# 04-Handoffs — Schema

Session-ending summaries written by your AI assistant at the end of a work session.

## Why this folder matters

The single highest-ROI habit in this vault: ask your AI to write a handoff note at the end of every substantive session. The next session starts by reading it. You eliminate the 10-15 minutes of re-explanation that kills momentum.

## How to generate a handoff note

At the end of a session, say:

*"Write a handoff note to 04-Handoffs/[today's date]-[brief topic].md. Cover: what we did today, what we decided, any open questions, what's in progress, and what the next session should start with."*

Adjust the prompt to your session. You can add: *"Keep it under 500 words."*

## How to start the next session

*"Before we start, read the most recent handoff note in 04-Handoffs/."*

## File naming

`YYYY-MM-DD-topic.md`

Examples:
- `2026-01-15-portfolio-case-studies.md`
- `2026-01-18-api-integration-debug.md`

## File format (what the AI should write)

```
---
project: [project name or "multiple"]
session-date: YYYY-MM-DD
---

# Handoff — [Topic]

## What we did
[Brief list of what was accomplished in this session.]

## Decisions made
[Any calls made during this session worth noting.]

## In progress (incomplete)
[Anything started but not finished. What state it's in.]

## Open questions
[Things unresolved that need a decision or more information.]

## Next session: start here
[The specific first thing to do next time. As concrete as possible.]
```