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CONTEXT.md

One per project. Tells Claude what this particular project is, where it's going, and what's actually happening right now.

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# CONTEXT.md

Drop this file in the root of any project folder. Claude reads it
automatically when working in that folder.

## What this is
One or two sentences in plain English. The version a friend would
repeat back at the pub.

## North star
Where THIS project is heading over the next 1 to 3 years. Specific
enough to make tradeoffs against. Not your personal direction, that
lives in NORTH-STAR.md.

## Goals (next 3 to 6 months)
Three concrete milestones. Each one specific enough that you'd know
if you'd hit it.

## Current state
Where it actually is right now. Stage, what is working, what is broken
or blocked, last shipped.

## Active priorities
This week or this month. The 3 to 5 things actually getting attention.

## Key people
Clients, collaborators, advisors. Who is relevant to this project
specifically.

## Files and structure
Where things live in this project's folder. Where to put new things.

## Outstanding
Loose ends. Things half-done, things deferred, things to revisit.

Why this works

This is the file Claude reads when you’re working inside a specific project folder. It pairs with CLAUDE.md (who you are, how you work, master operational file) and NORTH-STAR.md (where you’re heading at the career level).

One per project, no exceptions. Each project’s CONTEXT.md is tightly scoped to that project: what it is, where it is going, what is happening right now. If you have ten projects, you have ten CONTEXT.md files. Claude only reads the one in the folder you’re working in. No bleed, no clutter, no 5,000-line master file.

The “north star” here is the project’s, not yours. This is the section people get most confused about. Personal or career direction lives in NORTH-STAR.md at the workspace root, separately. The CONTEXT.md north star answers “where is this project heading” not “where am I heading.”

Goals vs Active priorities is worth getting right. Goals are 3 to 6 month milestones. Active priorities are this week’s actual desk. If your goals and your active priorities are the same items, the goals aren’t goals, they’re tasks.

Update the active priorities weekly. Stale priorities are worse than no priorities. The Goals section moves more slowly. The Current state section gets updated whenever something ships or breaks.

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