start
The facts
Its description
Initialize the productivity system and open the dashboard. Use when setting up the plugin for the first time, bootstrapping working memory from your existing task list, or decoding the shorthand (nicknames, acronyms, project codenames) you use in your todos.
The description the agent reads to decide when to use it.
When it starts
The agent picks this when someone is setting up the productivity plugin for the first time, or wants to bootstrap working memory and decode the nicknames, acronyms and codenames used in their existing task list. It is the first-run entry point that creates TASKS.md, CLAUDE.md, the memory directory and the dashboard, then opens the dashboard.
Things a person might say (the model's guesses)
- “I just installed the productivity plugin — help me get it set up”
- “Here's my todo list, can you learn the shorthand I use in it?”
- “Set up my tasks and memory and open the dashboard”
A model's summary of when it is used.
Stops for a person
2 lines stop to ask a person
Lines that stop and wait for a person before going on. Found by matching words, so treat them as pointers.
What it leads to
- hands off to update line 39
- requires task-management only if TASKS.md is missing line 24
Other skills this one hands off to, calls, requires or offers instead, as a model read them.
What leads to it
- task-management hands off to this on first run, once the dashboard has been added task-management, line 24
- memory-management calls this only when bootstrapping memory from scratch memory-management, line 288
- update requires this only if TASKS.md or memory/ is missing update, line 27
Other skills that hand off to this one, call it, require it or offer it instead, as a model read them.
Licence
Apache-2.0, from productivity/LICENSE
The terms its author shares it under, which let it be shown here.
The text
Most marks come from matching words in the file, so treat them as pointers.
Start Command
If you see unfamiliar placeholders or need to check which tools are connected, see CONNECTORS.md.
Initialize the task and memory systems, then open the unified dashboard.
Raw lines 1 to 11Instructions
Raw lines 12 to 131. Check What Exists
Check the working directory for:
TASKS.md— task listCLAUDE.md— working memorymemory/— deep memory directorydashboard.html— the visual UI
2. Create What's Missing
**If TASKS.md doesn't exist:** Create it with the standard template (see task-management skill). Place it in the current working directory.
**If dashboard.html doesn't exist:** Copy it from ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/dashboard.html to the current working directory.
**If CLAUDE.md and memory/ don't exist:** This is a fresh setup — after opening the dashboard, begin the memory bootstrap workflow (see below). Place these in the current working directory.
3. Open the Dashboard
Do NOT use open or xdg-open — in Cowork, the agent runs in a VM and shell open commands won't reach the user's browser. Instead, tell the user: "Dashboard is ready at dashboard.html. Open it from your file browser to get started."
4. Orient the User
If everything was already initialized:
Dashboard open. Your tasks and memory are both loaded.
- /productivity:update to sync tasks and check memory
- /productivity:update --comprehensive for a deep scan of all activityIf memory hasn't been bootstrapped yet, continue to step 5.
Raw lines 34 to 445. Bootstrap Memory (First Run Only)
Only do this if CLAUDE.md and memory/ don't exist yet.
The best source of workplace language is the user's actual task list. Real tasks = real shorthand.
Ask the user:
Where do you keep your todos or task list? This could be:
- A local file (e.g., TASKS.md, todo.txt)
- An app (e.g. Asana, Linear, Jira, Notion, Todoist)
- A notes file
I'll use your tasks to learn your workplace shorthand.Once you have access to the task list:
For each task item, analyze it for potential shorthand:
- Names that might be nicknames
- Acronyms or abbreviations
- Project references or codenames
- Internal terms or jargon
For each item, decode it interactively:
Task: "Send PSR to Todd re: Phoenix blockers"
I see some terms I want to make sure I understand:
1. **PSR** - What does this stand for?
2. **Todd** - Who is Todd? (full name, role)
3. **Phoenix** - Is this a project codename? What's it about?Continue through each task, asking only about terms you haven't already decoded.
Raw lines 45 to 826. Optional Comprehensive Scan
After task list decoding, offer:
Do you want me to do a comprehensive scan of your messages, emails, and documents?
This takes longer but builds much richer context about the people, projects, and terms in your work.
Or we can stick with what we have and add context later.If they choose comprehensive scan:
Gather data from available MCP sources:
- Chat: Recent messages, channels, DMs
- Email: Sent messages, recipients
- Documents: Recent docs, collaborators
- Calendar: Meetings, attendees
Build a braindump of people, projects, and terms found. Present findings grouped by confidence:
- Ready to add (high confidence) — offer to add directly
- Needs clarification — ask the user
- Low frequency / unclear — note for later
7. Write Memory Files
From everything gathered, create:
CLAUDE.md (working memory, ~50-80 lines):
# Memory
## Me
[Name], [Role] on [Team].
## People
| Who | Role |
|-----|------|
| **[Nickname]** | [Full Name], [role] |
## Terms
| Term | Meaning |
|------|---------|
| [acronym] | [expansion] |
## Projects
| Name | What |
|------|------|
| **[Codename]** | [description] |
## Preferences
- [preferences discovered]memory/ directory:
memory/glossary.md— full decoder ring (acronyms, terms, nicknames, codenames)memory/people/{name}.md— individual profilesmemory/projects/{name}.md— project detailsmemory/context/company.md— teams, tools, processes
8. Report Results
Productivity system ready:
- Tasks: TASKS.md (X items)
- Memory: X people, X terms, X projects
- Dashboard: open in browser
Use /productivity:update to keep things current (add --comprehensive for a deep scan).Raw lines 142 to 152Notes
- If memory is already initialized, this just opens the dashboard
- Nicknames are critical — always capture how people are actually referred to
- If a source isn't available, skip it and note the gap
- Memory grows organically through natural conversation after bootstrap
From anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins at 2574e29, 2026-10-27. Skills read by DeepSeek V4.1 Flash on 2026-11-04. Summary and techniques by Claude Opus 5.5 on 2026-11-06.