executing-sequential-phase

Executing Sequential Phase

Overview

Sequential phases use natural git-spice stacking in the main worktree.

Each task creates a branch with gs branch create, which automatically stacks on the current HEAD. No manual stacking operations needed.

Critical distinction: Sequential tasks BUILD ON each other. They need integration, not isolation.

When to Use

Use this skill when execute command encounters a phase marked "Sequential" in plan.md:

• ✅ Tasks must run in order (dependencies)
• ✅ Execute in existing {runid}-main worktree
• ✅ Trust natural stacking (no manual gs upstack onto)
• ✅ Stay on task branches (don't switch to base between tasks)

Sequential phases never use worktrees. They share one workspace where tasks build cumulatively.

Multi-Repo Support

Receiving Multi-Repo Context

The orchestrator passes:

• WORKSPACE_MODE: "multi-repo" or "single-repo"
• WORKSPACE_ROOT: Absolute path to workspace
• Per-task TASK_REPO from plan

Sequential Execution Across Repos

In multi-repo mode, sequential tasks may span repos:

Phase 1 (sequential):
- Task 1.1: repo=shared-lib  # Shared types first
- Task 1.2: repo=backend     # Backend uses shared types
- Task 1.3: repo=frontend    # Frontend uses shared types

For each task, switch to that task's repo context.

Per-Repo Worktrees

In multi-repo sequential phases:

• Each repo has its own main worktree: {repo}/.worktrees/{runId}-main/
• Tasks execute in their repo's worktree
• Switching tasks = switching repos (if different)

Per-Repo Setup Commands

Read setup commands from each task's repo:

# Multi-repo: Read from task's repo CLAUDE.md
INSTALL_CMD=$(grep -A1 "**install**:" ${TASK_REPO}/CLAUDE.md | tail -1)

Per-Repo Constitution

Pass correct constitution to subagents:

# Multi-repo
CONSTITUTION="@${TASK_REPO}/docs/constitutions/current/"

Per-Repo Stacking

Sequential tasks across repos create per-repo stacks:

Execution order:
1. Task 1.1 (shared-lib) → creates branch in shared-lib
2. Task 1.2 (backend) → creates branch in backend
3. Task 1.3 (backend) → stacks on 1.2 in backend
4. Task 1.4 (frontend) → creates branch in frontend

Result:
- shared-lib stack: task-1-1
- backend stack: task-1-2 → task-1-3
- frontend stack: task-1-4

Each repo maintains its own linear stack. Cannot stack across repos.

Single-Repo Mode (Unchanged)

All existing behavior preserved:

• Single main worktree at .worktrees/{runId}-main/
• Single CLAUDE.md for setup commands
• Single constitution at @docs/constitutions/current/
• Single linear stack of branches

The Natural Stacking Principle

SEQUENTIAL PHASE = MAIN WORKTREE + NATURAL STACKING

What natural stacking means:

1. Start on base branch (or previous task's branch)
2. Create new branch with gs branch create → automatically stacks on current
3. Stay on that branch when done
4. Next task creates from there → automatically stacks on previous

No manual commands needed. The workflow IS the stacking.

The Process

Announce: "I'm using executing-sequential-phase to execute {N} tasks sequentially in Phase {phase-id}."

Step 0: Verify Orchestrator Location

MANDATORY: Verify orchestrator is in correct location before any operations:

Single-repo mode:

REPO_ROOT=$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)
CURRENT=$(pwd)

if [ "$CURRENT" != "$REPO_ROOT" ]; then
  echo "❌ Error: Orchestrator must run from main repo root"
  echo "Current: $CURRENT"
  echo "Expected: $REPO_ROOT"
  echo ""
  echo "Return to main repo: cd $REPO_ROOT"
  exit 1
fi

echo "✅ Orchestrator location verified: Main repo root"

Multi-repo mode:

