Brainforge Knowledge

transcript-grounding

3 min read

Transcript-Grounded Ask Playbook

Rules for grounding answers, plans, and docs in vault meeting transcripts. The .cursor/skills/transcript-grounded-ask/ skill loads this document. Humans maintain it here so the rules stay accurate as the vault evolves.

What this is for

Use these rules when the user wants answers grounded in what was actually said in meetings rather than model memory or speculation. Common asks:

  • “What did we say in meetings about X?”
  • “Check transcripts for how we defined CSO vs SL / delivery model / bonuses / cadence.”
  • “Does this plan match what I said recently?”
  • “Ground this doc in what leadership actually discussed.”

Pair with the sync-granola-to-vault skill when transcripts may still live only in Granola and have not yet been synced into the vault.

Workflow

1. Clarify the ask

  • Topic (e.g. roles, Operating vs Linear, KPIs, service lines).
  • Time window if relevant (e.g. last 60 days — prefer recent filenames).
  • People or meeting type if it narrows search (e.g. Service Leads, weekly sync).

2. Search the vault

Search in this order unless the ask is clearly client-specific:

LocationUse for
knowledge/clients/unassigned/transcripts/Internal Brainforge / delivery / leadership meetings
knowledge/clients/{client}/transcripts/Client-specific decisions
knowledge/meeting/transcripts/Formal internal meetings, if present
knowledge/sales/**/transcripts/GTM, partners, recruiting (only if ask is sales-side)

Use Grep or Glob on keywords (CSO, Service Lead, Head of Delivery, Operating, allocation, etc.) and participant names. Prefer transcripts with dated prefixes (YYYY-MM-DD_) for recency.

3. Read primary sources

  • Open the full transcript for high-signal hits.
  • Granola summary blocks at the top are a fast index; for disputed or high-stakes claims, verify against the dialogue (summaries can mis-attribute speakers).

4. Synthesize

Bucket each finding into one of:

  • Aligned — matches current written docs (cite doc path).
  • New nuance — not yet in docs; quote briefly or cite transcript path + date.
  • Conflict — transcript vs SOW, role doc, or standards; call it out explicitly.

5. Output

  • Short bullets; cite paths like knowledge/clients/unassigned/transcripts/2026-03-24_service_leads_q2_planning_87f3dd48.md.
  • If updating docs: list files and one-line change each (do not silently contradict signed commercial docs).

What counts as grounding evidence

  • A dated transcript path under one of the locations in the table above.
  • A direct quote or paraphrase tied to a specific speaker and meeting date.
  • A Granola summary line is acceptable as a signal but should be backed by a dialogue line for any high-stakes or contested claim.

What does not count as grounding:

  • Memory of past chats with the model.
  • Slack messages alone (use the slack-* skills for those).
  • General “we usually do X” framing without a transcript reference.

Constraints

  • Transcripts are internal context, not legal truth. If an SOW or signed agreement differs, the written commercial artifact wins; note the tension.
  • Standards tree (knowledge/standards/) is restricted; vault findings inform proposals but do not replace authorized standards updates.
  • Do not paste entire transcripts into tickets or client-facing text; excerpt minimally.
  • Delivery spine: knowledge/delivery/README.md, knowledge/delivery/02-meetings-and-cadence/meeting-catalog.md
  • Import path: .cursor/skills/sync-granola-to-vault/SKILL.md

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