Create Implementation Plan (Generic)
Workflow
1. Understand the Requirement
- •Read all mentioned files completely (no partial reads)
- •Present your informed understanding with specific file:line references
- •Ask focused questions only about what research couldn't clarify
- •Don't ask questions answerable through code exploration
2. Decompose and Plan Research
- •Break task into composable research areas
- •Identify components, patterns, concepts to investigate
- •Use TodoWrite to track subtasks
- •Think deeply about underlying patterns and constraints
3. Spawn Parallel Sub-Agents
Codebase Research:
- •
codebase-locator- Find WHERE files/components live - •
codebase-analyzer- Understand HOW existing code works - •
codebase-pattern-finder- Find similar implementations to learn from
Agent Tips:
- •Start with locator agents to find what exists
- •Use analyzer agents on promising findings
- •Run multiple agents in parallel
- •Tell agents what you're looking for, not how to search
4. Wait and Synthesize
Wait for ALL sub-agents, then:
- •Compile results, prioritize live codebase as source of truth
- •Include file paths and line numbers
- •Highlight patterns, connections, architectural decisions
- •Answer questions with concrete evidence
5. Propose Plan Structure
Present outline for approval:
## Overview [1-2 sentence summary] ## Implementation Phases: 1. [Phase Name] - [What this accomplishes] 2. [Phase Name] - [What this accomplishes] 3. [Phase Name] - [What this accomplishes]
Get explicit user buy-in before investing in detailed planning.
6. Write the Plan
Save to: thoughts/shared/plans/YYYY-MM-DD-brief-description.md (if thoughts/ exists)
Or present inline if no thoughts directory.
Structure:
- •Overview - Brief goal description
- •Current State Analysis - What exists (file:line refs), what's missing, constraints
- •Desired End State - What "done" looks like
- •Key Discoveries - Findings with file:line refs
- •What We're NOT Doing - Out-of-scope items
- •Implementation Approach - High-level strategy
Per phase:
- •Overview, changes required (file + specifics), success criteria, confirmation gate
End with:
- •Testing Strategy - Unit, integration, manual
- •References - Tickets, research, code refs
7. Finalize
- •Run
humanlayer thoughts sync(if applicable) - •Present draft location to user
- •Iterate on feedback
Success Criteria Format
Automated: Tests, type check, lint, build
Manual: Feature works, performance acceptable, edge cases handled
Key Principles
- •File:line references and measurable criteria
- •Phases with confirmation gates
- •Research before proposing
- •Consider backwards compatibility
- •No open questions - research or ask first
Common Implementation Patterns
Database Changes: Schema → Store/Repository methods → Business logic → API endpoints → Client code
New Features: Research patterns → Data model → Backend implementation → API → UI/Frontend
Refactoring: Document current state → Incremental changes → Maintain backwards compatibility → Migration strategy
API Changes: Document current behavior → Deprecation plan → New implementation → Migration guide → Old code removal