# Orchestrator runs from WORKSPACE_ROOT (parent of all repos)
CURRENT=$(pwd)

if [ "$CURRENT" != "$WORKSPACE_ROOT" ]; then
  echo "❌ Error: Orchestrator must run from workspace root"
  echo "Current: $CURRENT"
  echo "Expected: $WORKSPACE_ROOT"
  echo ""
  echo "Return to workspace: cd $WORKSPACE_ROOT"
  exit 1
fi

echo "✅ Orchestrator location verified: Workspace root ($WORKSPACE_MODE mode)"

Why critical:

• Orchestrator delegates work but never changes directory
• Single-repo: All operations use git -C .worktrees/path or bash -c "cd path && cmd"
• Multi-repo: All operations use git -C {repo}/.worktrees/path or bash -c "cd {repo}/path && cmd"
• This assertion catches upstream drift immediately

Step 1: Verify Setup and Base Branch

First, verify we're on the correct base branch for this phase:

Single-repo mode:

# Get current branch in main worktree
CURRENT_BRANCH=$(git -C .worktrees/{runid}-main branch --show-current)
EXPECTED_BASE="{expected-base-branch}"  # From plan: previous phase's last task, or {runid}-main for Phase 1

if [ "$CURRENT_BRANCH" != "$EXPECTED_BASE" ]; then
  echo "⚠️  WARNING: Phase {phase-id} starting from unexpected branch"
  echo "   Current: $CURRENT_BRANCH"
  echo "   Expected: $EXPECTED_BASE"
  echo ""
  echo "This means the previous phase ended on the wrong branch."
  echo "Possible causes:"
  echo "- Code review or quality checks switched branches"
  echo "- User manually checked out different branch"
  echo "- Resume from interrupted execution"
  echo ""
  echo "To fix:"
  echo "1. Verify previous phase completed: git log --oneline $EXPECTED_BASE"
  echo "2. Switch to correct base: cd .worktrees/{runid}-main && git checkout $EXPECTED_BASE"
  echo "3. Re-run /spectacular:execute"
  exit 1
fi

echo "✅ Phase {phase-id} starting from correct base: $CURRENT_BRANCH"

Multi-repo mode:

In multi-repo, base branch verification is per-repo. For each repo that has tasks in this phase:

# For each repo with tasks in this phase
for REPO in ${REPOS_IN_PHASE[@]}; do
  WORKTREE_PATH="${WORKSPACE_ROOT}/${REPO}/.worktrees/${RUN_ID}-main"

  # Check if this repo's worktree exists
  if [ ! -d "$WORKTREE_PATH" ]; then
    echo "Creating main worktree for repo: ${REPO}"
    bash <<EOF
    cd ${WORKSPACE_ROOT}/${REPO}
    git worktree add .worktrees/${RUN_ID}-main -b ${RUN_ID}-main
EOF
  fi

  # Verify branch (or create if first task in this repo)
  CURRENT_BRANCH=$(git -C "$WORKTREE_PATH" branch --show-current)
  echo "✅ Repo ${REPO} on branch: $CURRENT_BRANCH"
done

Then check and install dependencies (orchestrator never cd's):

Single-repo mode:

# Check if dependencies installed in main worktree
if [ ! -d .worktrees/{runid}-main/node_modules ]; then
  echo "Installing dependencies in main worktree..."
  bash <<'EOF'
  cd .worktrees/{runid}-main
  {install-command}
  {postinstall-command}
  EOF
fi

Multi-repo mode:

Setup commands are read from each task's repo CLAUDE.md. Install dependencies before executing each task:

# For each task, install dependencies in that repo's worktree
TASK_REPO="${task.repo}"
WORKTREE_PATH="${WORKSPACE_ROOT}/${TASK_REPO}/.worktrees/${RUN_ID}-main"

# Read setup commands from task's repo CLAUDE.md
if [ "$WORKSPACE_MODE" = "multi-repo" ]; then
  CLAUDE_MD_PATH="${WORKSPACE_ROOT}/${TASK_REPO}/CLAUDE.md"
else
  CLAUDE_MD_PATH="CLAUDE.md"
fi

