workflow-orchestration
ProductivityDisciplined task execution with planning, verification, and self-improvement loops. Use when starting non-trivial tasks (3+ steps), fixing bugs, building features, refactoring code, or when rigorous execution with quality gates is needed. Includes subagent delegation, lessons tracking, and staff-engineer-level verification.
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Workflow Orchestration
Apply these practices for disciplined, high-quality task execution.
Quick Reference
| Practice | When to Apply |
|---|---|
| Plan Mode | Any task with 3+ steps or architectural decisions |
| Subagents | Research, exploration, parallel analysis |
| Lessons | After ANY user correction |
| Verification | Before marking any task complete |
| Elegance Check | Non-trivial changes only |
1. Plan Mode Default
- Enter plan mode for ANY non-trivial task (3+ steps or architectural decisions)
- If something goes sideways, STOP and re-plan immediately
- Use plan mode for verification steps, not just building
- Write detailed specs upfront to reduce ambiguity
2. Subagent Strategy
Keep the main context window clean:
- Offload research, exploration, and parallel analysis to subagents
- For complex problems, throw more compute at it via subagents
- One task per subagent for focused execution
Template:
Agent({
description: "Search auth patterns",
prompt: "Find all authentication middleware in src/ and list file paths with a one-line summary of each."
})
3. Self-Improvement Loop
After ANY correction from the user:
- Update
tasks/lessons.mdwith the pattern - Write rules that prevent the same mistake
- Review lessons at session start
Inline example (full template in references/lessons-format.md):
## 2024-01-10 - Testing
**Mistake**: Mocks hid real API behavior; production broke
**Pattern**: Over-mocking created false confidence
**Rule**: Include at least one integration test hitting real services
**Applied**: All API endpoints, external service integrations
4. Verification Before Done
- Never mark a task complete without proving it works
- Diff behavior between main and your changes when relevant
- Ask yourself: "Would a staff engineer approve this?"
- Run tests, check logs, demonstrate corrections
- If verification fails → return to the plan step and revise before retrying
5. Demand Elegance (Balanced)
- For non-trivial changes: pause and ask "is there a more elegant way?"
- If a fix feels hacky: "Knowing everything I know now, implement the elegant solution"
- Skip this for simple, obvious fixes—don't over-engineer
6. Autonomous Bug Fixing
- When given a bug report: Just fix it. Don't ask for hand-holding
- Point at logs, errors, failing tests—then resolve them
- Zero context switching required from the user
Task Management Protocol
- Plan First: Write plan to
tasks/todo.mdwith checkable items - Verify Plan: Check in before starting implementation
- Track Progress: Mark items complete as you go
- Explain Changes: High-level summary at each step
- Verify Results: Run tests and confirm behavior before marking done
- Handle Failures: If verification fails → re-plan (step 1), don't push through
- Document Results: Add review to
tasks/todo.md - Capture Lessons: Update
tasks/lessons.mdafter corrections
Inline example (full templates in references/task-templates.md):
# Task: Fix memory leak in WebSocket handler
## Plan
- [ ] Reproduce the issue locally
- [ ] Identify leak source with profiler
- [ ] Implement fix
- [ ] Verification: Memory stable over 1000 connections
Core Principles
- Simplicity First: Make every change as simple as possible
- No Laziness: Find root causes. No temporary fixes. Senior developer standards
- Minimal Impact: Only touch what's necessary. Avoid introducing bugs