All Skills
/to-init Scaffolding: SDLC Bootstrapper

The /to-init Skill

Bootstraps fresh or legacy repositories into the Pólya SDLC Coder ecosystem. Scaffolds AGENTS.md governance, orchestrator rules, and installs the 15 modular sub-skills in seconds with zero data loss.

"A good notation is of great value in the solution of problems... it should be easy to remember and suggestive." — George Pólya, How to Solve It (1945)
TERMINAL OR CHAT PROMPT 
/to-init setup this project

What it does

to-init is the official architecture bootstrapper and scaffolding architect for the Pólya SDLC Coder ecosystem. It automates the installation of governance rules (AGENTS.md), the base Socratic orchestrator (.agents/rules/PolyaOrchestrator.md), and the full suite of 15 modular sub-skills with zero git history overhead via npx degit.

It operates under a strict Non-Destructive Guarantee: before unpacking templates, it safely preserves pre-existing user instructions, domain glossaries (CONTEXT.md), ADR records (docs/adr/), and session memory (memory.instructions.md). If a custom AGENTS.md already exists, it idempotently appends the Pólya template without destroying existing rules.

It also detects multi-agent directories (such as .claude or .cursor) and mirrors the scaffolding across active AI toolchains so your team can pair with multiple coding assistants seamlessly.

When to reach for it

Where the workspace setup currently lives decides whether this is the right skill:

The work is… Reach for
Setting up a fresh or legacy repo with Pólya SDLC governance and skills /to-init
Restoring missing skills or repairing corrupted rules in an existing project /to-init
Surveying repository architecture and Clean Architecture seams after setup /to-map
Exploring domain problems or feasibility spikes in an initialized project /to-explore
Need autonomous triage and problem deconstruction /to-ask-help

Prerequisites

  • Verified Source Integrity: Downloads strictly originate from the official repository (GulajavaMinistudio/polya-sdlc-coder#main).
  • Non-Destructive Guarantee: Existing memory.instructions.md, CONTEXT.md, and custom AGENTS.md must never be silently overwritten.
  • Inert Scaffolding Boundary: Downloaded templates and paths are treated as inert file data; no arbitrary scripts are executed during setup.
  • No Session Lock: Utility skill that leaves the chat session active for immediate feature work.

What one run does

A single initialization run executes across five structured steps:

  1. Workspace Pre-Flight & Safety Backup: Checks for existing AGENTS.md, CONTEXT.md, or memory.instructions.md and backs them up to temporary storage before unpacking.
  2. Verified Scaffolding Download: Downloads the official architecture payload from GulajavaMinistudio/polya-sdlc-coder#main via npx degit (fast, clean, zero git history baggage).
  3. Idempotent Merging & Rules Injection: Merges the Pólya Orchestrator rules into .agents/rules/PolyaOrchestrator.md and preserves existing user instructions in AGENTS.md.
  4. Multi-Toolchain Scaffolding: Populates .agents/skills/ with all 15 modular sub-skills, and mirrors the setup to .claude or .cursor if those directories are detected.
  5. Integrity Verification & Interactive Onboarding: Confirms all files exist, restores backed-up files, removes temp directories, and prompts the user to customize their Project Name and Domain Mission.

Common questions

Will running /to-init overwrite my existing AGENTS.md or project instructions?

Never! If an existing AGENTS.md is detected, /to-init creates a .bak copy first, checks if Pólya rules are already present, and idempotently appends the template only if not already merged. Your existing instructions remain completely intact.

Can I use /to-init in an existing codebase with legacy code?

Absolutely! In fact, /to-init is optimized for legacy repos. After scaffolding the governance rules, it inspects your source folders (src/, lib/, app/) and proactively recommends running /to-map to generate your docs/ARCHITECTURE.md map.

Does /to-init support multiple AI coding environments?

Yes. /to-init detects if .claude or .cursor exist in your repository and mirrors the rules and modular skills so you can use Antigravity, Claude Code, or Cursor with identical governance.

Can I initialize Pólya SDLC without npm or npx?

Yes! You can run the interactive one-liner installer scripts directly from your terminal: for macOS/Linux use curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/GulajavaMinistudio/polya-sdlc-coder/main/install.sh | bash, or for Windows use irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/GulajavaMinistudio/polya-sdlc-coder/main/install.ps1 | iex. These scripts automatically unpack AGENTS.md, orchestrator rules, and the 15 skills into your selected target folders with full backup preservation.

It's working if

  • AGENTS.md exists at the repository root and contains the Pólya SDLC pipeline rules.
  • .agents/rules/PolyaOrchestrator.md and all 15 modular sub-skills in .agents/skills/ are present.
  • Pre-existing user files (like CONTEXT.md or memory.instructions.md) were preserved and restored without alteration.
  • The agent displays an onboarding welcome greeting and prompts to set the Project Name and Domain Mission.
  • The agent proactively offers to record the initialization milestone using /to-memory.

Where it fits

to-init is the foundational ignition switch for the entire development lifecycle: 

[Fresh / Legacy Project] ──▶ 🚀 /to-init ──▶ [Configured Workspace] ──▶ /to-map or /to-explore

Once the governance rules and skills are installed, you can transition directly into architecture mapping (/to-map) or problem discovery (/to-explore).