INSTALL_CMD=$(grep -A1 "**install**:" ${CLAUDE_MD_PATH} | tail -1 | sed 's/`//g' | xargs)
POSTINSTALL_CMD=$(grep -A1 "**postinstall**:" ${CLAUDE_MD_PATH} | tail -1 | sed 's/`//g' | xargs)

# Check if dependencies installed in repo's worktree
if [ ! -d "${WORKTREE_PATH}/node_modules" ]; then
  echo "Installing dependencies in ${TASK_REPO} worktree..."
  bash <<EOF
  cd ${WORKTREE_PATH}
  ${INSTALL_CMD}
  ${POSTINSTALL_CMD}
EOF
fi

Why heredoc: Orchestrator stays in main repo/workspace root. Heredoc creates subshell that exits after commands.

Why main worktree: Sequential tasks share main worktree per repo. All sequential phases share this worktree within each repo.

Red flag: "Create phase-specific worktree" - NO. Sequential = shared worktree (per repo).

Step 1.5: Extract Phase Context (Before Dispatching)

Before spawning subagents, extract phase boundaries from plan:

The orchestrator already parsed the plan in execute.md Step 1. Extract:

• Current phase number and name
• Tasks in THIS phase (what TO implement)
• Tasks in LATER phases (what NOT to implement)

Format for subagent context:

PHASE CONTEXT:
- Phase {current-phase-id}/{total-phases}: {phase-name}
- This phase includes: Task {task-ids-in-this-phase}

LATER PHASES (DO NOT IMPLEMENT):
- Phase {next-phase}: {phase-name} - {task-summary}
- Phase {next+1}: {phase-name} - {task-summary}
...

If implementing work beyond this phase's tasks, STOP and report scope violation.

Why critical: Spec describes WHAT to build (entire feature). Plan describes HOW/WHEN (phase breakdown). Subagents need both to avoid scope creep.

Step 2: Execute Tasks Sequentially

Multi-repo task execution:

For each task in sequential phase, handle repo switching:

PREVIOUS_REPO=""

for task in ${TASKS[@]}; do
  # Get task's repo
  TASK_REPO="${task.repo}"

  # If repo changed from previous task, switch context
  if [ "$TASK_REPO" != "$PREVIOUS_REPO" ]; then
    echo "Switching to repo: ${TASK_REPO}"

    # Ensure repo's main worktree exists
    if [ ! -d "${WORKSPACE_ROOT}/${TASK_REPO}/.worktrees/${RUN_ID}-main" ]; then
      # Create main worktree for this repo
      bash <<EOF
      cd ${WORKSPACE_ROOT}/${TASK_REPO}
      git worktree add .worktrees/${RUN_ID}-main -b ${RUN_ID}-main
EOF
    fi
  fi

  # Execute task in repo's worktree
  WORKTREE_PATH="${WORKSPACE_ROOT}/${TASK_REPO}/.worktrees/${RUN_ID}-main"

  # Track for next iteration
  PREVIOUS_REPO="$TASK_REPO"

  # Dispatch subagent (see below)
done

Single-repo mode: Execute all tasks in the single main worktree (unchanged).

For each task in order, spawn ONE subagent with embedded instructions:

Single-repo mode:

Task(Implement Task {task-id}: {task-name})

ROLE: Implement Task {task-id} in main worktree (sequential phase)

WORKTREE: .worktrees/{run-id}-main
CURRENT BRANCH: {current-branch}

TASK: {task-name}
FILES: {files-list}
ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA: {criteria}

PHASE BOUNDARIES:

Multi-repo mode:

Task(Implement Task {task-id}: {task-name})

ROLE: Implement Task {task-id} in repo worktree (sequential phase, multi-repo)

WORKSPACE_MODE: multi-repo
WORKSPACE_ROOT: {workspace-root}
TASK_REPO: {task-repo}
WORKTREE_PATH: {task-repo}/.worktrees/{run-id}-main
CONSTITUTION: @{task-repo}/docs/constitutions/current/
CURRENT BRANCH: {current-branch}

TASK: {task-name}
FILES: {files-list}
ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA: {criteria}

PHASE BOUNDARIES:
===== PHASE BOUNDARIES - CRITICAL =====

Phase {current-phase-id}/{total-phases}: {phase-name}
This phase includes ONLY: Task {task-ids-in-this-phase}

DO NOT CREATE ANY FILES from later phases.

