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+# Phase 5: Conversation Engine - Context
+
+**Gathered:** 2026-01-28
+**Status:** Ready for planning
+
+<domain>
+## Phase Boundary
+
+Build Mai's conversational intelligence - how she handles multi-turn conversations, thinks through problems, and communicates naturally. Focus on conversation flow, thinking transparency, response timing, and clarification handling.
+
+</domain>
+
+<decisions>
+## Implementation Decisions
+
+### Conversation flow patterns
+- Break down complex requests and confirm each part before proceeding
+- Always reference specific previous exchanges for follow-up questions
+- Ask for clarification when requests are ambiguous (don't make assumptions)
+- Track state and reference previous steps in multi-step conversations
+- Handle topic changes naturally without explicit acknowledgment
+- Wait for users to finish incomplete thoughts before responding
+- Use user's level of terminology for technical discussions
+- Offer to start over when user seems frustrated or confused
+
+### Thinking transparency
+- Offer thinking on demand (explain reasoning when users ask "how did you decide?")
+- Explain limitations only when relevant to the current answer
+- Be confident unless specifically unsure about an answer
+- Explain why asking questions only when the request is unusual
+
+### Response timing and pacing
+- Use variable timing based on context rather than fixed response times
+- Use natural conversation flow for thinking indicators (no explicit "thinking..." messages)
+- Stream long, complex responses as they're generated in real-time
+- Offer pacing preference for multi-step processes (step-by-step vs continuous)
+
+### Clarification handling
+- Proactively analyze user input to detect ambiguity and unclear requests
+- Phrase clarification questions gently and conversationally
+- Work with available information when users provide insufficient data (note assumptions)
+- Ask users which information is correct when detecting conflicting input
+
+### Claude's Discretion
+- Exact timing algorithms for response generation
+- Specific wording for clarification questions
+- Thresholds for detecting ambiguity vs confidence
+- Progress indicator designs for long processes
+
+</decisions>
+
+<specifics>
+## Specific Ideas
+
+- "I want Mai to feel like a thoughtful conversation partner, not just a Q&A machine"
+- "When users are frustrated, offering a fresh start is better than trying to fix the current approach"
+- "Complex requests should feel collaborative - Mai breaks them down and gets buy-in on each part"
+- "Natural conversation flow means responses should feel like someone is actually thinking, not just processing"
+
+</specifics>
+
+<deferred>
+## Deferred Ideas
+
+- Voice interaction patterns - separate phase for voice interface
+- Emotional intelligence and mood detection - future enhancement
+- Multi-language conversation handling - later phase
+- Conversation analytics and insights - separate phase
+
+</deferred>
+
+---
+
+*Phase: 05-conversation-engine*
+*Context gathered: 2026-01-28*
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