, shared shapes, stubs, banners, verification, fill order, shared hard rules) lives in ~/.claude/library/references/stud/methodology.md. Read it now and execute it; this file adds only what is unique to the self-triggered path.

Announce at start

State the mode-switch out loud so whoever's watching knows why the next diff is full of fakes and scaffold banners:

"I'm laying down a runnable skeleton before filling in the logic (stud skill); I'll checkpoint the shape before writing any real logic."

This line is load-bearing in the knowledge path: the user didn't ask for a skeleton, so tell them they're getting one and why.

Execute the methodology

Homes (reusing files already read this task), shapes, stubs, banners, then verify the skeleton runs; all per the methodology reference.

Checkpoint before filling

You triggered this yourself mid-task, so don't barrel straight into Stage 2. Surface the shape and let it be reviewed before any real logic:

• Show what ran and the flow it exercised.
• List the seams the reviewer must sign off: find-scaffold.sh --seams.
• State the fill order you'd take next, per the methodology's Stage 2 preview.
• Then pause for the shape to be reviewed.

The whole reason you reached for a skeleton was to make the shape reviewable; skipping the checkpoint throws that away.

Unique mistakes on this path

• Skipping the announce. The user didn't ask for a skeleton; if you don't say why the diff is full of fakes, it reads as broken code.
• Barrelling into Stage 2. The point of studding is a reviewable shape; filling without a checkpoint discards it.
• Turning it into an interview. You were triggered mid-flow; resolve real blockers with one targeted question, not a planning session.