Agent Cold Start Diagnostic

Agent Cold-Start Diagnostic

Score any agent's configuration artifacts against an operational completeness rubric. Catches the gaps that make agents fail silently: missing escalation paths, vague task boundaries, absent rhythms, no error-handling policy.

Different from /doctor (which checks service connectivity) and agent-readiness-audit (which scores a codebase for agent compatibility). This skill scores the agent's own config -- the files that tell it who it is, what it owns, and how to behave.

When to Use

• Before deploying a new the agent platform agent persona
• After editing an agent's CLAUDE.md / SOUL.md / memory files
• As a scheduled weekly audit across all active agents
• When an agent is producing poor results and you suspect config weakness

Inputs

• Path to agent config directory (or auto-detect from cwd)
• Optional: agent name (for multi-agent setups where configs live in subdirectories)

Phase 1: Discover Config Artifacts

Scan the target directory for all configuration files an agent might consume:

Report: found artifacts, missing artifacts, unexpected files.

Phase 2: Rubric Assessment (8 Dimensions)

Score each dimension 1-5 (1 = absent, 5 = production-grade):

2.1 Identity & Jurisdiction

• Does the agent know its name and role?
• Are jurisdiction boundaries explicit (what it owns vs. what it escalates)?
• Is there a "not my job" list to prevent scope creep?

2.2 Decision Frameworks

• Are recurring decisions documented with criteria (not just "use judgment")?
• Are thresholds specified (dollar amounts, severity levels, time limits)?
• Is there a default action for ambiguous cases?

2.3 Escalation Rules

• Is there a clear escalation path (who to notify, how, when)?
• Are escalation triggers specific (not just "when unsure")?
• Is there a timeout/deadman switch if the escalation target doesn't respond?

2.4 Task Specification Quality

• Are delegated tasks specified with inputs, outputs, and definition of done?
• Are edge cases documented?
• Is there a "what success looks like" section?

2.5 Operating Rhythms

• Are daily/weekly/monthly rhythms defined?
• Do scheduled tasks cover the stated rhythms?
• Are there gaps (e.g., "weekly report" mentioned but no cron entry)?

2.6 Memory & Context

• Does the agent have persistent memory files?
• Is there a memory strategy (what to remember vs. what to forget)?
• Are memory files organized (not a single dump file)?

2.7 Error Handling

• Is there a policy for what to do when tools fail?
• Are retry limits specified?
• Is there a "graceful degradation" plan (what to do when a dependency is down)?

2.8 Style & Communication

• Are output format rules explicit (markdown, plain text, length)?
• Is the agent's tone/voice defined?
• Are platform constraints documented (Telegram limits, email formatting)?

Phase 3: Cross-Reference Validation

Check for internal consistency:

1. Skill manifest vs. available skills: Does agent.yaml reference skills that actually exist?
2. Cron vs. rhythms: Do scheduled tasks match the stated operating rhythms?
3. Memory references: Do CLAUDE.md rules reference memory files that exist?
4. Environment variables: Are referenced env vars actually set in the environment?
5. Escalation targets: Are escalation targets (other agents, humans) reachable?

Phase 4: Produce the Report

AGENT COLD-START DIAGNOSTIC
============================
Agent: <name>
Config root: <path>
Date: <date>

ARTIFACTS FOUND
  [x] CLAUDE.md (1247 lines)
  [x] agent.yaml (12 skills listed)
  [ ] SOUL.md -- MISSING (recommended)
  [x] memory/ (3 files)
  [ ] HEARTBEAT.md -- MISSING (recommended)

DIMENSION SCORES
  Identity & Jurisdiction:  4/5  -- clear role, missing "not my job" list
  Decision Frameworks:      2/5  -- only 1 of 6 recurring decisions documented
  Escalation Rules:         1/5  -- no escalation path defined
  Task Specification:       3/5  -- inputs defined, outputs vague
  Operating Rhythms:        3/5  -- 2 of 4 rhythms have matching cron entries
  Memory & Context:         4/5  -- organized, no retention policy
  Error Handling:           1/5  -- no error policy found
  Style & Communication:    5/5  -- detailed format rules

OVERALL SCORE: 23/40 (57%) -- NEEDS WORK

CROSS-REFERENCE ISSUES
  [!] agent.yaml lists skill "social-media" but it is not installed
  [!] CLAUDE.md references $SLACK_WEBHOOK but env var is not set
  [!] "Monday standup" rhythm has no matching cron entry

TOP 3 FIXES (highest impact)
  1. Add escalation rules -- agent has no way to ask for help
  2. Document decision frameworks for recurring judgments
  3. Add HEARTBEAT.md with cron entries for stated rhythms

Phase 5: Optional -- Generate Fix Stubs

If the user approves, generate skeleton files for the highest-impact gaps:

• Stub SOUL.md with sections to fill
• Stub HEARTBEAT.md with rhythm entries derived from CLAUDE.md
• Stub escalation-rules section for CLAUDE.md

Source Attribution

Extracted from Nate's Newsletter (2026-04-15): "Your agent needs a SOUL.md you can't write from scratch." Core insight: agents fail silently when their config artifacts have gaps in operational completeness, and most users don't know what "complete" looks like.

Verification

After running the diagnostic:

• All 8 dimensions scored with evidence (not guessed)
• Cross-reference checks ran against live filesystem
• Report includes actionable fix recommendations
• No false positives from optional/irrelevant dimensions