orchestration-workflow

name	Orchestration Workflow
description	Choose and execute orchestration commands (/solo for straightforward tasks, /spec for planning, /conduct for complex features with SPEC.md). Covers decision tree, sub-agents, validation standards, and best practices. Use when planning complex tasks or understanding orchestration patterns.
allowed-tools	Read

Orchestration Workflow

Purpose: Decision framework for choosing and executing orchestration commands based on task complexity.

See also: reference.md for detailed phase-by-phase workflows, sub-agent descriptions, and troubleshooting.

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Command Decision Tree

Do you have a clear, straightforward task?
├─ YES → /solo
│  ├─ Generates minimal spec internally
│  ├─ Delegates to sub-agents
│  ├─ Tests + validates (6 reviewers)
│  └─ Fast iteration (~10-20k tokens)
│
└─ NO → Need to explore/plan first?
   ├─ YES → /spec
   │  ├─ Investigation
   │  ├─ Challenge mode
   │  ├─ Spikes
   │  ├─ Creates .spec/SPEC.md
   │  └─ Then → /conduct
   │
   └─ Have .spec/SPEC.md already?
      └─ YES → /conduct
         ├─ 7 phases (full orchestration)
         ├─ Worktree variants
         ├─ 6 reviewers per component
         └─ Comprehensive (~50k+ tokens)

Golden rule: Start simple (try /solo first), escalate if needed.

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Quick Comparison

Aspect	/solo	/spec	/conduct
Use Case	Straightforward tasks	Investigation & planning	Complex multi-component features
Prerequisites	None	None	.spec/SPEC.md (from /spec)
Spec Format	Minimal (BUILD_taskname.md)	Creates full SPEC.md	Reads existing SPEC.md
Sub-Agents	8-10 total	N/A (just main agent)	15-30+ total
Reviewers	6 reviewers	N/A	6 reviewers per component
Token Budget	10-20k tokens	Varies	50k+ tokens
File Scope	1-3 files	N/A	Multi-component
Validation	Same rigor as /conduct	Spikes in /tmp	Same rigor as /solo

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/solo - Streamlined Execution

When to Use

YES to /solo:

• Single component or few related files (1-3 files)
• Clear, straightforward implementation
• Standard patterns apply
• Fast iteration needed

NO to /solo (escalate to /conduct):

• Multiple interconnected components
• Dependencies need management
• Architecture needs planning
• Variant exploration beneficial
• High stakes (security, payments, auth)

Workflow (7 Steps)

1. Generate Minimal Spec - Create .spec/BUILD_taskname.md

   • Goal, Problem, Approach
   • Files to create/modify
   • Tests required
   • Quality constraints
   • Template: ~/.claude/templates/spec-minimal.md

2. Implementation - Spawn implementation-executor

   • Single Task call with spec reference
   • Review result for gotchas/blockers

3. Validation & Fix Loop - Get it working first

   • Run syntax/import checks
   • Spawn 6 reviewers in parallel:
     1. security-auditor
     2. performance-optimizer
     3. code-reviewer (pass 1: complexity, errors, clarity)
     4. code-reviewer (pass 2: responsibility, coupling, type safety)
     5. code-beautifier (DRY, magic numbers, dead code)
     6. code-reviewer (pass 3: documentation, comments, naming)
   • Fix ALL issues via fix-executor (3 attempts max)
   • Re-run reviewers to verify

4. Testing - Lock in behavior

   • Spawn test-implementer
   • 95% coverage target
   • Test & fix loop (3 attempts max)

5. Documentation Validation - Ensure accuracy

   • Find all .md files in working directory
   • Spawn code-reviewer to validate docs
   • Fix outdated/incorrect documentation

6. CLAUDE.md Optimization - Check hierarchical best practices

   • Validate line counts vs targets
   • Check for duplication across hierarchy
   • Extract deep-dive content to QUICKREF.md if needed

7. Complete - Update BUILD spec with gotchas, final summary

Sub-Agents Used

• implementation-executor
• test-implementer
• security-auditor
• performance-optimizer
• code-reviewer (3x)
• code-beautifier
• fix-executor
• general-builder (for doc updates)

Total: 8-10 agents

Validation Standards

NO SKIMPING - Same rigor as /conduct:

• 6 reviewers (security, performance, quality 3x, style)
• Fix ALL issues (critical + important + minor)
• No # noqa / # type: ignore unless documented
• 95% test coverage
• Documentation validated

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/spec - Investigation & Planning

When to Use

YES to /spec:

• Need to explore problem space
• Architecture requires thought
• Multiple approaches possible
• High complexity/uncertainty
• Before running /conduct on complex features

Output: .spec/SPEC.md ready for /conduct

Workflow (8 Phases)

1. Phase -2: Determine working directory
2. Phase -1: Initial assessment (3-5 questions), create MISSION.md
3. Phase 0: Auto-investigation (existing projects only)
4. Phase 1: Challenge mode (find ≥3 concerns, parallel investigation)
5. Phase 2: Strategic dialogue (ask about decisions, not facts)
6. Phase 3: Discovery loop (DISCOVERIES.md, ASSUMPTIONS.md)
7. Phase 4: Spike orchestration (when complexity >6/10)
8. Phase 5: Architecture evolution (ARCHITECTURE.md, watch circular deps)
9. Phase 6: Scope management (serves MISSION.md?)
10. Phase 7: Readiness validation & SPEC.md creation

See reference.md for detailed steps in each phase.

