Discovery Tree Workflow

Just-in-time planning through hierarchical task breakdowns

Core Principle

Start with minimal details and expand as you work. Don't plan everything upfront - let the work inform the plan.

Just-in-Time Planning

• •Begin with a simple goal
• •Break down only what you need to start
• •Discover and add tasks as complexity emerges
• •Delay detailed planning until actually needed

Emergent Work

As you work, three things happen:

1. •Unexpected Complexity: If a task is harder than expected, break it into subtasks
2. •New Requirements: Add newly discovered work to the tree
3. •Distractions: Capture unrelated ideas as separate lower-priority tasks

Structure

Every discovery tree requires:

• •Epic: A container that tracks overall completion percentage
• •Root Task: Describes the actual user value being delivered

Tasks are organized hierarchically with parent-child relationships.

Visual Status

Tasks are color-coded by status for at-a-glance understanding:

• •open: Not started, ready to work on
• •in_progress: Currently being worked on
• •closed: Completed
• •blocked: Waiting on dependencies

Workflow Cycle

1. •Create epic and root task
2. •Initial breakdown: 2-10 minute planning conversation to identify first tasks
3. •Claim a ready task: Find unblocked work and start
4. •Work and discover: As complexity emerges, create subtasks
5. •Update and close: Mark progress, close completed tasks
6. •Check progress: Review epic status and repeat

API Functions

The workflow uses these conceptual operations:

• •setWorkspace() - Initialize working context
• •createTask(description, priority) - Add new tasks
• •addDependency(parent, child) - Establish hierarchy
• •updateTask(id, status, notes) - Modify task state
• •closeTask(id) - Mark completion
• •findReadyTasks() - Identify unblocked work
• •drawTree() - Visualize the hierarchy
• •getEpicStatus() - Track completion metrics

Priority Levels

Tasks have priority (default: medium):

• •high: Critical path work
• •medium: Normal workflow
• •low: Nice-to-have or captured distractions

Integration with Other Practices

With TDD: Each test cycle informs task breakdown. A failing test might reveal subtasks needed.

With Example-Driven Design: Examples map to phases of tree growth.

With Mikado Method: Prerequisites become discoverable dependencies in the tree.

Key Benefits

• •No premature planning: Avoid wasting time planning things that change
• •Captures discovery: New work gets added as you learn
• •Visual progress: Status colors show momentum at a glance
• •Handles complexity: Break down only when needed
• •Prevents overwhelm: Focus on ready tasks, not the whole tree

Anti-Patterns

❌ Planning all tasks in detail upfront ❌ Ignoring discovered complexity (not breaking down) ❌ Working on blocked tasks ❌ Forgetting to update status as you work ❌ Not capturing distractions (letting them derail you)

Philosophy

Work is a discovery process. You learn what needs doing by doing. The tree grows as understanding grows.

Start simple. Break down just-in-time. Let the work guide the plan.