PM - Communication Charter

Agent mode (--agent)

Supports --agent: runs autonomously in a subagent, drafts the artifact from existing inputs, and returns a short summary + coverage note.

• No flag → interactive (default); if inputs are heavy, offer agent mode.
• --agent → obey. First check inputs are complete. Anything missing: do NOT invent it - mark [ASSUMED - what/why] in the output and summary. Never hallucinate to fill a gap.

Standalone run

Runs with or without a Pureinn workspace - it needs no other skill's artifact, so it works as a single tool from an install that never ran /pureinn.

• No workspace: create just the folder this skill writes into, or write to a path the user names, and say where the file went. Do not scaffold a project, do not invent a state.json, and do not send the user to /pureinn first.
• Read pureinn-variables.md / state.json where a value is actually used, not at the top of the run. Missing value: continue and name the capability it costs.

What this skill does

Generates two artifacts:

1. Communication Charter - Channels, rules, async principles
2. Meeting Rhythm - Meeting cadence with clear purpose and outputs

Dependencies

Recommended before running:

• pm-team-roster - team size, timezones, and tools directly shape communication setup

Produces artifacts used by:

• All subsequent phases - communication charter is the operational backbone of the project

Step 0: Current state check

Check for existing artifacts:

• Communication Charter
• Meeting Rhythm

Also check: does a Team Roster exist? Cross-reference team size and timezones vs. proposed meeting cadence.

Look for: tools no longer in use, meeting cadence that doesn't match current project phase, missing async alternatives, escalation path not defined.

Re-run behavior (delta mode): If a Communication Charter already exists, do not redraft blank. Compare new answers against the existing version, show what changed (tools, cadence, working style), and update only what the new input supports.

Interaction: Group related questions (2-4 per round) and confirm before moving on. For any A/B/C/D choice, use the AskUserQuestion tool with one option marked (Recommended) - never print options as plain text. Keep open-ended questions free-text (don't fake options). If the user is unsure, propose 3-4 concrete options plus "Other". Surface an assumption the moment you make one; never fabricate to fill a gap. (Full standard: CLAUDE.md.)

Step 1: Gather inputs

Ask questions in 2 groups. After each group show a summary and wait for confirmation before continuing.

Group 1 of 2 - Team setup and tools

Use AskUserQuestion tool for these three questions:

What is the team's working arrangement?

A) Fully co-located - same office, same timezone B) Hybrid - some in office, some remote, same timezone C) Fully remote - same timezone D) Distributed - multiple timezones

What is the primary async communication tool?

A) Slack (Recommended - most flexible default for async-first startup teams; skip if you already have a tool in place) B) Microsoft Teams C) Email as primary (no dedicated async tool) D) Other - describe

What is the project management tool?

A) Linear (Recommended - fastest to set up, lowest overhead for small/lean teams; skip if you already have a tool in place) B) Jira C) Notion or Google Sheets D) Other - describe

Then ask as plain text:

What tools do you use for documentation and video calls? (list what you actually use)

After answers, confirm: "Is this the correct toolset and setup?"

Group 2 of 2 - Working style and communication moments

Use AskUserQuestion tool for these two questions:

What best describes the team's natural working style?

A) Async-first - minimize meetings, communicate in writing B) Meeting-heavy - prefer frequent syncs and verbal alignment C) Balanced - async for execution, syncs for decisions (Recommended - matches this charter's own Async-by-default rule: async for routine work, sync reserved for decisions and phase gates) D) No clear preference yet - needs to be established

How large is the team?

A) 2-3 people (founders only) B) 4-7 people (small team) C) 8-15 people (mid-size team) D) 15+ people (larger team)

Then ask as plain text:

What are the critical communication moments in this project? (e.g., weekly standup, phase gate reviews, design reviews, stakeholder updates)

Are there any past communication problems you want to make sure we avoid? (e.g., decisions made without key people, too many meetings, things falling between the cracks)

After answers, show complete Communication Charter inputs summary. Ask for final confirmation before generating the artifact.

Step 2: Generate artifacts

Generate all documents in English.

Right-size the rhythm before generating - the templates below are the mid-size default, not the answer. Adapt them to the Group 1-2 answers:

Past problems become rules: every communication problem the user named in Group 2 MUST appear in the charter as an explicit rule with a countermeasure (e.g. "decisions made without key people" → decision log + named Consulted list per decision type; "things fall between the cracks" → single owner per task, no shared ownership). Do not generate a charter that ignores the failure modes the user just told you about.

ARTIFACT 1: Communication Charter

# Communication Charter - [Product Name]

> **Version:** 1.0 · **Date:** [date]
> The team commits to following these rules. Update at retrospective if something is not working.

---

## Async by default

**Rule #1:** Sync meeting = last resort, not first instinct.
Every sync meeting must justify why it could not be resolved async.

