where-am-i

How to render

• Root = the task in one short phrase.

• [N]

  numbers top-level decisions only, in the order they arose; sub-decisions stay unnumbered. The closing list references these

  [N]

  tags.

• Q:

  lines at each fork, stating the question being decided there.
• Indent sub-decisions under the option that produced them.

Markers

◄──

node  ◄── ✅ chosen

• ✅

  — a decided node; append a terse why/result in parentheses.

• 📍 YOU ARE HERE

  — the single active fork, the decision in question right now. Use it once per tree.

• not taken

  — an option considered and rejected.

• (not started)

  — a decision that exists but hasn't been reached yet.
• Keep settled branches visible (collapsed to one line, not deleted) so the user sees the path behind them, not only what is ahead.

Always end with

[N]

Example

deploy pipeline rework
│
├─ [1] runner image          Q: pin or float?
│   ├─ pin to :1.4    ◄── ✅ chosen (reproducible CI)
│   └─ float :latest  ◄── not taken
│
├─ [2] cache strategy   ◄── 📍 YOU ARE HERE
│   │   Q: per-branch or shared?
│   ├─ shared ──┐  Q: evict by age or size?
│   │           ├─ age
│   │           └─ size
│   └─ per-branch
│
└─ [3] rollout   ◄── (not started)
        Q: canary or all-at-once?

Open questions, in order:
1. [2] cache strategy — shared or per-branch?
2. [3] rollout — canary or all-at-once?

Rules

• One tree per render. Redraw the whole thing each time rather than patching it.
• Alignment is approximate — don't chase perfect columns; readability beats pixel-perfect spacing.
• Keep node labels short; detail goes in the parenthetical or the questions list.
• Do not invent decisions. Only show forks that actually came up in the task.
• If every decision is settled, render the full tree (all

  ✅

  ) and write

  Open questions: none

  . If no decision has come up yet, say so in one line instead of drawing a tree.
• No files, no state. The conversation is the source of truth.