Catchup Analysis Methodology

Overview

Structured method for quickly understanding recent changes in git repositories, meeting notes, sprint progress, document revisions, or system logs. Answers "what changed and what matters?" efficiently.

When To Use

• Joining ongoing work or returning after absence
• Before planning or reviewing handoffs
• Any "what happened and what's next" context

When NOT To Use

• Doing detailed diff analysis - use diff-analysis instead
• Full code review needed
  • use review-core instead

Activation

Keywords: catchup, summary, status, progress, context, handoff Cues: "get me up to speed", "current status", "summarize progress"

Progressive Loading

Load modules based on context:

Git: Load modules/git-catchup-patterns.md for git commands. Consider sanctum:git-workspace-review for initial data gathering.

Documents/Notes: Load modules/document-analysis-patterns.md for meeting notes, sprint tracking, document revisions.

Logs/Events: Load modules/log-analysis-patterns.md for time-series and metric analysis.

Always Available: imbue:proof-of-work, TodoWrite workflow, structured output.

Required TodoWrite Items

1. catchup:context-confirmed - Boundaries established
2. catchup:delta-captured - Changes enumerated
3. catchup:insights-extracted - Themes identified
4. catchup:followups-recorded - Actions captured

4-Step Methodology

Step 1: Confirm Context

Define scope (git branch, sprint, meetings), baseline (last state), and current target. See modules for commands.

Step 2: Capture Delta

Enumerate changed items with metrics. Prioritize source/config/docs over generated artifacts. See modules for strategies.

Step 3: Extract Insights

Per item: What (change), Why (motivation), Implications (tests/risks/deps). Rollup into themes.

Step 4: Record Follow-ups

Capture: Tests, Documentation, Reviews, Blockers, Questions. If none, state explicitly.

Output Format

## Summary
[2-3 sentence theme + risk overview]

## Key Changes
- [Item]: [what/why/implication]

## Follow-ups
- [ ] [Action with owner]

## Blockers/Questions
- [Item requiring resolution]

Verification: Run the command with --help flag to verify availability.

Integration

Use imbue:diff-analysis for risk assessment, imbue:proof-of-work for reproducibility, sanctum:git-workspace-review for git data. Feed to brainstorming or writing-plans as needed.

Token Conservation

Reference paths and lines (don't reproduce). Summarize outputs. Defer deep analysis. Use progressive loading.

Exit Criteria

• Four TodoWrite items completed
• Context/delta/insights/follow-ups captured
• Stakeholders understand state without re-reading sources