| name | kanbanzai-getting-started |
| description | This repository is managed with Kanbanzai. Read this skill at the start of every session, before writing any code or running any searches. Kanbanzai provides MCP tools — next, entity, doc, status, and others — that replace manual grep and file searching for project state and work queue management. The presence of a .kbz/ directory or kanbanzai tools in your tool list confirms you are in a Kanbanzai-managed project and this skill applies.
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Purpose
This skill orients you at the start of any session in a Kanbanzai-managed project.
Follow it before writing any code or making any changes.
Preflight Check
Kanbanzai works through MCP tools. Before calling next or any other tool, confirm
the kanbanzai server is connected — your editor should list tools such as next,
entity, doc, and status as available.
If those tools are not available, the kanbanzai MCP server is not running. The
project's .mcp.json configures most editors automatically — check that the
kanbanzai binary is on your PATH and that your editor has loaded the MCP
configuration. See docs/getting-started.md for editor-specific setup instructions.
Do not substitute grep, find, or direct file reading for kanbanzai tool calls.
The workflow state in .kbz/ is structured data — the MCP tools are the correct
interface for reading and writing it.
Before Any Work
Run git status. If there are uncommitted changes from a previous session:
- If coherent and complete → commit them before starting new work.
- If incomplete or risky → stash them and note this for the human.
Never start new work on top of uncommitted changes from a different task.
Understand the Project
Check for AGENTS.md in the repository root. If it exists, read it — it contains
project-specific conventions, structure, decisions, and reading order that override
generic guidance. If it does not exist, the Kanbanzai skills are your primary orientation.
Check the Work Queue
Call next (without an ID) to see what tasks are ready. The work queue promotes eligible tasks
and returns them sorted by estimate and age.
If the queue is empty, call status or entity action: list to understand the current project
state: active features, open bugs, and their statuses.
Assemble Context Before Starting a Task
Before beginning work on any task, call next with a task ID to claim it and receive
a context packet containing the task instructions, relevant knowledge entries, and
design context.
See kanbanzai-agents for the full dispatch-and-complete protocol.
Understand the Workflow
Kanbanzai enforces stage gates that require human approval at specific points. Do not
skip stages or create entities without meeting the gate conditions.
See kanbanzai-workflow for:
- The six stage gates and what each requires
- What humans own vs. what agents own
- When to stop and ask the human (the emergency brake)
Related
kanbanzai-workflow — stage gates, entity lifecycle, human/agent boundarykanbanzai-documents — document registration and approvalkanbanzai-agents — context assembly, task dispatch, commit format, knowledge contribution
