subagent-driven-development

name	subagent-driven-development
description	Execute a plan through focused background agents. Use for multi-step implementation work where tasks can be isolated and reviewed one by one.

Subagent-Driven Development

Use fresh workers to keep each task small, isolated, and reviewable.

Good Fit

• You already have a plan
• Tasks are mostly independent
• You want parallel execution without context sprawl

Core Rules

1. Do not start implementation without a task list.
2. Give each worker the exact task text; do not make workers rediscover the plan.
3. Do not run two workers on the same files at the same time.
4. Review every completed task before declaring it done.

Workflow

1. Prepare the task list

Break the work into 2-5 minute units with:

• objective
• exact files to touch
• verification command
• completion criteria

2. Dispatch one worker per independent task

Use start_background_agent for tasks that can proceed independently.

Each worker prompt should include:

• the task objective
• exact files
• repo conventions that matter
• required tests or commands
• instructions to stop and report if scope expands

3. Monitor and unblock

• Use topology to see which agents are active.
• Use send_agent_message(..., steering=true) if a worker is going down the wrong path.
• Use agent_ask when you need a direct answer from a worker.

4. Review before merging the task

After each worker completes:

1. Check spec compliance against the plan
2. Run a code review using the code-review skill
3. Fix issues before taking the next dependent task

Anti-Patterns

• Parallelizing overlapping file edits
• Letting a worker "figure out the task" from broad context
• Skipping review because the task looked small
• Moving to the next task with open correctness concerns