Later phases (DO NOT CREATE):
- Phase {next-phase}: {phase-name} - {task-summary}
  ❌ NO implementation files
  ❌ NO stub functions (even with TODOs)
  ❌ NO type definitions or interfaces
  ❌ NO test scaffolding or temporary code

If tempted to create ANY file from later phases, STOP.
"Not fully implemented" = violation.
"Just types/stubs/tests" = violation.
"Temporary/for testing" = violation.

==========================================

CONTEXT REFERENCES (single-repo):
- Spec: specs/{run-id}-{feature-slug}/spec.md
- Constitution: docs/constitutions/current/
- Plan: specs/{run-id}-{feature-slug}/plan.md
- Worktree: .worktrees/{run-id}-main

CONTEXT REFERENCES (multi-repo):
- Spec: {workspace-root}/specs/{run-id}-{feature-slug}/spec.md
- Constitution: {task-repo}/docs/constitutions/current/
- Plan: {workspace-root}/specs/{run-id}-{feature-slug}/plan.md
- Worktree: {task-repo}/.worktrees/{run-id}-main

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Navigate to correct worktree:
   Single-repo: cd .worktrees/{run-id}-main
   Multi-repo: cd {workspace-root}/{task-repo}/.worktrees/{run-id}-main

2. Read constitution (if exists):
   Single-repo: docs/constitutions/current/
   Multi-repo: {task-repo}/docs/constitutions/current/

3. Read feature specification: specs/{run-id}-{feature-slug}/spec.md

   This provides:
   - WHAT to build (requirements, user flows)
   - WHY decisions were made (architecture rationale)
   - HOW features integrate (system boundaries)

   The spec is your source of truth for architectural decisions.
   Constitution tells you HOW to code. Spec tells you WHAT to build.

4. VERIFY PHASE SCOPE before implementing:
   - Read the PHASE BOUNDARIES section above
   - Confirm this task belongs to Phase {current-phase-id}
   - If tempted to implement later phase work, STOP
   - The plan exists for a reason - respect phase boundaries

5. Implement task following spec + constitution + phase boundaries

6. Run quality checks with exit code validation:

   **CRITICAL**: Use heredoc to prevent bash parsing errors:

   bash <<'EOF'
   npm test
   if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
     echo "❌ Tests failed"
     exit 1
   fi

   npm run lint
   if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
     echo "❌ Lint failed"
     exit 1
   fi

   npm run build
   if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
     echo "❌ Build failed"
     exit 1
   fi
   EOF

   **Why heredoc**: Prevents parsing errors when commands are wrapped by orchestrator.

7. Create stacked branch using verification skill:

   Skill: phase-task-verification

   Parameters:
   - RUN_ID: {run-id}
   - TASK_ID: {phase}-{task}
   - TASK_NAME: {short-name}
   - COMMIT_MESSAGE: "[Task {phase}.{task}] {task-name}"
   - MODE: sequential

   The verification skill will:
   a) Stage changes with git add .
   b) Create branch with gs branch create
   c) Verify HEAD points to new branch
   d) Stay on branch (next task builds on it)

8. Report completion

CRITICAL (single-repo):
- Work in .worktrees/{run-id}-main, NOT main repo
- Stay on your branch when done (next task builds on it)
- Do NOT create worktrees
- Do NOT use `gs upstack onto`
- Do NOT implement work from later phases (check PHASE BOUNDARIES above)

CRITICAL (multi-repo):
- Work in {task-repo}/.worktrees/{run-id}-main, NOT repo root
- Stay on your branch when done (next task in same repo builds on it)
- Do NOT create additional worktrees
- Do NOT use `gs upstack onto`
- Do NOT implement work from later phases (check PHASE BOUNDARIES above)
- Read constitution from THIS repo: {task-repo}/docs/constitutions/current/
- Each repo has its own stack - cross-repo stacking not possible

Sequential dispatch: Wait for each task to complete before starting next.

