igor1309/cold-start-checkpoint

Cold Start Checkpoint Protocol

Announce: "Pausing to confirm I understand before diving in."

Step 1 — Summarize (no tools)

Without using any tools, formulate a 2-3 sentence summary of the user's request. Be specific — name files, modules, behaviors if mentioned. Flag anything ambiguous.

Step 2 — Present the checkpoint

Output this block:

## Cold Start Checkpoint

**My understanding:** [2-3 sentence summary]

**Assumptions I'm making:**
- [assumption 1]
- [assumption 2]
- ...

**What would you like to do?**
1. Go — understanding is correct, proceed
2. Clarify — let me ask a few questions first
3. Restate — let me re-explain what I need

Keep it brutally short. No preamble, no meta-commentary. 3-5 assumptions max — only ones that would derail execution if wrong.

For crystal-clear, single-scoped prompts (e.g., "bump version to 2.1.0 in Package.swift"): one-sentence summary, skip assumptions, just show the Go/Clarify/Restate options.

Step 3 — Branch on response

• Go (1, y, yes, ok, approve, proceed, lgtm): proceed with normal execution.
• Clarify (2, clarify, questions, q&a): ask 2-3 targeted questions about the ambiguities you identified. After answers, loop back to Step 2 with an updated summary.
• Restate (3, restate, let me re-explain, wait, no): acknowledge, wait for the user's restated prompt. Treat the new prompt as the real first message and loop back to Step 1.