Intel / article

The /wayfinder Skill: Navigating the “Fog of War” of Planning

Source: latent.space
Author: Richard MacManus
Date: Published Aug 20, 2026

Context

The wayfinder addresses projects whose next steps depend on what planning discovers. Its creator, Matt Pocock, describes separating a persistent project map from individual tickets and the sessions that work on them. The map records the wider situation and decisions already made; a ticket gives one session its specific assignment. The interview explains how those pieces preserve across separate planning conversations.

Research and prototypes can then inform the plan before it becomes a complete specification. Pocock recommends this approach when the path is unclear, while reserving a simpler single-session discussion for smaller, well-understood features. The useful distinction is how much discovery the project still needs. The interview's closing comparison makes that choice explicit.

Terms in this piece · Glossary

agent skill — A reusable instruction file that teaches an agent how to do one job well — the procedure, the tools, and what counts as done.
AI agent — An AI system that doesn't just answer once but works toward a goal in a loop — taking actions, reading the results, and deciding what to do next.
context window — The maximum amount of text a model can consider at once — its working memory for the current conversation or task.

Read the source www.latent.space