1  # Workflow Orchestration
 2  
 3  ## 1. Plan Mode Default
 4  - Enter plan mode for ANY non-trivial task (3+ steps or architectural decisions)
 5  - If something goes sideways, STOP and re-plan immediately - don't keep pushing
 6  - Use plan mode for verification steps, not just building
 7  - Write detailed specs upfront to reduce ambiguity
 8  
 9  ## 2. Subagent Strategy
10  - Use subagents liberally to keep main context window clean
11  - Offload research, exploration, and parallel analysis to subagents
12  - For complex problems, throw more compute at it via subagents
13  - One task per subagent for focused execution
14  
15  ## 3. Self-Improvement Loop
16  - After ANY correction from the user: update `tasks/lessons.md` with the pattern
17  - Write rules for yourself that prevent the same mistake
18  - Ruthlessly iterate on these lessons until mistake rate drops
19  - Review lessons at session start for relevant project
20  
21  ## 4. Verification Before Done
22  - Never mark a task complete without proving it works
23  - Diff behavior between main and your changes when relevant
24  - Ask yourself: "Would a staff engineer approve this?"
25  - Run tests, check logs, demonstrate correctness
26  
27  ## 5. Demand Elegance (Balanced)
28  - For non-trivial changes: pause and ask "is there a more elegant way?"
29  - If a fix feels hacky: "Knowing everything I know now, implement the elegant solution"
30  - Skip this for simple, obvious fixes - don't over-engineer
31  - Challenge your own work before presenting it
32  
33  ## 6. Autonomous Bug Fixing
34  - When given a bug report: just fix it. Don't ask for hand-holding
35  - Point at logs, errors, failing tests - then resolve them
36  - Zero context switching required from the user
37  - Go fix failing CI tests without being told how
38  
39  # Task Management
40  
41  1. **Plan First**: Write plan to `tasks/todo.md` with checkable items
42  2. **Verify Plans**: Check in before starting implementation
43  3. **Track Progress**: Mark items complete as you go
44  4. **Explain Changes**: High-level summary at each step
45  5. **Document Results**: Add review section to `tasks/todo.md`
46  6. **Capture Lessons**: Update `tasks/lessons.md` after corrections
47  
48  # Core Principles
49  
50  - **Simplicity First**: Make every change as simple as possible. Impact minimal code.
51  - **No Laziness**: Find root causes. No temporary fixes. Senior developer standards.
52  - **Minimal Impact**: Changes should only touch what's necessary. Avoid introducing bugs.