SPEC.md Format (10 Required Sections)

1. Problem Statement - What problem are we solving?
2. User Impact - Who is affected and how?
3. Mission - Unchanging goal (1-2 sentences)
4. Success Criteria - Measurable outcomes
5. Requirements (IMMUTABLE) - Hard requirements that cannot change
6. Proposed Approach (EVOLVABLE) - High-level strategy, can adapt
7. Implementation Phases - Phased breakdown with estimates
8. Known Gotchas - From discoveries and spikes
9. Quality Requirements - Tests, security, performance, documentation
10. Files to Create/Modify - CRITICAL for /conduct dependency parsing

3 Optional Sections: 11. Testing Strategy (recommended - see testing-standards skill) 12. Custom Roles 13. Evolution Log

CRITICAL for /conduct:

• "Depends on:" field in Files section (builds dependency graph)
• Watch for circular dependencies
• Generate SPEC_N_component.md files for each component

Artifact Structure

.spec/
├── MISSION.md          # Goal (50-100 lines, never changes)
├── CONSTRAINTS.md      # Hard requirements
├── DISCOVERIES.md      # Learnings (<50 lines, prune regularly)
├── ARCHITECTURE.md     # Design (50-100 lines, evolves)
├── ASSUMPTIONS.md      # Explicit assumptions to validate
├── SPIKE_RESULTS/      # Immutable spike results
├── SPEC.md             # Final spec for /conduct (10+ sections)
├── SPEC_1_component.md # Component 1 phase spec
├── SPEC_2_component.md # Component 2 phase spec
└── ...

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/conduct - Full Orchestration

When to Use

YES to /conduct:

• Complex multi-component features
• Dependencies need management
• Variant exploration beneficial
• High stakes (security, payments, auth)
• Have .spec/SPEC.md ready

Prerequisites: .spec/SPEC.md MUST exist (from /spec) - REQUIRED

If no SPEC.md: Tell user to run /spec first, then STOP.

Workflow (7 Phases)

1. Phase -2: Determine working directory
2. Phase -1: Parse SPEC.md & build dependency graph (topological sort, detect cycles)
3. Phase 0: Validate component phase specs exist (SPEC_N_*.md)
4. Phase 1-N: Component phases (for EACH component in dependency order):
   • Skeleton (production + test files)
   • Implementation
   • Validate & Fix Loop (6 reviewers, 3 attempts max)
   • Unit Testing (95% coverage target)
   • Document Discoveries
   • Enhance Future Phase Specs
   • Checkpoint (git commit)
5. Phase N+1: Integration testing
6. Phase N+2: Documentation validation
7. Phase N+3: CLAUDE.md optimization
8. Phase N+4: Complete

See reference.md for detailed steps in each phase.

Worktree Variant Exploration

When: Multiple valid approaches, architectural uncertainty, high-risk changes

Process:

1. Decide on N approaches for component
2. Create worktrees: ~/.claude/scripts/git-worktree variant-a variant-b
3. Run component phase in each worktree
4. Spawn investigator per variant (parallel)
5. Compare results:
   • Pick winner, OR
   • Spawn merge-coordinator to combine best parts
6. Cleanup: ~/.claude/scripts/git-worktree --cleanup

Sub-Agents Used

Category	Agents	Total
Implementation	skeleton-builder, test-skeleton-builder, implementation-executor, test-implementer	4
Validation	security-auditor, performance-optimizer, code-reviewer (3x), code-beautifier	6
Fixing	fix-executor	1
Analysis	investigator, merge-coordinator, general-builder	3

Total: 15-30+ agents (scales with component count)

See reference.md for detailed agent descriptions.

