getting-started

name	getting-started
description	Use at the start of every conversation and when deciding how to approach a task. Routes to the appropriate phase of the Discover → Execute → Verify flow.

Getting Started

Code-flow is a thinking discipline for any code change. One process — Discover → Execute → Verify — whether the work is a new feature, a bug fix, a refactor, or tech debt.

Subagent Guard

If you were dispatched as a subagent or teammate for a specific task, stop here. Do not activate the full workflow. You have a focused job — do it and report back. The orchestrator handles the big picture.

Only activate these skills when you are the top-level agent in a conversation with the user.

Where Are You?

Check the project state to figure out where in the flow you are:

Signal	You're in...	Skill
No spec file exists	Discover	discover
Spec file exists but implementation is incomplete	Execute	execute
Implementation matches the spec, needs verification	Verify	verify
User describes a new problem, feature, or bug	Discover	discover
User says "let's build this" with a clear spec	Execute	execute
User says "is this ready?" or "review this"	Verify	verify

When in doubt, start with Discover. Exploring the problem before acting is never wasted time.

Tech Debt Check

Before starting any work, check the sprint counter in CLAUDE.md:

• If this sprint should be a tech debt sprint per the project's cadence, say so. Scope the work to items in TECH-DEBT.md.
• If TECH-DEBT.md doesn't exist yet, create it.
• If there's no sprint counter in CLAUDE.md yet, ask the user to set one up.

The Flow

┌─────────┐     ┌─────────┐     ┌─────────┐
│ Discover │ ──▶ │ Execute │ ──▶ │  Verify │
└─────────┘     └─────────┘     └─────────┘
     ▲               │               │
     └───────────────┘               │
       (amend spec)                  │
                                     ▼
                                Ready to ship

• Discover → explore, prototype, iterate, crystallize into a spec
• Execute → build from the spec, autonomously with guardrails
• Verify → correctness + quality + review, then "ready to ship"

Phase transitions are gated by the spec:

• Discover → Execute: spec exists and user approved it
• Execute → Verify: all spec items implemented
• Surprises during Execute: amend the spec, don't restart Discover

Code-flow ends at "ready to ship." What happens after (PR, merge, deploy) is outside this flow.