| name | executing-plans |
| description | Use when you have a written implementation plan to execute in a separate session with review checkpoints |
Executing Plans
Overview
Load plan, review critically, execute all tasks, report when complete.
Announce at start: "I'm using the executing-plans skill to implement this plan."
Note: Tell your human partner that Superpowers works much better with access to subagents. The quality of its work will be significantly higher if run on a platform with subagent support (such as Claude Code or Codex). If subagents are available, use superpowers:subagent-driven-development instead of this skill.
The Process
Step 1: Load and Review Plan
- Read plan file
- Review critically - identify any questions or concerns about the plan
- If concerns: Raise them with your human partner before starting
- If no concerns: Create TodoWrite and proceed
Step 2: Execute Tasks
For each task:
- Mark as in_progress
- Follow each step exactly (plan has bite-sized steps)
- Run verifications as specified
- Mark as completed
Step 3: Complete Development
After all tasks complete and verified:
- Announce: "I'm using the finishing-a-development-branch skill to complete this work."
- REQUIRED SUB-SKILL: Use superpowers:finishing-a-development-branch
- Follow that skill to verify tests, present options, execute choice
When to Stop and Ask for Help
STOP executing immediately when:
- Hit a blocker (missing dependency, test fails, instruction unclear)
- Plan has critical gaps preventing starting
- You don't understand an instruction
- Verification fails repeatedly
Retry limit — never exceed 2 fix attempts on the same blocker without escalating.
If the same verification command fails twice with the same error, STOP — do not attempt a third fix. Report:
- The exact error text (copy verbatim, not paraphrased).
- The first approach tried and why it was expected to work.
- The second approach tried and why it was expected to work.
- Then escalate to the human for direction.
Retrying a third time when two distinct approaches have already failed is guessing, not fixing. It burns tokens and risks compounding the breakage.
Ask for clarification rather than guessing.
When to Revisit Earlier Steps
Return to Review (Step 1) when:
- Partner updates the plan based on your feedback
- Fundamental approach needs rethinking
Don't force through blockers - stop and ask.
Remember
- Review plan critically first
- Follow plan steps exactly
- Don't skip verifications
- Reference skills when plan says to
- Stop when blocked, don't guess
- Never start implementation on main/master branch without explicit user consent
Integration
Required workflow skills:
- superpowers:using-git-worktrees - REQUIRED: Set up isolated workspace before starting
- superpowers:writing-plans - Creates the plan this skill executes
- superpowers:finishing-a-development-branch - Complete development after all tasks
