Resume Handoff
Overview
Resume work from a handoff document by reading it fully, verifying current state, and proposing a course of action.
Steps
Step 1: Read and Analyze
- •Read the handoff document completely
- •Read any referenced plans or research documents
- •Read key files mentioned in the handoff
- •Extract: tasks, decisions, learnings, next steps
Step 2: Verify Current State
Check for each of the 4 scenarios:
| Scenario | Signal | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Clean continuation | All changes present, no conflicts | Proceed with next: items |
| Diverged codebase | Changes missing or modified since handoff | Reconcile differences, adapt plan |
| Incomplete work | Tasks marked in_progress | Complete unfinished work first |
| Stale handoff | Significant time passed, major refactoring occurred | Re-evaluate strategy entirely |
Step 3: Present Analysis
code
I've analyzed the handoff from [date]. Current situation: **Completed work:** [verified present/missing/modified] **Key decisions:** [still valid/changed] **Recommended next actions:** 1. [Most logical next step] 2. [Second priority] Shall I proceed, or adjust the approach?
Step 4: Create Action Plan
- •Convert
next:items from handoff into tasks - •Add new tasks discovered during analysis
- •Check
bd readyfor any tracked work - •Get user confirmation before starting
Principles
- •Never assume handoff state matches current state — always verify
- •Read referenced files directly — don't delegate critical context reads
- •Apply learnings — use
worked:and avoidfailed:approaches - •Be interactive — present findings and get buy-in before acting
Red Flags
- •Skipping verification of handoff state
- •Assuming files haven't changed
- •Ignoring
failed:approaches (repeating mistakes) - •Starting work without user confirmation