Night Market Skill — ported from claude-night-market/conserve. For the full experience with agents, hooks, and commands, install the Claude Code plugin.

Decisive Action#

Guidance on when to ask clarifying questions versus proceeding autonomously.

When To Use#

• Reducing unnecessary clarifying questions
• Taking autonomous action when intent is clear

When NOT To Use#

• High-stakes irreversible operations requiring explicit confirmation
• Ambiguous requirements where clarification prevents wasted work

Core Principle#

Ask questions only when ambiguity would materially impair correctness or capacity to fulfill the request precisely.

When to Ask (High Impact Ambiguity)#

Always Ask For#

ScenarioWhyExampleDestructive OperationsIrreversible, high cost of error"Delete which files?"Multiple Valid ApproachesMaterially different tradeoffs"Add index vs cache vs denormalize?"Security-CriticalWrong choice = vulnerability"Which auth method?"Data MigrationData loss risk"Preserve or transform?"Breaking ChangesAffects downstream users"Deprecate or remove?"

Ask Threshold Checklist#

Before asking, verify:

• 30% chance of wrong interpretation

• Error cost > correction cost
• No clear standard approach exists
• User context doesn't clarify intent

When to Proceed Without Asking#

Default to Action For#

ScenarioWhyAssumptionStandard Approach ExistsIndustry conventionUse conventional patternEasily ReversibleLow cost of errorCan undo via git/backupClear from ContextIntent is obviousProceed with stated goalUser Can ReviewPR/dry-run availableChanges are inspectable

Proceed Threshold Checklist#

Proceed without asking if:

• Standard/obvious solution exists
• Easily reversible (git, backup)
• User can review before finalize
• Context makes intent clear
• Error cost < interruption cost

Decision Matrix#

ReversibilityAmbiguityActionReversibleLowProceedReversibleHighProceed with previewIrreversibleLowProceed with confirmationIrreversibleHighAsk

Safety Mechanisms#

Before Proceeding Autonomously#

1. Dry-run/Preview: Show proposed action before executing
2. Backup First: Create git branch, backup directory
3. Incremental Changes: Commit small, reviewable chunks
4. Document Assumptions: In commit message or PR description

Undo Capability#

Always ensure rollback is possible:

• Git operations: git stash, backup branches
• File operations: Copy before modify
• Data operations: Transaction rollback

Examples#

Example: Should Ask#

User: "Delete the old files"

Analysis:

• Destructive operation ✗
• Multiple interpretations ✗
• No clear standard ✗

Response:

text

Which files should I delete? I found:
- Files unchanged >6 months: 23 files
- Files in deprecated/: 5 files
- Files marked TODO remove: 2 files

Example: Should Proceed#

User: "Add error handling to the parser"

Analysis:

• Standard approach exists ✓
• Easily reversible (git) ✓
• User can review PR ✓

Action: Implement try/catch with logging, create PR.

Example: Proceed with Preview#

User: "Refactor the API layer"

Analysis:

• Multiple valid approaches
• BUT: reversible via git
• AND: user can review

Action:

text

Refactoring API layer. Proposed changes:

1. Extract authentication middleware
2. Standardize error responses
3. Add request validation

Creating branch: refactor/api-layer
Preview diff available before merge.

Anti-Patterns#

Asking Too Much (Inefficient)#

• Asking for every implementation detail
• Seeking validation for obvious choices
• Repeating questions already answered in context

Asking Too Little (Risky)#

• Proceeding with destructive actions silently
• Assuming intent when multiple valid interpretations exist
• Ignoring ambiguity in security-critical operations

Integration#

Combine with:

• conserve:response-compression - Direct communication
• sanctum:git-workspace-review - Context gathering
• imbue:scope-guard - Scope management

Quick Reference#

SituationAction"Delete X"Ask which X"Add feature"Proceed with standard approach"Fix bug"Proceed with obvious fix"Choose between A/B"Ask for preference"Optimize query"Ask if multiple approaches"Format code"Proceed with project style"Deploy to prod"Ask for confirmation