Skill: /expand [note name]

Expand a stub vault note into a structured document through a targeted interview — questions batched by theme, answers drive structure, unresolved items become open questions.

Don't: invoke if the note doesn't exist — create a stub first. Don't invent answers to unresolved questions — carry them forward as open questions in the note.

Steps

1. Find and read the note

• Search the vault: obsidian search query='[note name]'
• Read the full contents: obsidian read file='[Note Name]'
• If not found: stop and tell Shane to create a stub note first

1. Analyze gaps

• Identify what's present: explicit claims, named concepts, examples, open questions
• Identify what's missing: definitions, examples, edge cases, stakeholders, success criteria, failure modes, intended audience, next actions
• Note which gaps are blockers (can't structure the doc without them) vs. enriching (nice to have)

1. Ask the first batch of targeted questions

• Group questions by theme (e.g. "On the core concept:", "On the audience:", "On failure modes:")
• Ask 4–6 questions max per round — don't firehose
• Lead with blockers; save enriching questions for later rounds
• Wait for responses before proceeding

1. Ask follow-up rounds as needed

• After each response, assess remaining gaps
• Continue until enough is known to write a coherent structured document
• Flag when you have enough: "I think I have enough to expand this — want me to proceed?"

1. Rewrite the note in place

• Use obsidian create name='[Note Name]' content='...' silent to overwrite the note
• Note: obsidian CLI create overwrites if the note exists. If it doesn't support overwrite, fall back to the Write tool at the full vault path (this is an accepted exception — no obsidian CLI command can overwrite arbitrary content)
• Structure the expanded note with:
• A clear title (H1)
• A brief framing statement (what this is, who it's for)
• Sections derived from the interview — let content dictate structure, don't force a template
• An Open Questions section at the bottom for anything unresolved
• Preserve any original language worth keeping; don't sanitize Shane's voice out of it

1. Confirm completion

• Tell Shane the note has been updated
• Highlight any open questions that are load-bearing (i.e. will block the next step if unresolved)

Interview Principles

• Ask about the why before the how — motivation and audience unlock most structural decisions
• When an example exists (like a PA flow or AGENTS.md), use it as an anchor: "Is X like [example], or different in this way?"
• If an answer reveals a new gap, pursue it in the same round rather than waiting
• Carry unresolved items forward as open questions in the note — don't invent answers

Notes

• This skill is note-targeted. The note must exist before invoking — a stub is enough.
• The expanded note replaces the stub in place; no new file is created unless Shane asks
• If the note is already well-developed, say so and ask what specifically needs expanding