execution-guard

name	execution-guard
description	Use for any coding task: fix bug, implement feature, update file, refactor, debug, investigate failure, add tests, run validators, review changes, or verify a repo. Enforces clarify → explore → route → TDD → verify → review for a non-programmer user.

Execution Guard

Apply this workflow on coding tasks.

1. Clarify only what matters

• If desired behavior, scope, or acceptance criteria are unclear, ask concise product questions before editing
• Do not ask the user for technical implementation choices unless unavoidable
• Never guess missing behavior just to keep moving

2. Explore before editing

• Read the relevant files first
• Find existing patterns before introducing new ones
• Discover the repo's real validator commands from project config before coding

3. Route work by cost and skill

• repo-scout (haiku): search, inventory, conventions, validator discovery
• planner (sonnet): multi-file planning, risks, open questions
• code-reviewer (sonnet): post-edit review
• validator (sonnet): build, typecheck, lint, tests, coverage
• security-reviewer (opus): before commits or security-sensitive changes
• Keep Opus as orchestrator for ambiguity, architecture, and security-sensitive decisions

4. TDD is the default

• RED: write or update a failing test first when behavior changes
• GREEN: make the smallest change that passes
• REFACTOR: improve while keeping tests green
• If the repo has no test harness, state that clearly and use the closest available safety net

5. Verification is evidence, not vibes

• Run the repo's actual validators before claiming completion
• Record exact command, exit code, and key output for each check
• If a check is skipped, unavailable, or flaky, say so explicitly
• Never say "verified" because the code looks right

6. Review before handoff

• Re-read edited files
• Run code-reviewer after validators pass
• Before any commit, run security-reviewer

7. Honesty rules

• Separate facts from assumptions
• Trust filesystem and command output over memory
• If something is still uncertain or blocked, say that directly