fix(ce-product-pulse): close schema gap and tighten config-driven prose

Addresses functional gaps and copy nits surfaced in a trace-through of
both first-run and subsequent-run flows.

Schema gap:
- Add pulse_pending_metrics and pulse_excluded_metrics CSV keys to
  config-template.yaml and the rendered example. The interview promised
  these dispositions for un-instrumented strategy metrics, but the prior
  flat YAML had no slot for them. Matches the pulse_completion_events
  CSV pattern.
- Update references/interview.md section 6.0 to write to those keys.
- Update references/report-template.md to honor both keys when rendering
  strategy metrics.

Config-driven prose tightening:
- Phase 2.2: stale "see interview config" reference replaced with the
  precise key check (pulse_quality_scoring is true).
- Phase 1.0: product-name extraction guidance now specifies stripping
  the trailing " Strategy" suffix from the H1 title; seed message
  rewritten as a directive to the agent rather than a literal-template
  string.

Issue 1 (CWD vs repo-root for docs/ paths) was checked against repo
precedent and intentionally NOT changed: ce-brainstorm, ce-plan, and
ce-compound all use bare relative docs/ paths and rely on
target-announcement for cross-repo cases. ce-strategy and
ce-product-pulse already announce, so the existing pattern holds.

Author: imwm

.compound-engineering/config.local.example.yaml

@@ -26,3 +26,5 @@
 # pulse_tracing_source: sentry                          # sentry | datadog | custom (no default)
 # pulse_payments_source: stripe                         # stripe | custom (no default)
 # pulse_db_enabled: false                               # true | false (default: false; read-only DB if true)
+# pulse_pending_metrics: "retention_d7,nps"             # comma-separated strategy metrics awaiting instrumentation; render as 'no data'
+# pulse_excluded_metrics: "north_star"                  # comma-separated strategy metrics intentionally not in pulse

plugins/compound-engineering/skills/ce-product-pulse/SKILL.md

@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ If it shows an unresolved command string, read `.compound-engineering/config.loc
 - `pulse_tracing_source` -- string identifying tracing provider (e.g., `sentry`, `datadog`, `custom`)
 - `pulse_payments_source` -- string identifying payments provider (e.g., `stripe`, `custom`); omit if not used
 - `pulse_db_enabled` -- `true` or default `false`; when `true`, read-only DB access is part of the pulse
+- `pulse_pending_metrics` -- comma-separated string of strategy-doc metric names awaiting instrumentation; rendered as `no data` in each pulse report until instrumentation lands
+- `pulse_excluded_metrics` -- comma-separated string of strategy-doc metric names intentionally excluded from the pulse; the metric stays in `docs/strategy.md` but is not surfaced in pulse reports
 
 **Routing:**
 
@@ -84,12 +86,12 @@ If the argument was `setup`, `reconfigure`, or `edit config`, go to Phase 1 rega
 
 Before asking any questions, read `docs/strategy.md` using the native file-read tool. If the file exists, extract:
 
-- The product name (from the title)
-- The list of key metrics (from the `## Key metrics` section)
+- The product name from the H1 title, stripping the trailing ` Strategy` suffix (e.g., `# Spiral Strategy` -> `Spiral`)
+- The list of key metrics from the `## Key metrics` section, one per line
 
-Open the interview by showing the user what was pulled forward: "I see you have a strategy doc on file - I'll seed the product name as `{{name}}` and carry these key metrics into the event/data setup: {{metric list}}. Say so if any of that needs to change."
+Open the interview by surfacing what was extracted: announce that a strategy doc was found, show the seeded product name and the list of key metrics that will be carried into event/data setup, and invite the user to correct any of it before continuing.
 
-If `docs/strategy.md` does not exist, note that too: "No strategy doc on file. Running the full setup from scratch. (If you want strategy to seed this later, run `/ce-strategy` first.)"
+If `docs/strategy.md` does not exist, note that explicitly in chat: no strategy doc on file, running setup from scratch, and mention that `ce-strategy` can seed pulse later if run first.
 
 #### 1.1 Interview
 
@@ -132,7 +134,7 @@ Run these **serially**, after the parallel batch:
 
 #### 2.2 Optional: Sample Quality Scoring
 
-If quality scoring is opted in (AI products only, see interview config), sample up to 10 sessions or conversations from the window and score each 1-5 on the dimension the user specified at setup.
+If `pulse_quality_scoring` is `true` (AI products only), sample up to 10 sessions or conversations from the window and score each 1-5 on the dimension recorded in `pulse_quality_dimension`.
 
