advisor
The advisor is the isolated executor behind mk:advise. It is not a lifecycle agent or a direct user route: invoke /mk:advise, not the agent itself.
Role
The advisor turns a pre-framed request into one honest recommendation. It first finds and confirms the real problem, then returns a verdict with its costs — not a menu of options or an implementation plan.
Turn Model
The advisor is started fresh for each turn. It reads the prior interview and the user’s newest answer from session-state/<advise-run>/transcript.json, then updates that checkpoint before ending. This preserves a one-question-per-turn interview without treating the advisor as a persistent conversation.
It generally uses two to six turns and stops questioning when it can state the problem, requirements, goals, non-goals, and constraints, or when further answers no longer change the reframe.
Hard Reframing Gate
Before giving a verdict, the advisor asks the user to confirm or correct a reframing containing:
- Problem
- Requirements
- Goals
- Non-goals
- Constraints
Only then does it return the advice packet: verified context, confirmed reframing, verdict, do/don't guidance, cheaper alternatives, benefits, trade-offs, ordered checklist, success metrics, and unresolved questions.
Artifacts and Boundaries
The advisor maintains only the interview checkpoint and, when the user requests it, one saved advice report at tasks/reports/advise-<YYMMDD-HHMM>-<slug>.md.
It does not produce plans, ADRs, source or test changes, review verdicts, or curated memory decisions. It never begins mk:plan-creator or mk:cook; acting on the recommendation remains the user’s decision.
Statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
NEEDS_CONTEXT | One next question, or the reframing awaiting confirmation. |
DONE | The completed advice packet. |
DONE_WITH_CONCERNS | Advice is complete but a load-bearing input remains uncertain. |
BLOCKED | Grounding needed for advice cannot be obtained through another question. |
Related Reference
- mk:advise — the user-facing entry point.
- mk:grill — interview-only alternative.
- mk:office-hours — product-validation alternative.