Workflow Guide

Strikethroo breaks complex work into three steps – planning, task generation, and execution – each delivered as an Agent Skill that loads automatically when you describe what you need.

The Workflow

flowchart LR
    A[Work Order] --> B[Plan]
    B --> C{Review}
    C -->|Edit| B
    C -->|Approve| D[Tasks]
    D --> E{Review}
    E -->|Edit| D
    E -->|Approve| F[Execute]
    F --> G[Done]

    style A fill:#ffebee
    style B fill:#e3f2fd
    style D fill:#f3e5f5
    style F fill:#e8f5e8
    style G fill:#c8e6c9

Human review gates between steps are where you catch scope creep and wrong turns. Do not skip them.

Step-by-Step

1. Create a Plan

Ask your assistant in plain language. The st-create-plan skill loads automatically.

Use the Strikethroo workflow to plan user authentication with email/password and JWT tokens.

The skill asks clarifying questions, then writes a plan document with requirements, technical approach, risks, and success criteria.

Output: .ai/strikethroo/plans/01--user-authentication/plan-01--user-authentication.md

2. Review the Plan

Open the plan file and verify:

• Requirements are accurate and complete
• No unnecessary features were added (scope creep)
• Technical approach fits your architecture

Edit the file directly – it is yours, not the AI’s. Optionally, ask a second assistant to refine the plan (st-refine-plan skill) for a two-agent feedback loop.

3. Generate Tasks

Decompose plan 1 into tasks.

The st-generate-tasks skill breaks the plan into atomic tasks (1-2 skills each), maps dependencies, and produces an execution blueprint organized into phases of parallel work.

Output: .ai/strikethroo/plans/01--user-authentication/tasks/*.md

4. Review Tasks

Check each task file in the tasks/ directory:

• Remove anything outside the original scope
• Split tasks that have 3+ skills (too complex)
• Verify dependency order makes sense
• Tighten vague acceptance criteria

5. Execute the Blueprint

Execute the blueprint for plan 1.

The st-execute-blueprint skill runs tasks grouped into phases. Within each phase, independent tasks run in parallel. The POST_PHASE hook validates quality after each phase. Commits are created automatically.

If you skipped step 3, the skill auto-generates tasks and the blueprint before starting.

The st-execute-blueprint skill drives progress end to end: it updates task statuses, archives the completed plan automatically, and you can inspect plan and task files directly under .ai/strikethroo/plans/ (or .ai/strikethroo/archive/ once complete) at any point.

File Structure

.ai/strikethroo/
├── plans/
│   └── 01--user-authentication/
│       ├── plan-01--user-authentication.md
│       └── tasks/
│           ├── 01--database-schema.md
│           ├── 02--user-model.md
│           └── 03--auth-endpoints.md
├── archive/                          # Completed plans
├── config/
│   ├── STRIKETHROO.md                # Project context (tech stack, conventions)
│   ├── hooks/                        # Lifecycle hooks (PRE_PLAN, POST_PHASE, etc.)
│   └── templates/                    # PLAN_TEMPLATE.md, TASK_TEMPLATE.md
└── .init-metadata.json               # Tracks file hashes and schema version

Alternative: Automated Workflow

For clear requirements with minimal ambiguity, the st-full-workflow skill chains all three steps end-to-end. Ask your assistant to run the full Strikethroo workflow and it handles plan creation, task generation, and execution in one pass.

Advanced Patterns

Plan Mode Integration

Use your assistant’s native plan/brainstorm mode for initial ideation, then feed the refined output into st-create-plan. Plan mode explores broadly; Strikethroo executes precisely. Best for vague requirements where you want the AI to explore options before committing to a structured plan.

Iterative Refinement

Edit plan and task files directly between steps. Re-run st-create-plan with tightened requirements, or manually adjust task files before execution. The st-refine-plan skill can also interrogate an existing plan for gaps. Best for evolving requirements and feedback-driven development.

Multi-Session Projects

Plans and task statuses persist on disk under .ai/strikethroo/plans/ (completed plans are archived automatically to .ai/strikethroo/archive/ by st-execute-blueprint). Resume any time: inspect the plan and task files to see where things stand, then ask the assistant to continue executing the blueprint – it picks up where it left off. Commit after each phase so context survives across sessions.

Parallel Development

Task dependencies define the phase structure automatically. Independent tasks within the same phase execute in parallel. Teams can coordinate by sharing the .ai/strikethroo/ directory via git – backend and frontend developers work from the same plan, with dependency enforcement ensuring correct ordering.

Spike to Production

Create two plans: a quick spike plan (low quality gates, research-focused tasks) to validate a technical approach, then a production plan that applies the spike findings with full testing and quality standards. The spike documents the decision rationale; the production plan executes it properly.

Next Steps

• Customization Guide: Tailor hooks, templates, and project context
• Reference: CLI commands, hook catalog, template variables