Use when you have an approved design or requirements for a multi-step task, before touching code. Turns designs into implementation plans with bite-sized TDD-oriented tasks, exact file paths, and verification steps. Save to docs/plans/.
Use when starting development work on a bug, feature, improvement, or task. Guides engineers through the full development pipeline: discover, brainstorm, plan, execute, review, ship. Invoked by "let's work on", "I need to build", "fix this bug", "start a new task", or /kickoff.
Use when exploring ideas, comparing approaches, or refining an unclear problem — at any point in the workflow. A discovery-time tool, not a pipeline stage. Invokable directly via /brainstorm or offered by kickoff during DISCOVER. Produces understanding, not artifacts.
Use when you have an implementation plan and want to execute it. Analyzes the plan's task graph, determines the best execution strategy (parallel via team-dev or serial via sdd), and orchestrates the full build with quality gates. The single entry point for plan execution — you don't need to choose between team-dev and sdd yourself.
Use when encountering any bug, test failure, or unexpected behavior, before proposing fixes. Enforces root cause investigation through four phases: investigation, pattern analysis, hypothesis testing, and implementation. Prevents guess-and-check thrashing.
Use when creating new skills, specialists, agents, or packs for the Jig framework. Guides the user through an interview to determine what to build, scaffolds the artifact with valid frontmatter, checks for overlap with existing artifacts, and verifies it loads correctly. Triggered by "create a skill", "add a specialist", "extend the framework", or /extend.
Use when setting up Jig in a project for the first time. Auto-detects the project environment, conducts a back-and-forth interview, and generates jig.config.md, team directory structure, and CLAUDE.md declaration. Triggered by "set up jig", "initialize jig", or /init.
Execute implementation plans in parallel using agent teams with quality gates. Spawns implementer teammates in split panes, orchestrated by a team lead who enforces spec compliance and code quality reviews.