discover

Discover Skill (Stage 1)

This skill analyzes existing projects and generates Gastown-compatible semantic memory.

When to Use

Use this skill when:

• Starting migration of an existing project
• Need to understand a codebase's tech stack
• Want to document project constraints and goals
• Preparing for roadmap generation (Stage 2)

Output Structure

project/
├── .gt/
│   └── memory/
│       ├── semantic.json      # Permanent facts (tech stack, constraints)
│       ├── episodic.json      # Decisions with TTL (optional)
│       └── procedural.json    # Learned patterns (optional)
└── [existing project files]

Discovery Procedure

Scan these locations in priority order:

1. Package Files (Tech Stack Detection)

2. Configuration Files (Service Detection)

3. Documentation (Project Understanding)

4. Source Structure (Codebase Understanding)

Tech Stack Extraction

Framework Detection

Look for these patterns in dependencies:

Database Detection

Auth Detection

Output: semantic.json

{
  "$schema": "semantic-memory-v1",
  "project": {
    "name": "my-app",
    "type": "web-application",
    "primary_language": "TypeScript",
    "description": "A task management app for teams"
  },
  "tech_stack": {
    "runtime": "Node.js 20",
    "framework": "Next.js 14",
    "database": "Neon PostgreSQL",
    "auth": "Firebase Auth",
    "deployment": "Vercel",
    "styling": "Tailwind CSS",
    "testing": "Vitest",
    "orm": "Drizzle"
  },
  "personas": [
    {"name": "Team Lead", "needs": ["assign tasks", "track progress"]},
    {"name": "Developer", "needs": ["see my tasks", "update status"]}
  ],
  "constraints": [
    "Must support offline mode",
    "GDPR compliant data handling"
  ],
  "non_goals": [
    "Mobile native app (web-only for MVP)",
    "Enterprise SSO (future phase)"
  ],
  "evidence": {
    "last_scan": "2026-01-27T10:00:00Z",
    "files_analyzed": ["package.json", "README.md", "docs/​PRD.md"]
  }
}

Memory Types

Semantic Memory (Required)

Permanent facts that don't change:

• Project name and type
• Primary programming language
• Tech stack components
• Architectural constraints
• Non-goals

Episodic Memory (Optional)

Decisions with time-to-live (~30 days):

• Architecture decisions
• Library choices with rationale
• Trade-offs made

Procedural Memory (Optional)

Learned patterns:

• Code conventions
• Testing patterns
• Deployment procedures

Quality Gates

Validation

python plugins/​lisa/​hooks/​validate.py --stage discover

Error Handling

If unable to detect something:

• Set field to null rather than guessing
• Add to evidence.unresolved list (if pattern exists)
• Document what was searched and why it failed

Next Steps

After discover completes:

• Proceed to Stage 2 (Plan) → skills/​plan/​SKILL.md
• Or proceed directly to Stage 3 (Structure) if roadmap exists