Use when executing implementation plans with independent tasks in the current session or facing 3+ independent issues that can be investigated without shared state or dependencies - dispatches fresh subagent for each task with code review between tasks, enabling fast iteration with quality gates

Subagent Driven Development Create and execute plan by dispatching fresh subagent per task or issue, with code and output review after each or batch of tasks. Core principle: Fresh subagent per task + review between or after tasks = high quality, fast iteration. Executing Plans through agents: Same session (no context switch) Fresh subagent per task (no context pollution) Code review after each or batch of task (catch issues early) Faster iteration (no human in loop between tasks) Supported types of execution Sequential Execution When you have a tasks or issues that are related to each other, and they need to be executed in order, investigating or modifying them sequentially is the best way to go. Dispatch one agent per task or issue. Let it work sequentially. Review the output and code after each task or issue. When to use: Tasks are tightly coupled Tasks should be executed in order Parallel Execution When you have multiple unrelated tasks or issues (different files, different subsystems, different bugs), investigatin or modifying them sequentially wastes time. Each task or investigation is independent and can happen in parallel. Dispatch one agent per independent problem domain. Let them work concurrently. When to use: Tasks are mostly independent Overral review can be done after all tasks are completed Sequential Execution Process 1. Load Plan Read plan file, create TodoWrite with all tasks. 2. Execute Task with Subagent For each task: Dispatch fresh subagent: Subagent reports back with summary of work. 3. Review Subagent's Work Dispatch code reviewer subagent: Code reviewer returns: Strengths, Issues (Critical/Important/Minor), Assessment 4. Apply Review Feedback If issues found: Fix Critical issues immediately Fix Important issues before next task Note Minor issues Dispatch follow up subagent if needed: 5. Mark Complete, Next Task Mark task as completed in TodoWrite Move to next task Repeat steps 2 5 6. Final Review After all tasks complete, dispatch final code reviewer: Reviews entire implementation Checks all plan requirements met Validates overall architecture 7. Complete Development After final review passes: Announce: "I'm using the finishing a development branch skill to complete this work." REQUIRED SUB SKILL: Use superpowers:finishing a development branch Follow that skill to verify tests, present options, execute choice Example Workflow Red Flags Never: Skip code review between tasks Proceed with unfixed Critical issues Dispatch multiple implementation subagents in parallel (conflicts) Implement without reading plan task If subagent fails task: Dispatch fix subagent with specific instructions Don't try to fix manually (context pollution) Parallel Execution Process Load plan, review critically, execute tasks in batches, report for review between batches. Core principle: Batch execution with checkpoints for architect review. Announce at start: "I'm using the executing plans skill to implement this plan." Step 1: Load and Review Plan 1. Read plan file 2. Review critically identify any questions or concerns about the plan 3. If concerns: Raise them with your human partner before starting 4. If no concerns: Create TodoWrite and proceed Step 2: Execute Batch Default: First 3 tasks For each task: 1. Mark as in progress 2. Follow each step exactly (plan has bite sized steps) 3. Run verifications as specified 4. Mark as completed Step 3: Report When batch complete: Show what was implemented Show verification output Say: "Ready for feedback." Step 4: Continue Based on feedback: Apply changes if needed Execute next batch Repeat until complete Step 5: Complete Development After all tasks complete and verified: Announce: "I'm using the finishing a development branch skill to complete this work." REQUIRED SUB SKILL: Use superpowers:finishing a development branch Follow that skill to verify tests, present options, execute choice When to Stop and Ask for Help STOP executing immediately when: Hit a blocker mid batch (missing dependency, test fails, instruction unclear) Plan has critical gaps preventing starting You don't understand an instruction Verification fails repeatedly Ask for clarification rather than guessing. When to Revisit Earlier Steps Return to Review (Step 1) when: Partner updates the plan based on your feedback Fundamental approach needs rethinking Don't force through blockers stop and ask. Remember Review plan critically first Follow plan steps exactly Don't skip verifications Reference skills when plan says to Between batches: just report and wait Stop when blocked, don't guess Parallel Investigation Process Special case of parallel execution, when you have multiple unrelated failures that can be investigated without shared state or dependencies. 1. Identify Independent Domains Group failures by what's broken: File A tests: Tool approval flow File B tests: Batch completion behavior File C tests: Abort functionality Each domain is independent fixing tool approval doesn't affect abort tests. 2. Create Focused Agent Tasks Each agent gets: Specific scope: One test file or subsystem Clear goal: Make these tests pass Constraints: Don't change other code Expected output: Summary of what you found and fixed 3. Dispatch in Parallel 4. Review and Integrate When agents return: Read each summary Verify fixes don't conflict Run full test suite Integrate all changes Agent Prompt Structure Good agent prompts are: 1. Focused One clear problem domain 2. Self contained All context needed to understand the problem 3. Specific about output What should the agent return? Common Mistakes ❌ Too broad: "Fix all the tests" agent gets lost ✅ Specific: "Fix agent tool abort.test.ts" focused scope ❌ No context: "Fix the race condition" agent doesn't know where ✅ Context: Paste the error messages and test names ❌ No constraints: Agent might refactor everything ✅ Constraints: "Do NOT change production code" or "Fix tests only" ❌ Vague output: "Fix it" you don't know what changed ✅ Specific: "Return summary of root cause and changes" When NOT to Use Related failures: Fixing one might fix others investigate together first Need full context: Understanding requires seeing entire system Exploratory debugging: You don't know what's broken yet Shared state: Agents would interfere (editing same files, using same resources) Real Example from Session Scenario: 6 test failures across 3 files after major refactoring Failures: agent tool abort.test.ts: 3 failures (timing issues) batch completion behavior.test.ts: 2 failures (tools not executing) tool approval race conditions.test.ts: 1 failure (execution count = 0) Decision: Independent domains abort logic separate from batch completion separate from race conditions Dispatch: Results: Agent 1: Replaced timeouts with event based waiting Agent 2: Fixed event structure bug (threadId in wrong place) Agent 3: Added wait for async tool execution to complete Integration: All fixes independent, no conflicts, full suite green Time saved: 3 problems solved in parallel vs sequentially Verification After agents return: 1. Review each summary Understand what changed 2. Check for conflicts Did agents edit same code? 3. Run full suite Verify all fixes work together 4. Spot check Agents can make systematic errors

subagent-driven-development