executing-plans

Executing Plans

Overview

Execute implementation plans task by task. Each task gets full attention, fresh context, complete verification, and its own atomic commit. The executor follows the plan as a contract — deviations require explicit approval.

Core principle: Plans are prompts. Follow them literally. Deviate only with permission.

The Iron Laws

1. NO TASK IS COMPLETE UNTIL ALL <done> CRITERIA ARE MET
2. NO DEVIATION FROM PLAN WITHOUT EXPLICIT APPROVAL
3. NO MOVING FORWARD WHEN CONTEXT USAGE > 70% — CHECKPOINT AND HAND OFF
4. NO SKIPPING <verify> — run the command, read the output, confirm the criteria

Context Engineering (CRITICAL)

You WILL experience quality degradation during long execution sessions. Plan for it.

Context Usage	Action
0-30%	Work normally — thorough, comprehensive
30-50%	Still good — maintain quality
50-70%	⚠️ Warning zone — consider checkpointing after current task
70%+	🛑 STOP — checkpoint immediately, do NOT start new tasks

Self-check: If you notice yourself:

• Skipping verification steps → STOP, you're degrading
• Writing shorter commit messages → STOP, you're degrading
• Saying "this should work" instead of running tests → STOP, you're degrading

When to Use

• After writing-plans produces a plan
• When given an existing implementation plan with task anatomy
• When a task list needs methodical execution

When NOT to Use

• No plan exists yet (use brainstorming → writing-plans first)
• Single-step bug fix (use systematic-debugging directly)
• Exploratory work (use brainstorming first)

Anti-Shortcut Rules

YOU CANNOT:
- Execute multiple tasks before committing — one task, one commit
- Say "this task is done" without running ALL <verify> commands — run them, read output
- Skip writing the failing test — RED before GREEN, always
- Move to next task when current has warnings — clean is the standard
- Batch similar tasks "for efficiency" — each task gets its own cycle
- Modify the plan without approval — deviations require the Deviation Protocol
- Skip checkpoints — every 3 tasks, MANDATORY full-suite checkpoint
- Commit untested code — tests pass or it doesn't ship
- Say "close enough" — either it meets <done> criteria or it doesn't
- Continue past 70% context usage — checkpoint and hand off
- Ignore DON'T/AVOID instructions in <action> — they exist because someone hit that bug before