**Async alternatives:**
| Instead of | Do this |
|---|---|
| Daily standup meeting | Slack thread - daily async update (5 min to write, read anytime) |
| Weekly review meeting | Written memo (PM writes, team comments async, sync only for decisions) |
| Design review meeting | Loom video walkthrough + async comments in Figma |
| "Quick question" call | Slack message + 4h response window |

---

## Communication channels

| Channel | Tool | Purpose | Response SLA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team communication | [Slack/Teams] | Daily questions, updates, sharing | 4 hours (business hours) |
| Documentation | [Notion/Confluence] | All decisions, artifacts, SSoT | N/A - source of truth |
| Project tracking | [Linear/Jira] | Tasks, bugs, feature requests | Same day when assigned |
| Urgent | [Phone/Slack DM] | Production incident, critical blocker | 30 minutes |
| Email | Email | External communication (investors, partners) | 24 hours |

---

## Communication rules

**Response time:**
- Slack: within 4 hours during business hours
- Urgent (@here / @channel): within 30 minutes
- Email: within 24 hours
- Outside business hours: next business day (unless marked urgent)

**Decision documentation:**
- Every significant decision = written in [Notion/Confluence]
- Format: What was decided + Why + Who decided + Date
- "If it's not written down, it didn't happen"

**Stakeholder communication:**
- Internal stakeholders: weekly written memo (PM owns)
- Investors / External: [frequency] update (PM owns)

---

## What we reserve for sync

These communication types require a real-time call:
- Go/No-Go decisions (phase gates)
- Retrospectives (team dynamics, psychological safety)
- Complex design discussions (real-time whiteboarding)
- Conflict resolution (nuance hard to capture in text)
- New team member onboarding

ARTIFACT 2: Meeting Rhythm

# Meeting Rhythm - [Product Name]

> Only meetings with a clear purpose and output. If a meeting has no output, cancel it.

---

## Regular meetings

| Meeting | Frequency | Duration | Participants | Purpose | Output |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Standup | Daily async (Slack) | 5 min to write | Core team | Blockers, progress, today's plan | Slack thread |
| Weekly Review | Weekly async | PM writes 30 min | Core team + key stakeholders | Progress vs OKRs, decisions, risks | Written memo in Notion |
| Sprint / Stripe Planning | Every 2 weeks | 60 min sync | PM + Tech Lead + UX | What we build in the next stripe | Feature Cards assigned, sprint goal clear |
| Design Review | Per Feature Set | 45 min sync | PM + Tech Lead + Architect + UX | Catch problems before build | Design Review Summary |
| Phase Gate | Per phase | 60 min sync | Core team + Accountable stakeholders | Go/No-Go decision | Go/No-Go recorded + rationale |
| Retrospective | Every stripe (2 weeks) | 60 min sync | Core team | What worked, what didn't, action items | Retro summary + action items |
| Steering Committee | Monthly | 60 min sync | PM + Leadership + Investors (if relevant) | Strategic decisions, pivots | Meeting notes |

---

## Meeting format requirements

**Required for every sync:**
1. Agenda shared in advance (at least 2 hours before)
2. Pre-read materials available (if relevant)
3. One facilitator (owns time and outputs)
4. Notes / output written to [Notion] within 1 hour after the meeting

**Anti-pattern:** Meeting without an agenda = cancel or postpone.

---

## Async Daily Standup - Format

📅 [Date]

✅ Yesterday:

• [What I completed]

🔜 Today:

• [What I'm working on]

🚧 Blockers:

• [What is blocking me - if nothing, write "none"]

Channel: [#standup in Slack]
Time: by [9:00] every business day

Internal completeness checklist

Communication Charter must cover:

• Async-first principle stated explicitly with rationale
• Async alternatives defined for each common sync meeting type
• All communication channels listed with purpose and response SLA
• Document storage location defined - single source of truth
• Document access rights defined (who can read/write/approve)
• Decision documentation protocol ("if it's not written, it didn't happen")
• Conflict resolution process defined (async first, then sync, then escalate)
• Escalation path for blockers defined (to whom, in what timeframe)
• For SaaS products with uptime SLA: production incident communication protocol defined (on-call, war room, status page)

Meeting Rhythm must cover:

• Daily standup format defined (async preferred)
• Weekly review format defined (written memo preferred)
• Sprint / Stripe planning cadence defined (2-week recommended)
• Design Review cadence defined (per stripe)
• Retrospective cadence defined (per stripe)
• Phase gate meeting defined (Go/No-Go, per phase)
• Steering committee defined (monthly, strategic decisions)
• Each meeting has: owner, output, what happens if output is missing

Save to

pureinn-workspace/[project-slug]/artifacts/phase-1-foundation/communication-charter.md
pureinn-workspace/[project-slug]/artifacts/phase-1-foundation/meeting-rhythm.md

Handoff

Čo si teraz má: Dohodnutú komunikačnú kadenciu a meeting rhythm - Phase 1 Foundation je kompletná.

Ďalší krok: /pureinn pre Phase 1 gate check, potom Phase 2 Discovery - štyri tracky paralelne (/pm-tech-feasibility, /pm-domain-analysis, /pm-market-analysis, /pm-personas).

Môžeš preskočiť ak: Problém už máš validovaný externe - importuj cez /pureinn a skoč na Phase 3.