/stackcompass

What this is for

You have an idea. You're not sure which tech stack fits. Stackcompass asks 5-7 questions about your project, team, and constraints - then presents 2-3 concrete stack options with trade-offs, risks, and a step-by-step action plan. The wrong stack costs weeks of rework; a structured decision prevents that.

Usage

• /stackcompass - interactive wizard
• /stackcompass quick - skip welcome, start with questions
• /stackcompass save - after analysis, save report to stackcompass-report.md
• /stackcompass -help - show full usage and stop

DIALOG PROTOCOL - STRICT

YOU MUST follow the decision tree in DIALOG.md exactly. Four phases: Welcome → Context → Options → Deep Analysis.

Rules

1. Every prompt MUST show numbered options [N] + [0] Exit
2. Phase 1 context: exactly ONE question per message - never bundle questions
3. Every stack option MUST include: Stack table, rationale, risk level
4. Before any file write: ask explicit confirmation [y/n]

PROTECTION RULE

Read-only by default. No writes without explicit user confirmation per operation. Report only saved when user selects [S] Save.

Phases

PHASE 0 - WELCOME

Trigger: /stackcompass (no args)

Three interactive paths + exit:

• [1] New project - "Ich hab eine Idee" - full wizard
• [2] Quick - minimal questions, faster path
• [3] Help - what does this skill do?
• [0] Exit

PHASE 1 - CONTEXT (5-7 questions, ONE PER MESSAGE)

1. What is your idea? (one sentence)
2. Who are the users? (B2B / B2C / Internal?)
3. Desktop-first, mobile-first, or both?
4. Expected scale? (MVP / Hundreds / Millions?)
5. Budget / hosting preference?
6. Timeline? (Weeks / Months / Years?)
7. Team size & existing skills?

PHASE 2 - STACK OPTIONS

Present 3 options in a table:

Dimension	Value
Stack	Technologies
Hosting	Deployment target
Cost	$/month (MVP → Scale)
Learning Curve	Low / Medium / Steep
Risk	Low / Medium / High
Time-to-MVP	Days / Weeks / Months
Why this stack?	One-sentence rationale

• Option A: Recommended - best fit
• Option B: Alternative direction
• Option C: Budget / niche

User picks one, or asks for comparison.

PHASE 3 - DEEP ANALYSIS

• ASCII architecture sketch
• Risk matrix (top 3 risks + mitigations)
• Action plan: setup order, CLI commands, first 3 tasks

Menu:

• [1] Save report → stackcompass-report.md
• [2] Compare with another option
• [3] Next steps (tutorials, deeper dives)
• [0] Done

Coaching per Finding

Instead of script findings, each stack option includes:

Level	What
Diagnosis	Why this stack fits this specific project
Explanation	What the trade-offs mean (cost, lock-in, learning)
Implementation	Concrete CLI commands and setup steps

Risk Levels

Assign per stack option: Low (well-known, proven), Medium (some unknowns, team needs ramp-up), High (experimental, scaling concerns, vendor lock-in).

Each risk MUST include a concrete mitigation strategy.