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fix(office-hours): fall back to Claude subagent when Codex unavailable #464

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fix(office-hours): fall back to Claude subagent when Codex unavailable #464

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51 changes: 34 additions & 17 deletions office-hours/SKILL.md
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -603,21 +603,19 @@ Use AskUserQuestion to confirm. If the user disagrees with a premise, revise und

## Phase 3.5: Cross-Model Second Opinion (optional)

**Binary check first — no question if unavailable:**
**Binary check first:**

```bash
which codex 2>/dev/null && echo "CODEX_AVAILABLE" || echo "CODEX_NOT_AVAILABLE"
```

If `CODEX_NOT_AVAILABLE`: skip Phase 3.5 entirely — no message, no AskUserQuestion. Proceed directly to Phase 4.
Use AskUserQuestion (regardless of codex availability):

If `CODEX_AVAILABLE`: use AskUserQuestion:

> Want a second opinion from a different AI model? Codex will independently review your problem statement, key answers, premises, and any landscape findings from this session. It hasn't seen this conversation — it gets a structured summary. Usually takes 2-5 minutes.
> Want a second opinion from an independent AI perspective? It will review your problem statement, key answers, premises, and any landscape findings from this session without having seen this conversation — it gets a structured summary. Usually takes 2-5 minutes.
> A) Yes, get a second opinion
> B) No, proceed to alternatives

If B: skip Phase 3.5 entirely. Remember that Codex did NOT run (affects design doc, founder signals, and Phase 4 below).
If B: skip Phase 3.5 entirely. Remember that the second opinion did NOT run (affects design doc, founder signals, and Phase 4 below).

