Conductor: Context-Driven Development

Conductor is a workflow methodology that transforms Claude Code into a project manager following a strict protocol: Context -> Spec & Plan -> Implement.

Core Philosophy

Measure twice, code once. By treating context as a managed artifact alongside code, you transform your repository into a single source of truth that drives every agent interaction with deep, persistent project awareness.

Key Concepts

Tracks

A track is a high-level unit of work (feature or bug fix). Each track has:

• spec.md - Detailed requirements and acceptance criteria
• plan.md - Actionable to-do list with phases, tasks, and sub-tasks
• metadata.json - Track metadata (ID, type, status, timestamps)

Tracks are stored in conductor/tracks/<track_id>/.

Project Context Files

Located in the conductor/ directory:

• product.md - Product vision, goals, users, features
• product-guidelines.md - Prose style, brand messaging, visual identity
• tech-stack.md - Languages, frameworks, databases, tools
• workflow.md - Development methodology (TDD, commit strategy)
• tracks.md - Master list of all tracks and their status
• code_styleguides/ - Language-specific coding standards

Task Status Markers

• [ ] - Pending (not started)
• [~] - In progress (currently being worked on)
• [x] - Completed (finished and committed)

Workflow Phases

1. Setup - Initialize project context (run once)
2. New Track - Create spec and plan for feature/bug
3. Implement - Execute tasks following TDD workflow
4. Status - Check progress across tracks
5. Revert - Git-aware rollback of tracks/phases/tasks

File Locations

When a user mentions "the plan" or "the spec", they likely refer to:

• Current track's plan: conductor/tracks/<track_id>/plan.md
• Current track's spec: conductor/tracks/<track_id>/spec.md
• Master tracks list: conductor/tracks.md

TDD Workflow

Conductor follows Test-Driven Development by default:

1. Red Phase - Write failing tests first
2. Green Phase - Implement minimum code to pass tests
3. Refactor - Clean up with safety of passing tests

Phase Completion Protocol

At the end of each phase:

1. Ensure test coverage (>80% target)
2. Manual verification with user
3. Create checkpoint commit
4. Attach git notes with verification report
5. Update plan.md with checkpoint SHA

Commands Reference

Command	Purpose
/conductor:setup	Initialize project context
/conductor:new-track	Create new feature/bug track
/conductor:implement	Execute tasks from plan
/conductor:status	Display progress overview
/conductor:revert	Rollback tracks/phases/tasks

Template Location

Templates are bundled with the plugin at ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/templates/:

• workflow.md - Default workflow configuration
• code_styleguides/ - Language-specific style guides