writing-plans

The writing-plans skill is an essential component of the Superpowers methodology, designed to bridge the gap between abstract project specifications and actionable code. It is intended for software agents tasked with executing complex programming objectives that require structural integrity and adherence to Test-Driven Development (TDD) principles. By assuming the persona of a senior architect providing instructions to an engineer with no prior codebase context, this skill ensures that all technical decisions are explicit, modular, and verifiable.

• Generates comprehensive, granular implementation plans that decompose large features into bite-sized tasks manageable in 2-5 minutes.

• Enforces strict TDD workflows, requiring the definition of failing tests, minimal implementation code, and verification cycles for every component.

• Mandates precise file path documentation, ensuring that engineers know exactly which files to create or modify before starting any work.

• Provides a standardized markdown header for all plans, ensuring consistency and clear handoffs to subagent-driven development or execution workflows.

• Includes a self-review mechanism to identify placeholders, type inconsistencies, and coverage gaps before any code is written.

• This skill should be invoked after a specification has been finalized during the brainstorming phase and before any git worktrees or actual coding tasks begin.

• It requires the input of a clear project spec or requirement set; the quality of the generated plan is directly proportional to the clarity of these requirements.

• Outputs must be saved as Markdown files, ideally following the naming convention docs/superpowers/plans/YYYY-MM-DD-<feature-name>.md to maintain auditability.

• Practical constraints include an aversion to vague instructions like 'add validation' or 'handle edge cases'; every task must contain concrete code examples, exact CLI commands for testing, and specific expected outputs to prevent ambiguity and ensure success in automated development pipelines.