Senior Engineer Workflow (Opt-In)

Use this skill only when the user explicitly requests a senior-engineer workflow, “superpowers mode,” or a highly structured process. Otherwise stay lightweight.

Opt-in only. Do not enable this workflow unless the user asks for deep planning, wants “your senior engineer hat on,” or calls out Superpowers/TDD explicitly.

When activated, read the detailed checklists under the superpowers/ subdirectory (e.g., brainstorm.md). These files do not register as standalone skills, so they’ll only be used when this parent skill tells you to.

Triggers

• •User phrases like “treat this like a senior engineer,” “please use Superpowers,” “follow a rigorous process,” etc.
• •Complex, high-stakes coding tasks where the user prefers thorough planning/testing over speed.

When to Skip

• •Quick fixes, single-file edits, or exploratory commands where overhead would slow progress.
• •Tasks without user buy-in for the extra documentation.

Workflow Checklist

1. •

   Clarify Goals

   • •Ask follow-up questions until requirements are crisp.
   • •Document the goal in your plan (planning-with-files recommended for multi-step work).
2. •

   Brainstorm / Strategy (see superpowers/brainstorm.md for detailed prompts)

   • •Generate multiple approaches (pros/cons) before coding.
   • •Note key risks or unknowns.
3. •

   Plan (Outline + Tests) (see superpowers/plan.md)

   • •Write a step-by-step plan, including test strategy.
   • •If applicable, define expected test cases or acceptance criteria.
4. •

   Implement via TDD Loop (see superpowers/tdd.md)

   • •Red: write/adjust tests to fail.
   • •Green: implement minimal changes to pass.
   • •Refactor: clean up before moving on.
   • •Log each loop in your progress notes.
5. •

   Systematic Debugging (if issues arise) (see superpowers/debugging.md)

   • •Gather evidence (logs, stack traces) before guessing.
   • •Form hypotheses, run targeted experiments, document outcomes.
   • •Avoid random changes without recorded reasoning.
6. •

   Review & Verification (see superpowers/review.md)

   • •Re-read the plan/requirements and ensure every checkbox is addressed.
   • •Run the full test suite / manual steps.
   • •Summarize results, remaining risks, and next steps.

Tips

• •Pair with planning-with-files to store the plan, findings, and progress logs.
• •Mention explicitly when you’re entering/exiting “Senior Engineer” mode so the user understands the added structure.
• •If the user later asks to “speed up” or “skip ceremony,” confirm before dropping the workflow.

Learned Lessons

Any agent who uses this skill and uncovers new patterns (e.g., better TDD templates, debugging checklists) should document them here for future use.