Red flags:

• "Dispatch all tasks in parallel" - NO. Sequential = one at a time.
• "Create task-specific worktrees" - NO. Sequential = shared worktree.
• "Spec mentions feature X, I'll implement it now" - NO. Check phase boundaries first.
• "I'll run git add myself" - NO. Let subagent use phase-task-verification skill.

Step 3: Verify Natural Stack Formation

After all tasks complete (verify from orchestrator location):

Single-repo mode:

# Display and verify stack using bash subshell (orchestrator stays in main repo)
bash <<'EOF'
cd .worktrees/{runid}-main

echo "📋 Stack after sequential phase:"
gs log short
echo ""

# Verify stack integrity (each task has unique commit)
echo "🔍 Verifying stack integrity..."
TASK_BRANCHES=( {array-of-branch-names} )
STACK_VALID=1
declare -A SEEN_COMMITS

for BRANCH in "${TASK_BRANCHES[@]}"; do
  if ! git rev-parse --verify "$BRANCH" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
    echo "❌ ERROR: Branch '$BRANCH' not found"
    STACK_VALID=0
    break
  fi

  BRANCH_SHA=$(git rev-parse "$BRANCH")

  # Check if this commit SHA was already seen
  if [ -n "${SEEN_COMMITS[$BRANCH_SHA]}" ]; then
    echo "❌ ERROR: Stack integrity violation"
    echo "   Branch '$BRANCH' points to commit $BRANCH_SHA"
    echo "   But '${SEEN_COMMITS[$BRANCH_SHA]}' already points to that commit"
    echo ""
    echo "This means one task created no new commits."
    echo "Possible causes:"
    echo "- Task implementation had no changes"
    echo "- Quality checks blocked commit"
    echo "- gs branch create failed silently"
    STACK_VALID=0
    break
  fi

  SEEN_COMMITS[$BRANCH_SHA]="$BRANCH"
  echo "  ✓ $BRANCH @ $BRANCH_SHA"
done

if [ $STACK_VALID -eq 0 ]; then
  echo ""
  echo "❌ Stack verification FAILED"
  echo ""
  echo "To investigate:"
  echo "1. Check task branch commits: git log --oneline \$BRANCH"
  echo "2. Review subagent output for failed task"
  echo "3. Check for quality check failures (test/lint/build)"
  echo "4. Fix and re-run /spectacular:execute"
  exit 1
fi

echo "✅ Stack integrity verified - all tasks have unique commits"
EOF

Multi-repo mode:

Verify stacks in each repo that had tasks in this phase:

# Group tasks by repo
declare -A REPO_TASKS
for task in ${TASKS[@]}; do
  REPO_TASKS[${task.repo}]+="${task.branch} "
done

# Verify each repo's stack
ALL_VALID=1
for REPO in "${!REPO_TASKS[@]}"; do
  echo "📋 Stack for repo: ${REPO}"
  WORKTREE_PATH="${WORKSPACE_ROOT}/${REPO}/.worktrees/${RUN_ID}-main"

  bash <<EOF
  cd ${WORKTREE_PATH}

  echo "Stack in ${REPO}:"
  gs log short
  echo ""

  # Verify stack integrity for this repo
  echo "🔍 Verifying ${REPO} stack integrity..."
  TASK_BRANCHES=( ${REPO_TASKS[$REPO]} )
  STACK_VALID=1
  declare -A SEEN_COMMITS

  for BRANCH in "\${TASK_BRANCHES[@]}"; do
    if ! git rev-parse --verify "\$BRANCH" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
      echo "❌ ERROR: Branch '\$BRANCH' not found in ${REPO}"
      STACK_VALID=0
      break
    fi

