Version

Current: 1.16.0

Update this version when templates change:

• Major (2.0.0): Breaking changes to file structure
• Minor (1.1.0): New sections, updated rules
• Patch (1.0.1): Typo fixes, clarifications

Sprint Initialization Skill

Initialize a sprint with kanban-style structure for multi-agent collaboration.

---

Overview

This skill creates the structure only (empty backlog). Use /sprint:add-backlog to add work items.

Generated structure:

sprints/<sprint-name>/
├── BACKLOG.md          # Work items (Feature → Task → Sub-task)
├── HANDOFF.md          # Work Board (current status)
├── INSTRUCTION.md      # Agent guidelines
├── personas/           # Agent persona files (character templates)
├── active/             # Feature-specific contexts (temporary)
└── refs/
    ├── designs/        # Feature design documents
    ├── plans/          # Task execution plans
    ├── decisions/      # Decisions (per-feature + _sprint.md for sprint-wide)
    ├── lessons/        # Lessons (per-feature + _sprint.md for sprint-wide)
    └── archive/        # Completed features (moved from BACKLOG.md)

---

Workflow

Phase 1: Gather Information

Ask the user:

1. Sprint name - What should we call this sprint?

   • Suggest kebab-case format (e.g., payment-system, auth-refactor)

2. Location - Where should we create it?

   • Default: sprints/<sprint-name>/
   • Allow custom path if needed

3. Team (optional) - Who will work on this?

   • Persona names: #rook, #pixel, #dash, or custom names
   • If not specified, use default #agent

4. Mode - How do you want to manage code?

   • default - Sprint and code in same working directory (existing behavior)
   • worktree - Each Feature gets its own git worktree
     • Sprint files stay in main worktree (Single Source of Truth)
     • Code work happens in separate worktrees per Feature
   • If worktree selected: Add sprint path to .gitignore

5. Worktree creation method (worktree mode only)

   • "How should worktrees be created?"
     • Default: git worktree add (recommended)
     • Custom: User provides command template
   • "Where should worktrees be placed?"
     • Suggest: ../<project>-worktrees/ (outside main repo)
     • Allow custom path prefix

Phase 2: Create Structure

Create the following files from templates:

1. BACKLOG.md from assets/templates/BACKLOG-TEMPLATE.md

   • Empty backlog structure
   • Ready for features to be added

2. HANDOFF.md from assets/templates/HANDOFF-TEMPLATE.md

   • Work Board format
   • In Progress / In Review tables

3. INSTRUCTION.md from assets/templates/INSTRUCTION-TEMPLATE.md

   • Multi-agent workflow
   • Session start/end procedures
   • If team specified, add team section

4. active/ folder

   • Create empty folder
   • Add README explaining purpose

5. refs/ structure

   • refs/designs/ with README
   • refs/plans/ with README
   • refs/decisions/ with README + _sprint.md (sprint-wide decisions)
   • refs/lessons/ with README + _sprint.md (sprint-wide lessons)
   • refs/archive/ with README (for completed features)

6. Version file

   • Create .sprint-version with current template version (from ## Version section above)
   • Format: just the version number (e.g., 1.0.0)

7. .sprint-config

   • JSON config storing sprint mode and worktree settings
   • Created for both modes (to make mode explicit)

8. personas/ folder

   • Copy all persona files from plugin assets/personas/ to sprint personas/
   • These are character templates agents adopt during sessions
   • Users can customize or add new personas after init

   Default mode:

   {
     "mode": "default"
   }
   

   Worktree mode:

   {
     "mode": "worktree",
     "sprintRoot": "<absolute-path-to-sprint-dir>",
     "worktree": {
       "command": "git worktree add {path} -b {branch}",
       "pathPrefix": "../<project>-worktrees"
     }
   }
   

   • worktree.command: Worktree creation command
     • Default: "git worktree add {path} -b {branch}"
     • Custom example: "./scripts/create-worktree.sh {branch} {path}"
     • Placeholders: {path} = worktree path, {branch} = branch name
   • worktree.pathPrefix: Parent path where worktrees are created
     • Default: "../<project>-worktrees"
     • Feature worktrees are created under this path

Worktree mode additional steps:

• Add sprint path to project .gitignore
• Include Sprint Root absolute path + Worktree Mode section in INSTRUCTION.md

Phase 3: Confirm

Show created structure and explain next steps:

Default mode:

Sprint created at: sprints/<sprint-name>/

Files:
- BACKLOG.md - Add work items with /sprint:add-backlog
- HANDOFF.md - Work board (current status)
- INSTRUCTION.md - Start work sessions with @INSTRUCTION.md #persona-name

Next steps:
1. Add work items: /sprint:add-backlog
2. Start working: @INSTRUCTION.md #rook

Worktree mode:

Sprint created at: sprints/<sprint-name>/ (worktree mode)

Files:
- BACKLOG.md - Add work items with /sprint:add-backlog
- HANDOFF.md - Work board (current status)
- INSTRUCTION.md - Start work sessions with @INSTRUCTION.md #persona-name
- .sprint-config - Sprint configuration (mode: worktree)

Sprint path added to .gitignore (sprint files are not git-tracked).

Next steps:
1. Add work items: /sprint:add-backlog
2. Start working: @INSTRUCTION.md #rook

---

Assets

• assets/templates/BACKLOG-TEMPLATE.md - Backlog structure
• assets/templates/HANDOFF-TEMPLATE.md - Work Board template
• assets/templates/INSTRUCTION-TEMPLATE.md - Agent guidelines
• assets/templates/FEATURE-DESIGN-TEMPLATE.md - Feature design doc
• assets/templates/TASK-PLAN-TEMPLATE.md - Task plan doc
• assets/templates/ACTIVE-FEATURE-TEMPLATE.md - Active feature context
• assets/refs/designs-README.md - README for designs folder
• assets/refs/plans-README.md - README for plans folder
• assets/refs/decisions-README.md - README for decisions folder
• assets/refs/lessons-README.md - README for lessons folder
• assets/refs/archive-README.md - README for archive folder
• assets/personas/rook.md - Pragmatist backend engineer
• assets/personas/pixel.md - Detail-obsessed frontend engineer
• assets/personas/dash.md - Enthusiastic fullstack prototyper
• assets/personas/slate.md - Conservative infrastructure engineer
• assets/personas/echo.md - Socratic discussion facilitator
• assets/personas/thorn.md - Uncompromising code reviewer