 **Scoring discipline:** Default to 4 or 5 when the session looks normal. Reserve 1-3 for sessions with a clear failure mode (product gave wrong answer, user got stuck, error surfaced). If every session is scoring 3, the bar is too strict; if every session is scoring 5, the bar is too loose.
 

plugins/compound-engineering/skills/ce-product-pulse/references/interview.md

@@ -126,10 +126,10 @@ The answer produces (tool name, query shape). If multiple entries land in the sa
 
 **If the user says "we don't have that instrumented yet"** (common for strategy-seeded metrics like retention or NPS): offer two off-ramps and let them pick.
 
-- **Defer** - capture the metric as `instrumentation-pending` with a one-line note. The metric will appear in the config and render as `no data` in each pulse report until instrumentation lands. This is the right call if the metric matters and they'll fix it.
-- **Drop from pulse** - capture the metric as `strategy-only - not in pulse`. The metric stays in `docs/strategy.md` but the pulse ignores it. This is the right call if the metric is aspirational and won't have data any time soon.
+- **Defer** - append the metric name to `pulse_pending_metrics` (CSV). The metric renders as `no data` in each pulse report until instrumentation lands. Right call when the metric matters and the team will instrument it.
+- **Drop from pulse** - append the metric name to `pulse_excluded_metrics` (CSV). The metric stays in `docs/strategy.md` but the pulse skips it entirely. Right call when the metric is aspirational and won't have data any time soon.
 
-Do not silently skip. An unmeasured strategy metric should either show up as a `no data` slot (forcing visibility) or be explicitly dropped.
+Do not silently skip. Every un-instrumented strategy metric must land in exactly one of `pulse_pending_metrics` (visible as `no data`) or `pulse_excluded_metrics` (omitted from the report).
 
 ### 6.1 MCP nudge
 
@@ -242,6 +242,8 @@ pulse_analytics_source: {{posthog | mixpanel | custom | omit}}
 pulse_tracing_source: {{sentry | datadog | custom | omit}}
 pulse_payments_source: {{stripe | custom | omit}}    # omit if not used
 pulse_db_enabled: {{true | false}}                   # default false; read-only DB access only
+pulse_pending_metrics: "{{metric,metric}}"           # strategy metrics deferred for instrumentation; render as 'no data'; omit if none
+pulse_excluded_metrics: "{{metric,metric}}"          # strategy metrics intentionally not in pulse; omit if none
 ~~~
 
 **Notes on what is NOT persisted in config:**

plugins/compound-engineering/skills/ce-product-pulse/references/report-template.md

@@ -9,7 +9,10 @@ Loaded by `SKILL.md` at Phase 2.3 after queries have returned. Fill the template
 - No hardcoded thresholds. Do not label things "high" or "low" or color anything red unless the reader asked for threshold-based annotation at setup.
 - No PII. No emails, no account IDs, no message content.
 - Headlines are the top of the page. If a reader only reads the first 3 lines, they should know the most important thing that happened.
-- If `docs/strategy.md` exists, re-read its `## Key metrics` section before assembling the report and render each strategy metric in the Usage section with its current value and delta. If a strategy metric has no current value, include it anyway and mark it `no data`.
+- If `docs/strategy.md` exists, re-read its `## Key metrics` section before assembling the report. For each strategy metric, decide what to render:
+  - If the metric name appears in `pulse_excluded_metrics`, omit it from the report.
+  - If the metric name appears in `pulse_pending_metrics`, include it in the Usage section marked `no data (instrumentation pending)`.
+  - Otherwise, render the metric with its current value and delta. If the query returns no value, include it anyway and mark it `no data`.
 
 ## Template
 

plugins/compound-engineering/skills/ce-setup/references/config-template.yaml

@@ -26,3 +26,5 @@
 # pulse_tracing_source: sentry                          # sentry | datadog | custom (no default)
 # pulse_payments_source: stripe                         # stripe | custom (no default)
 # pulse_db_enabled: false                               # true | false (default: false; read-only DB if true)
+# pulse_pending_metrics: "retention_d7,nps"             # comma-separated strategy metrics awaiting instrumentation; render as 'no data'
+# pulse_excluded_metrics: "north_star"                  # comma-separated strategy metrics intentionally not in pulse