**If A: Run the Codex cold read.**

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -654,26 +652,45 @@ cat "$TMPERR_OH"
rm -f "$TMPERR_OH" "$CODEX_PROMPT_FILE"
```

**Error handling:** All errors are non-blocking — Codex second opinion is a quality enhancement, not a prerequisite.
- **Auth failure:** If stderr contains "auth", "login", "unauthorized", or "API key": "Codex authentication failed. Run \`codex login\` to authenticate. Skipping second opinion."
- **Timeout:** "Codex timed out after 5 minutes. Skipping second opinion."
- **Empty response:** "Codex returned no response. Stderr: <paste relevant error>. Skipping second opinion."
**Error handling:** All errors are non-blocking — second opinion is a quality enhancement, not a prerequisite.
- **Auth failure:** If stderr contains "auth", "login", "unauthorized", or "API key": "Codex authentication failed. Run \`codex login\` to authenticate." Fall back to Claude subagent.
- **Timeout:** "Codex timed out after 5 minutes." Fall back to Claude subagent.
- **Empty response:** "Codex returned no response." Fall back to Claude subagent.

On any Codex error, fall back to the Claude subagent below.

**If CODEX_NOT_AVAILABLE (or Codex errored):**

Dispatch via the Agent tool. The subagent has fresh context — genuine independence.

Subagent prompt: same mode-appropriate prompt as above (Startup or Builder variant).

Present findings under a `SECOND OPINION (Claude subagent):` header.

On any error, proceed to Phase 4 — do NOT fall back to a Claude subagent (this is brainstorming, not adversarial review).
If the subagent fails or times out: "Second opinion unavailable. Continuing to Phase 4."

4. **Presentation:**

If Codex ran:
```
SECOND OPINION (Codex):
════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
<full codex output, verbatim — do not truncate or summarize>
════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
```

5. **Cross-model synthesis:** After presenting Codex output, provide 3-5 bullet synthesis:
- Where Claude agrees with Codex
If Claude subagent ran:
```
SECOND OPINION (Claude subagent):
════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
<full subagent output, verbatim — do not truncate or summarize>
════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
```

5. **Cross-model synthesis:** After presenting the second opinion output, provide 3-5 bullet synthesis:
- Where Claude agrees with the second opinion
- Where Claude disagrees and why
- Whether Codex's challenged premise changes Claude's recommendation
- Whether the challenged premise changes Claude's recommendation

6. **Premise revision check:** If Codex challenged an agreed premise, use AskUserQuestion:

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -711,7 +728,7 @@ Rules:
- One must be the **"minimal viable"** (fewest files, smallest diff, ships fastest).
- One must be the **"ideal architecture"** (best long-term trajectory, most elegant).
- One can be **creative/lateral** (unexpected approach, different framing of the problem).
- If Codex proposed a prototype in Phase 3.5, consider using it as a starting point for the creative/lateral approach.
- If the second opinion (Codex or Claude subagent) proposed a prototype in Phase 3.5, consider using it as a starting point for the creative/lateral approach.

**RECOMMENDATION:** Choose [X] because [one-line reason].

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -875,7 +892,7 @@ Supersedes: {prior filename — omit this line if first design on this branch}
{from Phase 3}

## Cross-Model Perspective
{If Codex ran in Phase 3.5: Codex's independent cold read — steelman, key insight, challenged premise, prototype suggestion. Verbatim or close paraphrase of what Codex said. If Codex did NOT run (skipped or unavailable): omit this section entirely — do not include it.}
{If second opinion ran in Phase 3.5 (Codex or Claude subagent): independent cold read — steelman, key insight, challenged premise, prototype suggestion. Verbatim or close paraphrase. If second opinion did NOT run (skipped or unavailable): omit this section entirely — do not include it.}

## Approaches Considered
### Approach A: {name}
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -932,7 +949,7 @@ Supersedes: {prior filename — omit this line if first design on this branch}
{from Phase 3}

## Cross-Model Perspective
{If Codex ran in Phase 3.5: Codex's independent cold read — coolest version, key insight, existing tools, prototype suggestion. Verbatim or close paraphrase of what Codex said. If Codex did NOT run (skipped or unavailable): omit this section entirely — do not include it.}
{If second opinion ran in Phase 3.5 (Codex or Claude subagent): independent cold read — coolest version, key insight, existing tools, prototype suggestion. Verbatim or close paraphrase. If second opinion did NOT run (skipped or unavailable): omit this section entirely — do not include it.}

## Approaches Considered
### Approach A: {name}
Expand Down
6 changes: 3 additions & 3 deletions office-hours/SKILL.md.tmpl
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Expand Up @@ -380,7 +380,7 @@ Rules:
- One must be the **"minimal viable"** (fewest files, smallest diff, ships fastest).
- One must be the **"ideal architecture"** (best long-term trajectory, most elegant).
- One can be **creative/lateral** (unexpected approach, different framing of the problem).
- If Codex proposed a prototype in Phase 3.5, consider using it as a starting point for the creative/lateral approach.
- If the second opinion (Codex or Claude subagent) proposed a prototype in Phase 3.5, consider using it as a starting point for the creative/lateral approach.

**RECOMMENDATION:** Choose [X] because [one-line reason].

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -459,7 +459,7 @@ Supersedes: {prior filename — omit this line if first design on this branch}
{from Phase 3}

## Cross-Model Perspective
{If Codex ran in Phase 3.5: Codex's independent cold read — steelman, key insight, challenged premise, prototype suggestion. Verbatim or close paraphrase of what Codex said. If Codex did NOT run (skipped or unavailable): omit this section entirely — do not include it.}
{If second opinion ran in Phase 3.5 (Codex or Claude subagent): independent cold read — steelman, key insight, challenged premise, prototype suggestion. Verbatim or close paraphrase. If second opinion did NOT run (skipped or unavailable): omit this section entirely — do not include it.}

## Approaches Considered
### Approach A: {name}
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -516,7 +516,7 @@ Supersedes: {prior filename — omit this line if first design on this branch}
{from Phase 3}

## Cross-Model Perspective
{If Codex ran in Phase 3.5: Codex's independent cold read — coolest version, key insight, existing tools, prototype suggestion. Verbatim or close paraphrase of what Codex said. If Codex did NOT run (skipped or unavailable): omit this section entirely — do not include it.}
{If second opinion ran in Phase 3.5 (Codex or Claude subagent): independent cold read — coolest version, key insight, existing tools, prototype suggestion. Verbatim or close paraphrase. If second opinion did NOT run (skipped or unavailable): omit this section entirely — do not include it.}

## Approaches Considered
### Approach A: {name}
Expand Down