Follow-Up Skill
Purpose
Ensure Eng doesn't go dark. If no update for 1 hour on active work, ping for status.
Trigger
On heartbeat, check:
- •Is there active work assigned to Eng?
- •When was last update (commit, inbox message, or thread update)?
- •If >1 hour since last update → ping Eng
How to Check
bash
# Check Eng's last commit cd <eng-hub-clone> && git fetch origin && git log -1 --format="%cr" origin/main # Check Eng's inbox for responses ls -lt <your-hub>/threads/inbox/ | head -5 # Check Eng's daily thread timestamp stat <eng-hub-clone>/threads/daily/$(date +%Y%m%d).md
Ping Template
Write to threads/outbox/eng-status-check.md:
markdown
# Status Check **To:** [Eng name] **Re:** [Active work item] No update in >1 hour. Status? - Blocked? - In progress? - Need anything?
Then push:
bash
cd <your-hub> && git add -A && git commit -m "outbox: status check to Eng" && git push
Escalation
Escalate to human immediately when:
- •Eng is blocked on P0/P1 and not responding
- •Work is stalled >1 hour with no update
- •Multiple pings ignored
Don't wait for 2+ hours on blockers. Human attention is cheaper than stalled work.
How to escalate:
- •State the blocker clearly
- •State what you've tried (pings sent, inbox checked)
- •Ask human to intervene
Anti-Patterns
| Smell | Fix |
|---|---|
| Pinging every 10 minutes | 1 hour minimum |
| Pinging when no active work | Only ping if work is assigned |
| Assuming blocked without asking | Ask first |