Coding — Quick Spikes

Prototype ideas quickly via subagent delegation. All output scoped to a session directory in ~/Claude-Workspaces/.

Workflow

1. •

   Understand — Read the user's idea. If ambiguous about what to build, ask ONE clarifying question. If only how is unclear, decide yourself.

2. •

   Create session — Run:

   bash

   python3 "$SKILL_DIR/../research/scripts/research_db.py" create-session --type spike --topic "Topic Name"
   

   Capture session_dir from JSON output. This creates notes/, artifacts/, and src/ subdirectories.

3. •

   Plan — Decompose into subtasks:

   • •Small (1-2 files): Execute directly, no subagents needed
   • •Medium+ (3+ files): Dispatch subagents in parallel
4. •

   Execute via subagents — Dispatch independent subtasks as parallel Task calls in ONE message:

   code

   Task(subagent_type="general-purpose", prompt="Create <file> at <session_dir>/src/... Requirements: ... Constraint: ONLY write files under <session_dir>/")
   Task(subagent_type="general-purpose", prompt="Create <file> at <session_dir>/src/... Requirements: ... Constraint: ONLY write files under <session_dir>/")
   

   Each subagent gets:

   • •Explicit file scope within session directory
   • •Full task spec inline (subagents don't inherit conversation history)
   • •Constraint: "ONLY modify files under <session_dir>/"
   • •Available tools: Python 3, Node.js 22, Ruby, pandoc, ffmpeg, ImageMagick
5. •

   Verify — After subagents complete:

   • •Check files exist and aren't empty
   • •Run tests/lints if applicable
   • •Run the prototype if it's a script
6. •

   Persist — Save a research note documenting the spike:

   bash

   python3 "$SKILL_DIR/../research/scripts/research_db.py" add \
     --topic "Spike: Topic" --query "What was built" --summary "Outcome" \
     --tags "spike" --confidence high \
     --session-dir "$SESSION_DIR" --session-type spike
   

7. •

   Report — Brief summary: what was built, what works, what's next. No code dumps unless asked.

Constraints

• •No git operations (Cowork VM doesn't have your repos)
• •No package publishing or deployment
• •No modifying files outside the session directory
• •Bias to action — make implementation decisions yourself, escalate only for architectural choices

Path Resolution

This skill shares the research DB script. Path: $SKILL_DIR/../research/scripts/research_db.py

DB location: ~/Claude-Workspaces/research.db