    BRANCH_SHA=\$(git rev-parse "\$BRANCH")

    if [ -n "\${SEEN_COMMITS[\$BRANCH_SHA]}" ]; then
      echo "❌ ERROR: Stack integrity violation in ${REPO}"
      echo "   Branch '\$BRANCH' points to commit \$BRANCH_SHA"
      echo "   But '\${SEEN_COMMITS[\$BRANCH_SHA]}' already points to that commit"
      STACK_VALID=0
      break
    fi

    SEEN_COMMITS[\$BRANCH_SHA]="\$BRANCH"
    echo "  ✓ \$BRANCH @ \$BRANCH_SHA"
  done

  if [ \$STACK_VALID -eq 0 ]; then
    exit 1
  fi
  echo "✅ ${REPO} stack integrity verified"
EOF

  if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
    ALL_VALID=0
  fi
done

if [ $ALL_VALID -eq 0 ]; then
  echo ""
  echo "❌ Multi-repo stack verification FAILED"
  echo ""
  echo "To investigate:"
  echo "1. Check failing repo's task branch commits"
  echo "2. Review subagent output for failed task"
  echo "3. Check for quality check failures (test/lint/build)"
  echo "4. Fix and re-run /spectacular:execute"
  exit 1
fi

echo "✅ All repo stacks verified"

Per-repo stacking result:

Execution order:
1. Task 1.1 (shared-lib) → creates branch in shared-lib
2. Task 1.2 (backend) → creates branch in backend
3. Task 1.3 (backend) → stacks on 1.2 in backend
4. Task 1.4 (frontend) → creates branch in frontend

Result:
- shared-lib stack: task-1-1
- backend stack: task-1-2 → task-1-3
- frontend stack: task-1-4

Each gs branch create automatically stacked on the previous task's branch within that repo.

Verification ensures: Each task created a unique commit (no empty branches or duplicates).

Red flag: "Run gs upstack onto to ensure stacking" - NO. Already stacked naturally.

Red flag: "Stack across repos" - NO. Each repo has independent stack.

Step 4: Code Review (Binary Quality Gate)

Check review frequency setting (from execute.md Step 1.7):

REVIEW_FREQUENCY=${REVIEW_FREQUENCY:-per-phase}

If REVIEW_FREQUENCY is "end-only" or "skip":

Skipping per-phase code review (frequency: {REVIEW_FREQUENCY})
Phase {N} complete - proceeding to next phase

Mark phase complete and continue to next phase.

If REVIEW_FREQUENCY is "optimize":

Analyze the completed phase to decide if code review is needed:

High-risk indicators (REVIEW REQUIRED):

• Schema or migration changes
• Authentication/authorization logic
• External API integrations or webhooks
• Foundation phases (Phase 1-2 establishing patterns)
• 3+ parallel tasks (coordination complexity)
• New architectural patterns introduced
• Security-sensitive code (payment, PII, access control)
• Complex business logic with multiple edge cases
• Changes affecting multiple layers (database → API → UI)

Low-risk indicators (SKIP REVIEW):

• Pure UI component additions (no state/logic)
• Documentation or comment updates
• Test additions without implementation changes
• Refactoring with existing test coverage
• Isolated utility functions
• Configuration file updates (non-security)

Analyze this phase:

• Phase number: {N}
• Tasks completed: {task-list}
• Files modified: {file-list}
• Types of changes: {describe changes}

Decision: If ANY high-risk indicator present → Proceed to code review below If ONLY low-risk indicators → Skip review:

✓ Phase {N} assessed as low-risk - skipping review (optimize mode)
  Reasoning: {brief explanation of why low-risk}
Phase {N} complete - proceeding to next phase

If REVIEW_FREQUENCY is "per-phase" OR optimize mode decided to review:

Use requesting-code-review skill, then parse results STRICTLY.

AUTONOMOUS EXECUTION: Code review rejections trigger automatic fix loops, NOT user prompts. Never ask user what to do.

