fix: add vetting phase to skill discovery to filter one-off activities

plugins/glean-skills/agents/work-pattern-analyzer.md

@@ -38,9 +38,37 @@ Look for:
 - **Workflow sequences**: Steps that often happen together
 - **Manual processes**: Tasks described in docs that could be automated
 
-### 3. Categorize Opportunities
+### 3. Vet Each Candidate (CRITICAL)
 
-Group findings by skill type:
+Before recommending any skill, you MUST evaluate each candidate against these criteria:
+
+**Recurrence Test** - Ask: "Will this person do this again?"
+- ✅ Weekly standup prep → YES, happens every week
+- ✅ PR review checklist → YES, happens multiple times per week
+- ✅ Quarterly planning prep → YES, happens regularly (even if infrequent)
+- ❌ Team merger channel migration → NO, one-time organizational event
+- ❌ Office move coordination → NO, happens once every few years
+- ❌ Annual review writing → MAYBE, but only once per year - low value
+
+**Frequency Threshold** - Prioritize skills that would be used:
+- **High frequency**: Daily or multiple times per week
+- **Medium frequency**: Weekly or bi-weekly
+- **Low frequency**: Monthly or quarterly (only include if task is very time-consuming)
+- **Reject**: One-time events, annual tasks, or organizational changes
+
+**Cumulative Value Test** - Calculate rough impact:
+- Frequency × Time saved per use = Cumulative value
+- A 5-minute task done daily (25 min/week) beats a 2-hour task done annually
+
+**Disqualifying Signals** - REJECT candidates that involve:
+- Team mergers, reorgs, or structural changes
+- One-time migrations or transitions
+- Event-specific planning (unless recurring events)
+- Tasks triggered by external one-off circumstances
+
+### 4. Categorize Remaining Opportunities
+
+Group vetted findings by skill type:
 - **Search shortcuts**: Common queries that could be skills
 - **Preparation workflows**: Meeting prep, code review prep, etc.
 - **Status generation**: Reports, summaries, digests
@@ -61,7 +89,13 @@ Return structured analysis with tables for easy scanning:
 | **Active Projects** | [from memory] |
 | **Recent Focus Areas** | [from user_activity] |
 
-### Skill Opportunities Found
+### Candidates Considered & Vetted
+
+| Candidate | Recurrence? | Frequency | Verdict |
+|-----------|-------------|-----------|---------|
+| [activity] | Yes/No | Daily/Weekly/One-time | ✅ Include / ❌ Reject |
+
+### Skill Opportunities (Vetted)
 
 | # | Pattern | Type | Frequency | Suggested Skill |
 |---|---------|------|-----------|-----------------|
@@ -76,6 +110,8 @@ Return structured analysis with tables for easy scanning:
 |-----------|---------|
 | **Type** | Search shortcut / Preparation / Status / Onboarding / Verification |
 | **Evidence** | [What in the data suggests this] |
+| **Recurrence** | [Why this will happen again - be specific] |
+| **Frequency** | [How often: daily, weekly, monthly] |
 | **What it does** | [What the skill would do] |
 
 #### 2. [Pattern Name] → `[skill-name]`
@@ -84,14 +120,20 @@ Return structured analysis with tables for easy scanning:
 ### Recommendations
 
 #### High Value (frequent + automatable)
-| Skill | Why |
-|-------|-----|
-| `[name]` | [evidence of frequency and time savings] |
+| Skill | Frequency | Cumulative Impact |
+|-------|-----------|-------------------|
+| `[name]` | [daily/weekly] | [time saved × frequency] |
+
+#### Medium Value (less frequent but significant)
+| Skill | Frequency | Cumulative Impact |
+|-------|-----------|-------------------|
+| `[name]` | [weekly/monthly] | [time saved × frequency] |
+
+### Rejected Candidates
 
-#### Medium Value (occasional but saves time)
-| Skill | Why |
-|-------|-----|
-| `[name]` | [evidence] |
+| Candidate | Reason |
+|-----------|--------|
+| [one-off task] | One-time event, won't recur |
 
