foomakers · rucka · Jul 6, 2026 · Jul 7, 2026 · Jul 7, 2026 · Jul 8, 2026
diff --git a/.claude/skills/pair-capability-grill/SKILL.md b/.claude/skills/pair-capability-grill/SKILL.md
diff --git a/.pair/adoption/decision-log/2026-07-08-grill-standalone-no-composition-context.md b/.pair/adoption/decision-log/2026-07-08-grill-standalone-no-composition-context.md
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+# Decision: `pair-capability-grill` Runs Standalone Without Composition Context
+
+## Date
+
+2026-07-08
+
+## Status
+
+Active
+
+## Category
+
+Process Decision
+
+## Context
+
+Story #229 (`pair-capability-grill` — reusable interview engine) needed to decide whether the skill requires a composing caller (`/pair-process-brainstorm`, `/pair-process-refine-story`) to function, or whether it can run directly when a human invokes it standalone (e.g. "grill me on X").
+
+During #229's refinement session this was resolved as an open question (**Q8**) and recorded only in the story body's "Refinement Session Insights" ("Q8 decided — standalone yes, write-free with optional working/ handoff") — never formalized as a decision record, even though the shipped `SKILL.md` cites "decision Q8" inline as if a durable record existed (`.claude/skills/pair-capability-grill/SKILL.md`, Composition Interface § standalone case). This follows the same pattern closed for D21/Q11 in #232 (`2026-07-08-husky-default-hook-manager.md`) — this ADL closes the equivalent gap for Q8.
+
+## Decision
+
+**`pair-capability-grill` runs standalone with no composition context required.** When invoked directly (not composed by another skill), `$mode` defaults to `interview`; if `$topic` is also omitted, the opening question of the interview simply asks for it. `sync` mode is the one exception — it always requires a target story (`$story`), whether composed or standalone, since sync has no meaning without a story to align on.
+
+Standalone sessions remain write-free like composed ones: the synthesis is printed in conversation rather than returned to a caller, and a `.pair/working/` handoff file is offered (not auto-written) on interruption or explicit request.
+
+## Alternatives Considered
+
+- **Require a composing caller always**: rejected — would make grill unusable for a human who just wants an ad-hoc interview (e.g. "grill me on this design before I build it"), which is the skill's most direct, lowest-friction use case and the one explicitly named in the story's own Business Rules.
+- **Standalone mode auto-writes a handoff file**: rejected — contradicts the write-free-by-design contract; a human running an ad-hoc interview may not want a file left behind for a quick, disposable exploration. Handoff stays opt-in.
+
+## Consequences
+
+- `pair-capability-grill`'s Step 0 (Detect Mode and Target) does not HALT when no composing skill and no `$context` are present — this is expected, not an error path, for `interview` mode.
+- Documentation, examples, and the Composition Interface section must keep the standalone case as a first-class path, not an edge case bolted onto composed usage.
+
+## Adoption Impact
+
+- No adoption file changes required — this is a skill-internal behavioral decision, not a project-level configuration choice.
+- `pair-capability-grill` `SKILL.md` (dataset + installed mirror) already documents this decision inline (Composition Interface § standalone: "decision Q8").
diff --git a/.pair/knowledge/skills-guide.md b/.pair/knowledge/skills-guide.md
@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@ Run `/pair-next` at the start of every session. It reads project adoption files
 | Type | Count | Purpose |
 |------|-------|---------|
 | **Process** | 9 | Lifecycle phases — orchestrate capability skills |
-| **Capability** | 23 | Atomic units — perform a single focused operation |
+| **Capability** | 24 | Atomic units — perform a single focused operation |
 
-Process skills compose capability skills. Capability skills are independently invocable. Total: 33 (9 process + 23 capability + 1 navigator).
+Process skills compose capability skills. Capability skills are independently invocable. Total: 34 (9 process + 24 capability + 1 navigator).
 
 ## Full Catalog
 
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ Process skills compose capability skills. Capability skills are independently in
 
 > How-to guides 04 and 05 (subdomain/bounded-context definition) no longer map to a process skill — see [Domain Modeling Skills](#domain-modeling-skills-2) below and [Migration Notes](#migration-notes).
 
-### Capability Skills (23)
+### Capability Skills (24)
 
 #### Domain Modeling Skills (2)
 
@@ -94,6 +94,12 @@ Reclassified from process to capability (D24) — see [Callers Matrix](#callers-
 | `/pair-capability-assess-code-quality` | Code quality metrics assessment |
 | `/pair-capability-manage-flags` | Feature flag lifecycle management |
 
+#### Discovery Skills (1)
+
+| Skill | Scope |
+|-------|-------|
+| `/pair-capability-grill` | Reusable interview engine (interview / sync modes), write-free |
+
 ## Directory Structure
 
 ```text
@@ -121,7 +127,8 @@ Reclassified from process to capability (D24) — see [Callers Matrix](#callers-
 │   ├── setup-gates/
 │   ├── setup-pm/
 │   ├── assess-code-quality/
-│   └── manage-flags/
+│   ├── manage-flags/
+│   └── grill/
 └── next/                 # Navigator skill
     └── SKILL.md
 ```

diff --git a/apps/website/content/docs/contributing/writing-skills.mdx b/apps/website/content/docs/contributing/writing-skills.mdx
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ This guide walks you through creating a new skill for the pair Knowledge Base.
 
 | Type | Count | Purpose |
 |------|-------|---------|
-| **Process** | 11 | Lifecycle phases — orchestrate capability skills (e.g., `/implement`, `/review`) |
-| **Capability** | 19 | Atomic units — perform a single focused operation (e.g., `/verify-quality`, `/record-decision`) |
+| **Process** | 9 | Lifecycle phases — orchestrate capability skills (e.g., `/implement`, `/review`) |
+| **Capability** | 24 | Atomic units — perform a single focused operation (e.g., `/verify-quality`, `/record-decision`) |
 
 Process skills **compose** capability skills. Capability skills are independently invocable.
 
