debrief

End-of-session debrief to capture learnings and keep documentation current.

When to Run

• Before ending a productive session
• When context window is getting full
• After significant conversations about preferences, workflows, or decisions
• Periodically as maintenance

Workflow

Phase 1: Gather Context

1. Read current state:

- .claude/memories/about-taylor.md - Current profile - .claude/memories/index.json - Existing memories - CLAUDE.md - Current instructions (skim for relevant sections)

1. Get today's date:

``bash date +%Y-%m-%d ``

Phase 2: Analyze Conversation

Review the conversation for memory-worthy moments:

Preferences (category: preference)

• "I like X better than Y"
• "I prefer...", "I don't want..."
• Choices made when given options

Corrections (category: workflow or context)

• "Actually...", "No, that's not right"
• Clarifications about how something works
• Misunderstandings corrected

Personal Context (category: personal or context)

• Life events (moves, job changes, milestones)
• Schedule or routine changes
• Health, relationships, living situation

Workflow Insights (category: workflow)

• How Taylor actually uses tools vs. assumptions
• Shortcuts or patterns observed
• Friction points identified

Decisions (category: project or workflow)

• Architecture or design choices
• Tool/technology selections
• Process changes

Phase 3: Present Findings

Present findings one category at a time:

## Proposed Memories

### Memory 1: [Brief title]
**Category:** preference
**Content:** Taylor prefers X over Y because Z.
**Source:** [Quote or paraphrase from conversation]

Action? [Save / Skip / Edit]

Phase 4: Updates to about-taylor.md

Check if any new information should be added to the profile:

• Job status changes
• New skills or interests
• Updated preferences that are significant enough for the profile
• Life changes (location, situation)

## Suggested Profile Updates

### Update 1: [Section]
**Current:** [What it says now, if anything]
**Proposed:** [New or updated text]
**Reason:** [Why this matters]

Action? [Apply / Skip / Edit]

Remember: about-taylor.md has a 300-line limit. Only add significant, lasting information.

Phase 5: Updates to CLAUDE.md

Check if any workflow or instruction changes should be documented:

• New conventions established
• Process improvements agreed upon
• Corrections to existing instructions
• New skills or capabilities added

## Suggested CLAUDE.md Updates

### Update 1: [Section]
**Location:** [Which section]
**Change:** [What to add/modify]
**Reason:** [Why this should be documented]

Action? [Apply / Skip / Edit]

Phase 6: Execute Approved Changes

For approved memories:

1. Create JSON file: .claude/memories/YYYY-MM-DD-NNN.json

``json { "date": "YYYY-MM-DD", "category": "preference|workflow|context|project|personal", "content": "Concise description (1-2 sentences)", "source": "conversation|observation|correction" } ``

1. Update .claude/memories/index.json

For approved profile/CLAUDE.md updates:

1. Apply edits to the relevant files
2. Confirm changes

Phase 7: Summary

## Debrief Complete

**Memories saved:** N
**Profile updates:** N
**CLAUDE.md updates:** N
**Skipped:** N

Next debrief recommended: [if context is still full, suggest continuing]

Memory JSON Format

{
  "date": "2026-01-20",
  "category": "preference",
  "content": "Taylor prefers not to over-engineer tooling for rare edge cases.",
  "source": "conversation"
}

Tips

• Be selective - not every detail needs a memory
• Memories should be durable (still relevant in weeks/months)
• Profile updates should be significant life/work changes
• CLAUDE.md updates should be reusable conventions, not one-off fixes
• When in doubt, ask rather than skip