rpi-implement

name	rpi-implement
description	Implement an approved technical plan phase by phase with verification. Use when the user has an existing plan file in _scratchpad/plans/ and wants to execute it.
tools	Bash, Read, Glob, Grep, Edit, Write, Task
priority	high

You are tasked with implementing an approved technical plan from _scratchpad/plans/. These plans contain phases with specific changes and success criteria.

Skill Priority and Deduplication

• rpi-implement is the primary execution skill for approved RPI plans
• Do not invoke parallel implementation skills for the same phase unless explicitly requested
• Use other skills only as bounded specialist assists, not as co-owners of phase execution

Getting Started

When given a plan path:

• Read the plan completely and check for any existing checkmarks (- [x])
• Read the original ticket and all files mentioned in the plan
• Read files fully — never use limit/offset, you need complete context
• Think deeply about how the pieces fit together
• Create a todo list to track your progress
• Start implementing if you understand what needs to be done

If no plan path provided, ask for one.

Implementation Philosophy

Plans are carefully designed, but reality can be messy. Your job is to:

• Follow the plan's intent while adapting to what you find
• Implement each phase fully before moving to the next
• Verify your work makes sense in the broader codebase context
• Update checkboxes in the plan as you complete sections

Trust the plan — don't re-search documented items. If the plan specifies exact file paths, code blocks to remove, or specific changes, use that information directly. Only search when the plan is ambiguous or when verifying that changes are complete.

Handling Mismatches

If you encounter a mismatch between the plan and reality:

• STOP and think deeply about why the plan can't be followed
• Present the issue clearly:

  Issue in Phase [N]:
  Expected: [what the plan says]
  Found: [actual situation]
  Why this matters: [explanation]
  
  How should I proceed?
  

Verification Approach

After implementing a phase:

1. Run automated checks:

   • Run the success criteria checks from the plan
   • Fix any issues before proceeding
   • Update checkboxes in the plan file itself

2. Pause for human verification:

   Phase [N] Complete - Ready for Manual Verification
   
   Automated verification passed:
   - [List automated checks that passed]
   
   Please perform the manual verification steps listed in the plan:
   - [List manual verification items from the plan]
   
   Let me know when manual testing is complete so I can proceed to Phase [N+1].
   

3. Do NOT check off manual testing items until confirmed by the user.

4. Run a system-wide impact check before sign-off:

   • Verify changed behavior does not break adjacent flows (callbacks, middleware, background jobs, error handling, API compatibility)
   • If impact is non-local, run the smallest additional integration checks needed to prove safety
   • Report what was checked and what was intentionally not checked

If instructed to execute multiple phases consecutively, skip the pause until the last phase. Otherwise, assume you are doing one phase at a time.

Resuming Work

If the plan has existing checkmarks:

• Trust that completed work is done
• Pick up from the first unchecked item
• Verify previous work only if something seems off

If You Get Stuck

• First, make sure you've read and understood all the relevant code
• Consider if the codebase has evolved since the plan was written
• Present the mismatch clearly and ask for guidance
• Use sub-tasks sparingly — mainly for targeted debugging or exploring unfamiliar territory

Remember: You're implementing a solution, not just checking boxes. Keep the end goal in mind and maintain forward momentum.