@@ -177,6 +177,5 @@ Add your skill to `packages/knowledge-hub/dataset/.pair/knowledge/skills-guide.m
 ## Resources
 
 - [Agent Skills specification](https://agentskills.io) — The open standard.
-- [Skills Catalog](/docs/reference/skills-catalog) — Full list of all 30 pair skills.
+- [Skills Catalog](/docs/reference/skills-catalog) — Full list of all 34 pair skills.
 - [Skills concept](/docs/concepts/skills) — How skills fit into the pair ecosystem.
-
diff --git a/apps/website/content/docs/reference/skill-management.mdx b/apps/website/content/docs/reference/skill-management.mdx
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ If two different source paths flatten to the same installed name (e.g. `a/b/` an
 | ------ | ----- | ------- |
 | `pair-` | 1 | Top-level skills (only `next`) |
 | `pair-process-` | 9 | Workflow orchestration skills |
-| `pair-capability-` | 23 | Atomic operation skills |
+| `pair-capability-` | 24 | Atomic operation skills |
 
 ### Transform Functions
 
@@ -267,6 +267,6 @@ No code change is required in `apps/pair-cli` — the `skills` registry (`config
 
 ## Related
 
-- [Skills Catalog](/docs/reference/skills-catalog) — All 33 pair skills
+- [Skills Catalog](/docs/reference/skills-catalog) — All 34 pair skills
 - [Configuration Reference](/docs/reference/configuration) — config.json registry settings
 - [KB Structure Reference](/docs/reference/kb-structure) — Directory layout
diff --git a/apps/website/content/docs/reference/skills-catalog.mdx b/apps/website/content/docs/reference/skills-catalog.mdx
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 ---
 title: Skills Catalog
-description: Complete catalog of all 33 pair skills organized by type — process, capability, and meta.
+description: Complete catalog of all 34 pair skills organized by type — process, capability, and meta.
 ---
 
-pair ships with 33 skills organized into three types: **process** (workflow orchestration), **capability** (atomic operations), and **meta** (navigation). Each skill is a `SKILL.md` file invoked as a slash command by your AI coding assistant.
+pair ships with 34 skills organized into three types: **process** (workflow orchestration), **capability** (atomic operations), and **meta** (navigation). Each skill is a `SKILL.md` file invoked as a slash command by your AI coding assistant.
 
 > **Last updated:** 2026-07-07. Source: `packages/knowledge-hub/dataset/.skills/`
 
@@ -88,6 +88,12 @@ Reclassified from process skills — see [Migration Notes](/docs/reference/skill
 | **write-issue** | `/pair-capability-write-issue` | Creates or updates issues in the adopted PM tool using template-driven formatting. |
 | **estimate** | `/pair-capability-estimate` | Estimates a refined user story using the adopted estimation methodology. |
 
+### Discovery Capabilities
+
+| Skill | Command | Description |
+| ----- | ------- | ----------- |
+| **grill** | `/pair-capability-grill` | Reusable interview engine: one question at a time, always with a recommendation, exploring KB/codebase before asking. `sync` mode drives systematic AI-human alignment on a story until explicit shared understanding. Write-free — returns the synthesis to the caller. |
+
 ## Skill Properties
 
 All skills share these properties:

diff --git a/packages/knowledge-hub/dataset/.pair/knowledge/skills-guide.md b/packages/knowledge-hub/dataset/.pair/knowledge/skills-guide.md
@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@ Run `/next` at the start of every session. It reads project adoption files and P
 | Type | Count | Purpose |
 |------|-------|---------|
 | **Process** | 9 | Lifecycle phases — orchestrate capability skills |
-| **Capability** | 23 | Atomic units — perform a single focused operation |
+| **Capability** | 24 | Atomic units — perform a single focused operation |
 
-Process skills compose capability skills. Capability skills are independently invocable. Total: 33 (9 process + 23 capability + 1 navigator).
+Process skills compose capability skills. Capability skills are independently invocable. Total: 34 (9 process + 24 capability + 1 navigator).
 
 ## Full Catalog
 
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ Process skills compose capability skills. Capability skills are independently in
 
 > How-to guides 04 and 05 (subdomain/bounded-context definition) were removed — domain modeling is referenced inline by each real caller's own how-to (02, 03, 06, 09; 08 planned — #242). See [Domain Modeling Skills](#domain-modeling-skills-2) below and [Migration Notes](#migration-notes).
 
-### Capability Skills (23)
+### Capability Skills (24)
 
 #### Domain Modeling Skills (2)
 
@@ -94,6 +94,12 @@ Reclassified from process to capability (D24) — see [Callers Matrix](#callers-
 | `/assess-code-quality` | Code quality metrics assessment |
 | `/manage-flags` | Feature flag lifecycle management |
 
+#### Discovery Skills (1)
+
+| Skill | Scope |
+|-------|-------|
+| `/grill` | Reusable interview engine (interview / sync modes), write-free |
+
 ## Directory Structure
 
 ```text
@@ -121,7 +127,8 @@ Reclassified from process to capability (D24) — see [Callers Matrix](#callers-
 │   ├── setup-gates/
 │   ├── setup-pm/
 │   ├── assess-code-quality/
-│   └── manage-flags/
+│   ├── manage-flags/
+│   └── grill/
 └── next/                 # Navigator skill
     └── SKILL.md
 ```