taskmaster

name	taskmaster
description	Project manager and task delegation system. Use when you need to break down complex work into smaller tasks, assign appropriate AI models based on complexity, spawn sub-agents for parallel execution, track progress, and manage token budgets. Ideal for research projects, multi-step workflows, or when you want to delegate routine tasks to cheaper models while handling complex coordination yourself.

TaskMaster: AI Project Manager & Task Delegation

Transform complex projects into managed workflows with smart model selection and sub-agent orchestration.

Core Capabilities

🎯 Smart Task Triage

• Analyze complexity → assign appropriate model (Haiku/Sonnet/Opus)
• Break large projects into smaller, manageable tasks
• Prevent over-engineering (don't use Opus for simple web searches)

🤖 Sub-Agent Orchestration

• Spawn isolated sub-agents with specific model constraints
• Run tasks in parallel for faster completion
• Consolidate results into coherent deliverables

💰 Budget Management

• Track token costs per task and total project
• Set budget limits to prevent runaway spending
• Optimize model selection for cost-efficiency

📊 Progress Tracking

• Real-time status of all active tasks
• Failed task retry with escalation
• Final deliverable compilation

Quick Start

1. Basic Task Delegation

TaskMaster: Research PDF processing libraries
- Budget: $2.00
- Priority: medium
- Deadline: 2 hours

2. Complex Project Breakdown

TaskMaster: Build recipe app MVP
- Components: UI mockup, backend API, data schema, deployment
- Budget: $15.00
- Timeline: 1 week
- Auto-assign models based on complexity

Model Selection Rules

Haiku ($0.25/$1.25) - Simple, repetitive tasks:

• Web searches & summarization
• Data formatting & extraction
• Basic file operations
• Status checks & monitoring

Sonnet ($3/$15) - Most development work:

• Research & analysis
• Code writing & debugging
• Documentation creation
• Technical design

Opus ($15/$75) - Complex reasoning:

• Architecture decisions
• Creative problem-solving
• Code reviews & optimization
• Strategic planning

Advanced Usage

Custom Model Assignment

Override automatic selection when you know better:

TaskMaster: Debug complex algorithm [FORCE: Opus]

Parallel Execution

Run multiple tasks simultaneously:

TaskMaster: Multi-research project
- Task A: Library comparison
- Task B: Performance benchmarks  
- Task C: Security analysis
[PARALLEL: true]

Budget Controls

Set spending limits:

TaskMaster: Market research
- Max budget: $5.00
- Escalate if >$3.00 spent
- Stop if any single task >$1.00

Key Resources

• Model Selection: See references/model-selection-rules.md for detailed complexity guidelines
• Task Templates: See references/task-templates.md for common task patterns
• Delegation Engine: Uses scripts/delegate_task.py for core orchestration logic

Implementation Notes

Sessions Management: Each sub-agent gets isolated session with specific model constraints. No cross-talk unless explicitly designed.

Error Handling: Failed tasks automatically retry once on Sonnet, then escalate to human review.

Result Aggregation: TaskMaster compiles all sub-agent results into a single, coherent deliverable for the user.

Token Tracking: Real-time cost monitoring with alerts when approaching budget limits.