Sync Dashboard

Updates ~/obsidian/research-dashboard.md with recent research documents, status changes, and task updates.

When to Use

• After creating significant research documents
• When project status or decisions change
• When user explicitly asks to sync or update dashboard
• Weekly task refresh

Workflow

1. Archive Current Dashboard

When to archive (before updating):

• Major status changes (phase transitions)
• New research with changed conclusions
• Weekly review (7+ days since last archive)
• NOT required for minor content additions

Run the archive script to capture current state:

bash ~/.claude/scripts/archive-dashboard.sh

This creates timestamped snapshot and diff before making changes.

2. Scan Recent Research

Find documents created/modified in the last 7 days:

find ~/obsidian/Research -name "*.md" -type f -mtime -7 -exec ls -lt {} + | head -20

Read each recent document to understand:

• What it covers
• Key findings or decisions
• Numbers or projections (confirmed vs modeled)
• What needs validation

3. Read Current Dashboard

cat ~/obsidian/research-dashboard.md

Note current state:

• Active project and stage
• This week's tasks (what's checked/unchecked)
• Latest documents section
• Key numbers and decisions

4. Identify Changes

Compare recent documents to dashboard:

• New research documents not yet linked
• Changed status (validation phase → implementation, etc.)
• Completed tasks that should be checked off
• New numbers that replace old assumptions
• Decisions made that update "Key Decisions Needed"
• New critical questions answered

5. Apply Updates

Use Edit tool to update dashboard sections:

• Latest Research Documents: Add new links chronologically
• Current Status: Update phase/stage
• This Week's Critical Tasks: Check off completed, add new
• Key Decisions Needed: Update or remove resolved decisions
• What We Actually Know: Move items from "Need Validation" to "Confirmed"
• Key Numbers: Update with new data, note if still modeled

6. Verify

Read the updated dashboard to confirm:

• All new documents linked
• Status accurate
• Tasks reflect reality
• Numbers current
• No broken links

Guidelines

Maintain Existing Structure

Do NOT redesign the dashboard. Preserve:

• Section order and headers
• Formatting style (markdown lists, bold, etc.)
• Tone and language
• Date format (YYYY-MM-DD)

Chronological Organization

Latest Research Documents section:

• This Week section first (current week's docs)
• Previous Week section below
• Move docs from "This Week" to "Previous Week" when they age
• Within each section: newest first

Link Format

Use Obsidian wikilink format with display text:

- **[Document Title](Research/Subfolder/2026-01-08-filename.md)** - Brief description

Facts vs Assumptions

When updating numbers:

• Mark clearly if "Confirmed" or "Modeled"
• In "What We Actually Know" section, only move to Confirmed if there's actual validation
• Keep modeling assumptions visible

Task Hygiene

• Check off completed tasks: - [x] Task name
• Remove tasks that are no longer relevant (don't leave them unchecked)
• Add new tasks discovered during research
• Keep list focused: 3-5 critical tasks

Date Management

Update "Last Updated" field at top:

**Last Updated:** YYYY-MM-DD

Use current date when syncing.

Example Updates

Adding New Document

Before:

### This Week (Jan 6-8)
- **[User Interview Quick Start](Research/Project-A/2026-01-08-user-interview-quick-start.md)** - 10 critical questions

After:

### This Week (Jan 6-8)
- **[Risk Analysis Framework](Research/Project-A/2026-01-09-risk-analysis.md)** - Default rates and liquidity risks
- **[User Interview Quick Start](Research/Project-A/2026-01-08-user-interview-quick-start.md)** - 10 critical questions

Completing Tasks

Before:

- [ ] **User Interviews:** 8-10 target users (Wed-Fri)

After:

- [x] **User Interviews:** 8-10 target users (completed 10 interviews)

Updating Status

Before:

## Current Status: Validation Phase
**Stage:** Active validation - user interviews happening this week

After:

## Current Status: Decision Phase
**Stage:** Validation complete - analyzing results, making GO/NO-GO decision

Important Notes

• Always archive before updating (captures history)
• Preserve user's voice and formatting
• Focus on factual updates, not editorializing
• Keep dashboard scannable: concise bullets, clear structure
• Link to actual files (verify paths exist)

Paths Reference

• Dashboard: ~/obsidian/research-dashboard.md
• Archive script: ~/.claude/scripts/archive-dashboard.sh
• Research root: ~/obsidian/Research/
• Active project folder: Check dashboard for current project path

Note: Paths can be customized in ~/.claude/config/paths.env