Validation Standards

Same rigor as /solo - NO SHORTCUTS:

• 6 reviewers per component
• Fix ALL issues (critical + important + minor)
• No # noqa / # type: ignore unless documented
• 95% test coverage per component
• Integration tests after all components
• Documentation validated

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Quality Standards (All Commands)

Testing Requirements

See: testing-standards skill or ~/.claude/docs/TESTING_STANDARDS.md

3-Layer Pyramid:

1. Unit Tests (95% coverage) - 1:1 file mapping, mock externals, fast (<100ms)
2. Integration Tests (85% coverage) - 2-4 files per module, real dependencies
3. E2E Tests (critical paths) - 1-3 files total, full workflows

Coverage Targets: Unit ≥95%, Integration ≥85%, E2E critical paths

Validation Rigor

Both /solo and /conduct use 6 reviewers:

1. security-auditor
2. performance-optimizer
3. code-reviewer (pass 1: complexity, errors, clarity)
4. code-reviewer (pass 2: responsibility, coupling, type safety)
5. code-beautifier (DRY, magic numbers, dead code)
6. code-reviewer (pass 3: documentation, comments, naming)

Fix-Validate Loop:

• Max 3 attempts
• Fix ALL issues (critical + important + minor)
• No ignored errors unless documented
• Re-run ALL reviewers after fixes

Documentation Validation:

• All .md files reviewed
• Code examples match implementation
• No outdated information
• No contradictions between docs and code

Git Commit Patterns

When: After each major step/phase

Format: [type]([scope]): [description] + body (why, not what) + Claude Code footer

Examples: feat(auth): add JWT, fix(auth): resolve audit findings, test(auth): 95% coverage

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Sub-Agents Roster

Agent	Purpose	Category
skeleton-builder	Create production file skeletons	Implementation
test-skeleton-builder	Create test file skeletons	Implementation
implementation-executor	Implement full functionality	Implementation
test-implementer	Implement comprehensive tests	Implementation
security-auditor	Security vulnerabilities	Validation
performance-optimizer	Performance bottlenecks	Validation
code-reviewer	Quality, clarity, best practices (3x)	Validation
code-beautifier	DRY, magic numbers, dead code	Validation
documentation-reviewer	Doc accuracy	Validation
fix-executor	Fix validation issues, test failures	Fixing
investigator	Deep investigation, variant analysis	Analysis
merge-coordinator	Merge best parts of variants	Analysis
general-builder	General tasks, doc updates	Analysis

All inherit: Read, Write, Edit, Bash, Grep, Glob

See reference.md for detailed agent descriptions and usage patterns.

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Tracking & Artifacts

Command	Artifacts
/solo	.spec/BUILD_taskname.md, PROGRESS.md
/spec	.spec/MISSION.md, CONSTRAINTS.md, DISCOVERIES.md, ARCHITECTURE.md, ASSUMPTIONS.md, SPIKE_RESULTS/, SPEC.md, SPEC_N_component.md
/conduct	.spec/SPEC.md (from /spec), SPEC_N_component.md, DISCOVERIES.md, PROGRESS.md

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Escalation Patterns

When Blocked

• 3 failed attempts
• Architectural decisions needed
• Critical security unfixable
• External deps missing

Format: BLOCKED: [Component] - [Issue] | Attempts: [what tried] | Options: [A, B, C] | Recommendation: [yours]

When /solo Discovers Complexity

If more components needed, complex dependencies, or multiple approaches exist:

• Tell user task is more complex than assessed
• Recommend: Stop → /spec → /conduct
• OR continue /solo if acceptable
• Let user decide

See reference.md for detailed escalation format and examples.

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Best Practices

1. Start simple - Try /solo first, escalate if needed
2. Plan complex - Use /spec before /conduct for multi-component work
3. Trust delegation - Sub-agents handle implementation details
4. Validate thoroughly - Don't skip testing/review phases (same rigor in both /solo and /conduct)
5. Use templates - Reference ~/.claude/templates/ for exact formats
6. Git commits - After each phase for resumability
7. Escalate clearly - Structured format with options when blocked

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Quick Reference

Choose Your Command

Scenario	Command
Straightforward task, 1-3 files	/solo
Need to explore/plan architecture	/spec
Have SPEC.md, ready to implement	/conduct
Complex feature, no spec yet	/spec → /conduct
Uncertain which to use	Start /solo, escalate if needed

Token Budget Guidance

• /solo: 10-20k tokens (streamlined)
• /spec: Varies (thorough investigation)
• /conduct: 50k+ tokens (comprehensive)

Commands Location

• ~/.claude/commands/solo.md (309 lines)
• ~/.claude/commands/spec.md (337 lines)
• ~/.claude/commands/conduct.md (278 lines)

Templates Location

• ~/.claude/templates/spec-minimal.md (for /solo)
• ~/.claude/templates/spec-full.md (for /conduct)
• ~/.claude/templates/agent-responses.md (all agent response templates)
• ~/.claude/templates/operational.md (algorithms & procedures)

Testing Standards

• ~/.claude/docs/TESTING_STANDARDS.md (comprehensive guide)
• testing-standards skill (quick reference)

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Bottom line: Start with /solo for straightforward tasks. Use /spec to plan complex features, then /conduct to execute. Trust delegation, validate thoroughly, escalate when blocked.