 ### Next Steps
 To create any of these skills, run:
@@ -100,8 +142,9 @@ To create any of these skills, run:
 
 ## Guidelines
 
-- Focus on patterns, not one-off activities
-- Prioritize by frequency × time saved
-- Be specific about what the skill would do
-- Suggest actionable skill names
-- Only report what's found in the data
+- **BE SKEPTICAL**: Most activities are NOT good skill candidates
+- Reject one-off activities aggressively
+- Only recommend skills with clear recurrence evidence
+- Prioritize by frequency × time saved (cumulative value)
+- A few high-quality recommendations beats many weak ones
+- Show your vetting work - explain why candidates were rejected

plugins/glean-skills/commands/discover.md

@@ -41,7 +41,23 @@ Spawn the `work-pattern-analyzer` agent to analyze the gathered data and identif
 - Workflow sequences
 - Manual processes that could be automated
 
-### Phase 3: Present Recommendations
+### Phase 3: Vet Recommendations (CRITICAL)
+
+The agent will critically evaluate each candidate:
+
+**What Gets Included:**
+- Tasks with clear recurrence (daily, weekly, monthly)
+- High cumulative value (frequency × time saved)
+- Patterns with evidence of repetition in the data
+
+**What Gets Rejected:**
+- One-time events (team mergers, migrations, reorgs)
+- Annual or rare tasks with low cumulative value
+- Activities triggered by unique circumstances
+
+The agent shows its vetting work, including rejected candidates and why.
+
+### Phase 4: Present Recommendations
 
 Format findings as actionable recommendations:
 
@@ -53,37 +69,54 @@ Format findings as actionable recommendations:
 - **Active Projects**: [from memory]
 - **Recent Focus**: [from activity]
 
+### Vetting Summary
+| Candidates Found | Passed Vetting | Rejected |
+|------------------|----------------|----------|
+| [#] | [#] | [#] |
+
 ### Recommended Skills
 
-#### High Value
-| Skill Name | Type | Why |
-|------------|------|-----|
-| [name] | [type] | [evidence from data] |
+#### High Value (Frequent + Automatable)
+| Skill Name | Frequency | Cumulative Impact |
+|------------|-----------|-------------------|
+| [name] | [daily/weekly] | [time saved × frequency] |
+
+#### Medium Value (Less Frequent but Significant)
+| Skill Name | Frequency | Cumulative Impact |
+|------------|-----------|-------------------|
+| [name] | [monthly] | [time saved × frequency] |
 
-#### Medium Value
-| Skill Name | Type | Why |
-|------------|------|-----|
-| [name] | [type] | [evidence from data] |
+### Rejected Candidates
+| Candidate | Reason |
+|-----------|--------|
+| [name] | [why it won't recur] |
 
 ### Create a Skill
 
 To create any of these skills:
-\`\`\`
+```
 /glean-skills:create <skill-name>
-\`\`\`
+```
 
 Or describe what you want:
-\`\`\`
+```
 /glean-skills:create "skill that does X when Y happens"
-\`\`\`
 ```
+```
+
+## Quality Over Quantity
+
+A few high-quality recommendations are better than many weak ones. The goal is to find skills that will save significant cumulative time through frequent use.
 
-## Tips
+**Good skill candidates:**
+- Daily standup prep (5 min × 5 days = 25 min/week saved)
+- PR review checklist (10 min × 10 PRs/week = 100 min/week saved)
+- Weekly status report (30 min × 1/week = 30 min/week saved)
 
-- Focus on patterns that appear multiple times
-- Prioritize by frequency × time saved
-- Consider both personal skills and team-sharable skills
-- Look for "I always do X before Y" patterns
+**Poor skill candidates:**
+- Team merger channel migration (2 hours, but happens once)
+- Annual performance review (1 hour, but once per year)
+- Office relocation checklist (happens once every few years)
 
 ---
 
@@ -103,5 +136,5 @@ If user activity data is sparse:
 ### No Patterns Found
 If no clear patterns emerge:
 - This might indicate varied work without repetition
+- This is a valid outcome - not everyone has automatable patterns
 - Ask user about tasks they find tedious or repetitive
-- Suggest common starter skills (meeting prep, status updates)