Workflow Generation Skill

Purpose: Provide deep knowledge about organizing software development commands into phased workflows for parallel execution and clear dependency management.

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Core Concepts

The Phase-Based Execution Model

Philosophy: Software development commands should be organized into distinct phases that can be:

• Executed in separate terminal sessions (fresh context)
• Run in parallel where dependencies allow
• Used as clear checkpoints in the development process

Why Phases Matter:

1. Avoid context contamination - Each terminal starts fresh
2. Enable parallel work - Multiple developers or instances
3. Create natural checkpoints - Complete one phase before next
4. Facilitate rollback - Easy to return to phase boundaries

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Phase Organization Patterns

Standard Dev Lifecycle Phases

Phase 1: Foundation (Always first, no dependencies)

• Purpose: Set up project structure and environment
• Typical commands:
  • Project initialization
  • Directory structure creation
  • Environment detection/validation
  • Repository initialization
  • Secret management setup
  • Tool installation verification

Phase 2: Planning (Requires: Foundation complete)

• Purpose: Define what to build before building it
• Typical commands:
  • Requirements gathering
  • Spec creation
  • Architecture design
  • Decision documentation (ADRs)
  • Roadmap creation
  • Database schema design

Phase 3: Implementation (Requires: Planning + Foundation)

• Purpose: Build the actual features
• Typical commands:
  • Task layering
  • Component creation
  • Feature development
  • Integration setup
  • Data model implementation
• Sub-phases:
  • L0: Infrastructure (databases, APIs, auth)
  • L1: Core components (shared libraries)
  • L2: Features (business logic)
  • L3: Integration (wiring everything together)

Phase 4: Quality (Can run parallel with late Implementation)

• Purpose: Validate what was built
• Typical commands:
  • Test suite generation
  • Security scanning
  • Code validation
  • Performance analysis
  • Accessibility testing

Phase 5: Deployment (Requires: Quality passed)

• Purpose: Ship to production
• Typical commands:
  • Platform detection
  • Pre-flight checks
  • CI/CD setup
  • Deployment execution
  • Health validation
  • Monitoring setup

Phase 6: Iteration (Ongoing, throughout process)

• Purpose: Improve and refine
• Typical commands:
  • Feature enhancement
  • Code refactoring
  • Spec synchronization
  • Feedback integration

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Command Classification Patterns

How to Categorize Commands

Foundation Indicators:

• Keywords: init, setup, detect, validate, env, structure
• Actions: Creates directories, validates tools, sets up environment
• Examples: /foundation:init-structure, /foundation:env-check

Planning Indicators:

• Keywords: wizard, spec, architecture, decide, roadmap, plan
• Actions: Creates documentation, designs systems, documents decisions
• Examples: /planning:wizard, /planning:architecture

Implementation Indicators:

• Keywords: add, create, integrate, build, generate
• Actions: Creates code, components, features
• Examples: /nextjs-frontend:add-component, /fastapi-backend:add-endpoint

Quality Indicators:

• Keywords: test, validate, security, performance, quality
• Actions: Runs tests, scans for issues, validates code
• Examples: /testing:test, /quality:validate-code

Deployment Indicators:

• Keywords: deploy, prepare, cicd, validate, monitor
• Actions: Deploys to platforms, sets up pipelines, validates deployment
• Examples: /deployment:deploy, /deployment:prepare

Iteration Indicators:

• Keywords: enhance, refactor, adjust, sync, improve
• Actions: Improves existing code, syncs documentation
• Examples: /iterate:enhance, /iterate:refactor

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Phase Dependency Rules

Strict Dependencies (MUST follow order)

Foundation → Planning → Implementation → Quality → Deployment

• Foundation has no dependencies (always first)
• Planning requires Foundation complete
• Implementation requires Planning + Foundation
• Quality requires Implementation (at least partially)
• Deployment requires Quality passed
• Iteration can happen throughout (but often after initial implementation)

Parallel Execution Opportunities

Within Foundation:

• Environment checks can run parallel with structure validation
• Secret management can run parallel with repository init

Within Implementation:

• Frontend and backend can be built in parallel
• Different features can be built simultaneously (if independent)

Quality and Late Implementation:

• Tests can be written while final features are being implemented
• Security scanning can run on completed components

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Project Context Reading Patterns

What to Read (In Order)

1. .claude/project.json (MUST READ FIRST)

   • Tech stack information
   • Framework versions
   • Architecture pattern
   • Deployment targets

2. docs/architecture/ (If exists)

