PM Onboarding and Help (preset-scoped checklist + contextual tips)

What it is

In-development onboarding checklist and contextual help system for PM users.

Gives PM users preset-scoped onboarding guidance and contextual help through four surfaces:

• Onboarding checklist -- getting-started items filtered to the active G12 preset (tasks/projects/operations). Manual check-off, dismissible, completion persisted via pmOnboardingComplete.
• Setup Checklist board -- auto-created after onboarding/migration as a real MC project in the sidebar (5 items: customize columns, create first item, set up automation, try a different view, invite a teammate). Each item has a "Start" button that spawns an AI PM session with step-specific guidance. The AI PM marks items complete via POST /pm/setup-checklist/complete-step. Board ID and item map stored in pmSetupChecklistBoardId / pmSetupChecklistItemMap. Creating the board also sets pmOnboardingComplete to suppress the floating overlay.
• Contextual help tips -- per-feature inline HelpCircle popovers with a description, tips, and an "Ask AI" button. Individually dismissible via pmDismissedHelpTips (restorable).
• Unified help panel -- a dialog overlay with search, category-grouped entries, per-entry and global escape-to-AI.
• Escape-to-AI -- one-click "Ask your project manager" that launches a Claude session with PM persona instructions (offer to do work, not give steps) and PM context (preset, board, feature, error state).

Where to find it

In-development, gated behind the pm-onboarding-help unreleased feature (pmOnboardingHelpEnabled). Requires both the feature flag AND missionControlEnabled.

The checklist is the floating overlay a new PM user sees, the Setup Checklist board shows up as a real project in the sidebar, the tips appear inline next to each feature, and the unified help panel opens as a dialog.

How it behaves

Help content derives FROM PM_DISCLOSURE_CATALOG descriptions -- no independent copy. If the catalog description changes, help content changes automatically. Search is preset-scoped: a search query only returns entries for the active preset's features.

For agents

Technical details

• Help content in src/shared/pm-help/pm-help-content.ts (derived from PM_DISCLOSURE_CATALOG).
• Renderer hook: usePmHelp() in features/mission-control/help/usePmHelp.ts.
• Escape prompt builder: buildEscapePrompt() in src/shared/pm-help/pm-escape-context.ts.
• IPC handlers in pm-help-handlers.ts.
• Setup checklist step definitions in src/shared/pm-help/setup-checklist-items.ts.
• Setup checklist board creation in pm-onboarding-board.ts (createSetupChecklistBoard()).
• Setup checklist CLI route in src/main/services/cli/pm/pm-setup-checklist-routes.ts.
• Setup checklist board detection via SetupChecklistContext in MC plugin web.
• Contract: pm-onboarding-help-contract.md.

Related

This help system belongs to Mission Control, so mission-control.md is the parent page. pm-onboarding-features.md is the sibling onboarding work aimed at people migrating in from another platform — that one covers the import entry screen and post-import Home, where this page covers the checklist and the help a PM user gets afterward. Because both the checklist and the help search are scoped to the active preset, pm-feature-profiles.md explains where those presets come from.