1. Dispatch code review:

   Single-repo mode:

   Skill: requesting-code-review
   
   Context provided to reviewer:
   - WORKTREE: .worktrees/{runid}-main
   - PHASE: {phase-number}
   - TASKS: {task-list}
   - BASE_BRANCH: {base-branch-name}
   - SPEC: specs/{run-id}-{feature-slug}/spec.md
   - PLAN: specs/{run-id}-{feature-slug}/plan.md (for phase boundary validation)
   

   Multi-repo mode:

   Review each repo that had tasks in this phase:

   Skill: requesting-code-review
   
   Context provided to reviewer:
   - WORKSPACE_MODE: multi-repo
   - WORKSPACE_ROOT: {workspace-root}
   - REPOS_IN_PHASE: {list-of-repos-with-tasks}
   
   For each repo:
   - REPO: {repo-name}
   - WORKTREE: {repo}/.worktrees/{runid}-main
   - TASKS: {tasks-in-this-repo}
   - BASE_BRANCH: {repo-base-branch}
   - CONSTITUTION: {repo}/docs/constitutions/current/
   
   Cross-repo context:
   - SPEC: {workspace-root}/specs/{run-id}-{feature-slug}/spec.md
   - PLAN: {workspace-root}/specs/{run-id}-{feature-slug}/plan.md
   
   **CRITICAL - EXHAUSTIVE FIRST-PASS REVIEW:**
   
   This is your ONLY opportunity to find issues. Re-review is for verifying fixes, NOT discovering new problems.
   
   Check EVERYTHING in this single review:
   □ Implementation correctness - logic bugs, edge cases, error handling, race conditions
   □ Test correctness - expectations match actual behavior, coverage is complete, no false positives
   □ Cross-file consistency - logic coherent across all files, no contradictions
   □ Architectural soundness - follows patterns, proper separation of concerns, no coupling issues
   □ Scope adherence - implements ONLY Phase {phase-number} work, no later-phase implementations
   □ Constitution compliance - follows all project standards and conventions
   
   Find ALL issues NOW. If you catch yourself thinking "I'll check that in re-review" - STOP. Check it NOW.
   
   Binary verdict required: "Ready to merge? Yes" (only if EVERYTHING passes) or "Ready to merge? No" (list ALL issues found)
   

2. Parse "Ready to merge?" field:

   • "Yes" → APPROVED, continue to next phase
   • "No" or "With fixes" → REJECTED, dispatch fix subagent, go to step 3
   • No output / missing field → RETRY ONCE, if retry fails → STOP
   • Soft language → REJECTED, re-review required

3. Re-review loop (if REJECTED):

   • Track rejections (REJECTION_COUNT)
   • If count > 3: Escalate to user (architectural issues beyond subagent scope)
   • Dispatch fix subagent with:
     • Issues list (severity + file locations)
     • Context: constitution, spec, plan
     • Scope enforcement: If scope creep, implement LESS (roll back to phase scope)
     • Quality checks required
   • Re-review after fixes (return to step 1)
   • On approval: Announce completion with iteration count

Critical: Only "Ready to merge? Yes" allows proceeding. Everything else stops execution.

Phase completion:

• If REVIEW_FREQUENCY="per-phase": Phase complete ONLY when code review returns "Ready to merge? Yes"
• If REVIEW_FREQUENCY="end-only" or "skip": Phase complete after all tasks finish (code review skipped)

Rationalization Table

Excuse	Reality
"Need manual stacking commands"	gs branch create stacks automatically on current HEAD
"Files don't overlap, could parallelize"	Plan says sequential for semantic dependencies
"Create phase-specific worktree"	Sequential phases share main worktree (per repo in multi-repo)
"Review rejected, ask user"	Autonomous execution means automatic fixes
"Scope creep but quality passes"	Plan violation = failure. Auto-fix to plan
"Use same worktree for all repos"	Multi-repo: each repo has its own worktree
"Stack across repos"	Cannot stack across repos - each repo has independent stack
"Use root CLAUDE.md for all repos"	Multi-repo: read each repo's own CLAUDE.md for setup commands
"Use root constitution for all repos"	Multi-repo: use each task's repo constitution