Start

Distinguishing deck vs. document tasks: If the user says "presentation", "deck", "slides", "keynote" — it is a deck task (template selection → workflow). If the user says "proposal document", "write a report", "draft a response", "build a submission", "Word document" — it is a document task (structured-response). If ambiguous, ask: "Are you building a slide deck or a written document?"

If the user provides source documents alongside a topic, recommend running wicked-prezzie:learn first to index the documents, then returning here to select the workflow template. The learn step is not mandatory but significantly improves brainstorm and build quality.

If the input type is ambiguous, ask one clarifying question. Do not guess.

Step 2 — Auto-Detect Workflow Template

When the input type is topic or brief (with or without source docs), run template auto-detection to recommend the best workflow template.

Dynamic Template Loading

Templates are YAML files in the templates/ directory at the project root. Do not hardcode template names or signals. Instead:

1. Read all *.yaml files from templates/
2. For each template, extract:
   • name — template identifier
   • display_name — human-readable name
   • description — one-line summary
   • signals — list of detection keywords
   • phases — phase sequence (show count to user)
3. Build the signal-matching table dynamically from loaded templates

This means adding a new template is a single YAML file — no code changes needed.

Detection Procedure

1. Scan available text: the user's brief, any indexed source documents (check learn indexes if they exist), or the raw documents if indexes are not yet built.

2. Score each template by counting signal matches against its signals list:

   • Case-insensitive keyword matching against brief text and source documents
   • Each matching signal keyword scores 1 point
   • Structural signals (numbered requirements, compliance tables, formal procurement language) score 2 points for templates whose signals include related terms

3. Rank templates by total score. The highest-scoring template is the recommendation.

Confidence Scoring

• High (>= 3 signal matches): Present the recommendation with high confidence. Example: "This looks like a training workshop. I recommend the training-workshop template (6 phases including Learning Design and Practice Activities)."

• Medium (2 signal matches): Present the recommendation but explicitly invite override. Example: "I see some competitive analysis language. The competitive-analysis template might fit, but other templates could work too."

• Low (0-1 signal matches): Default to general. Example: "I'll use the General Presentation template. Let me know if another template fits better."

Recommendation Protocol

Always present:

1. The signals found (or absence of signals)
2. The recommended template with a one-sentence description (from YAML description)
3. The phase sequence for the recommended template (names only, from YAML)
4. Confidence level (high / medium / low)
5. A list of all available templates (name + description) so the user can override
6. An explicit offer to override

Example output:

I found the following signals in your brief:
  - "training" (keyword match)
  - "workshop" (keyword match)
  - "learning" (keyword match)

Recommendation: **Training Workshop** template (high confidence)
6 phases: Source Inventory → Learning Design → Build → Practice Activities → Validate → Export

Available templates:
  - General Presentation — Default workflow for standard presentations
  - Executive Briefing — Board and C-suite presentations
  - Training Workshop — Training and education decks (recommended)
  - Conference Talk — Conference and keynote presentations
  - Competitive Analysis — Market and competitive analysis decks
  - Project Status — Status updates, sprint reviews, retrospectives

Want to proceed with Training Workshop, or switch to a different template?

Step 3 — Confirm and Route

After the user confirms (or overrides) the template choice:

1. Record the template choice in deck-state.json under template
2. Route to wicked-prezzie:workflow with the selected template name
3. Workflow loads the phase sequence from the template YAML

The workflow orchestrator reads the template YAML to determine phases, gate conditions, personas, and validation lenses. The template name in deck-state.json is the source of truth for which template is active.

Quick-Route Paths (No Template Selection Needed)

These input types bypass template selection entirely:

• HTML slides → Route directly to wicked-prezzie:convert. Tell the user: "You have HTML slides ready for conversion. I'll start the slide-to-PPTX pipeline." No template detection needed.

• Reviewed Word doc → Route directly to wicked-prezzie:feedback. Tell the user: "I see a Word document with reviewer comments. I'll parse the feedback and generate an analysis report." No template detection needed.

• Document/response task → Route directly to wicked-prezzie:structured-response. Tell the user: "You need a structured document. I'll help you configure and generate it with multi-agent review." If the user has source documents, recommend wicked-prezzie:learn first, then return to structured-response with --generate-config.

Source Doc Recommendation

When the user has source documents that have not been indexed:

1. Recommend running wicked-prezzie:learn first
2. Explain why: "Indexing your source documents first lets the brainstorm and build phases pull specific facts, figures, and named systems from them. Without indexing, the workflow still runs but relies on you providing details manually."
3. If the user declines, proceed with template selection anyway — indexing is recommended, not required
4. If the user accepts, run learn, then return to this skill for template selection

Detection Source Priority

When running auto-detection:

1. learn indexes (if they exist) — fastest, already structured with YAML frontmatter containing tags, themes, and key entities
2. Raw document scanning (fallback) — read the first 2-3 pages of each document to extract signals. Do not read entire large documents for detection purposes.
3. User's brief text — always scanned, even when documents are also available

Session Resume

If deck-state.json already exists in the working directory (or a known deck directory), this skill detects it and offers to resume:

"I found an existing deck project at {deck_dir} (currently in Phase {N}: {phase_name}, template: {template_name}). Resume where you left off, or start a new project?"

If resuming, route directly to workflow which handles phase resumption.