   • System design
   • Component diagrams
   • Data flow
   • Integration points

3. docs/adr/ (If exists)

   • Architecture decisions
   • Decision rationale
   • Trade-offs made
   • Migration plans

4. specs/ (If exists)

   • Feature specifications
   • Requirements
   • Task breakdowns

5. Current file state (File existence checks)

   • What's already implemented
   • What's missing
   • Completion status

How to Use Context

From project.json:

• Extract tech stack (determines which implementation commands to include)
• Understand architecture pattern (monolithic vs microservices affects phasing)
• Identify deployment targets (determines deployment commands)

From ADRs:

• Understand WHY decisions were made
• Include relevant context in workflow
• Respect architectural patterns chosen

From architecture docs:

• Understand system design
• Include in workflow overview
• Guide implementation phase organization

From specs:

• Know what features exist
• Understand current state
• Determine what still needs building

From file existence:

• Mark commands as ✅ (done) if files exist
• Mark as □ (todo) if files missing
• Show progress through workflow

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Workflow Document Structure

Recommended Sections

1. Project Overview

   • Tech stack summary (from project.json)
   • Architecture pattern (from ADRs)
   • Current status (from file checks)

2. Phased Commands

   • One section per phase
   • Clear phase boundaries
   • Commands grouped logically
   • Dependencies noted

3. Progress Indicators

   • ✅ = Already done (auto-detected)
   • □ = Still to do
   • 🔄 = In progress (partial implementation)

4. Project-Specific Context

   • Relevant ADR summaries
   • Architecture highlights
   • Business metrics (if applicable)

5. Next Steps

   • What to run next
   • What's blocking progress
   • How to regenerate workflow

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Examples from Real Projects

Example: AI Education Platform (Monolithic MVP)

Context from ADRs:

• ADR 0006: Start monolithic, migrate to microservices later
• Trigger: >5,000 students or >30 sec AI response times

Phase Organization:

Phase 1: Foundation
- /foundation:init-structure
- /foundation:github-init
- /foundation:doppler-setup

Phase 2: Planning
- /planning:wizard
- /planning:architecture
- /planning:decide

Phase 3: Implementation (Monolithic)
- /fastapi-backend:init (single service)
- /nextjs-frontend:init
- /supabase:init
- Implement study partner as embedded library (NOT microservice)

Phase 4-6: Standard (Quality, Deployment, Iteration)

Key Insight: Architecture decision (monolithic) directly affects implementation phase.

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Integration with Dan's Composition Pattern

How This Skill Fits

Slash Command (/foundation:generate-workflow)
  ↓
  Loads THIS SKILL (knowledge about phasing)
  ↓
  Runs Python script (bulk Airtable query)
  ↓
  Uses skill knowledge to organize commands
  ↓
  Outputs workflow markdown

This skill provides:

• Phase organization knowledge
• Command classification patterns
• Dependency rules
• Project context patterns

The slash command applies:

• Reads project context
• Applies skill patterns
• Makes intelligent decisions
• Generates final workflow

The Python script provides:

• Raw Airtable data
• Command validation
• Bulk operations

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Best Practices

Do's ✅

• Always read project.json first - It drives everything else
• Respect architecture decisions - ADRs guide phasing
• Validate commands - Check Airtable vs filesystem
• Use file existence - Auto-detect completion status
• Clear phase boundaries - Easy to execute in separate terminals
• Include project context - ADRs, architecture, business metrics

Don'ts ❌

• Don't hardcode phases in Python - Intelligence belongs in slash command
• Don't ignore ADRs - They contain critical context
• Don't assume command availability - Always validate
• Don't mix phase boundaries - Keep them distinct
• Don't generate static workflows - Make them project-aware

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Validation Checklist

When generating a workflow, ensure:

• All commands from Airtable are validated against filesystem
• Warnings are displayed for mismatches
• Project context has been read (project.json, ADRs, etc.)
• Commands are organized into logical phases
• Phase dependencies are respected
• Completion status is auto-detected (✅/□/🔄)
• Project-specific context is included
• Workflow is ready for multi-terminal execution
• Regeneration command is included

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Regeneration Pattern

Always include regeneration command in output:

# To regenerate this workflow with latest Airtable data:
/foundation:generate-workflow "Your Tech Stack Name"

This allows users to:

• Update workflow when Airtable changes
• Refresh completion status
• Incorporate new commands
• Re-validate against filesystem

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This skill enables intelligent, project-aware workflow generation that respects architecture decisions and enables parallel execution.