Claude-Flow Development Methodology

The 5 Iron Laws

1. TDD Iron Law

"NO production code without a failing test first"

RED → GREEN → REFACTOR

• •Write ONE failing test
• •Implement MINIMAL code to pass
• •Refactor while tests pass
• •Commit at each green

2. Verification Law

"Evidence before claims, always"

Before claiming ANY task complete:

• •Run fresh tests (not cached)
• •Read complete output
• •Confirm exit code 0
• •Verify original symptom fixed

3. Debugging Law

"Root cause before fix attempts"

4-Phase Protocol:

1. •Investigate - Reproduce, read errors, check recent changes
2. •Analyze - Find working examples, compare patterns
3. •Hypothesize - Test ONE change at a time, max 3 attempts
4. •Implement - TDD the fix after understanding

4. Planning Law

"Plans executable with zero context"

Plans must include:

• •Exact file paths
• •Complete code examples
• •Verification commands
• •No assumptions about reader knowledge

5. Isolation Law

"Isolated workspace for each feature"

Use git worktrees:

git worktree add .worktrees/feature-name -b feature/feature-name

Red Flags (STOP immediately)

• •Writing code before tests
• •Tests passing immediately
• •Multiple simultaneous changes
• •"Just this once" thinking
• •Using "should," "probably," "seems to"
• •Third fix attempt failed

Thinking Budget