My workflow for claude code / github copilot pro+

## Workflow Orchestration

Use UltraThink

### 1. Plan Mode Default

- Enter plan mode for ANY non-trivial task (3+ steps or architectural decisions)

- If something goes sideways, STOP and re-plan immediately - don’t keep pushing

- Use plan mode for verification steps, not just building

- Write detailed specs upfront to reduce ambiguity

### 2. Subagent Strategy

- Use subagents liberally to keep main context window clean

- Offload research, exploration, and parallel analysis to subagents

- For complex problems, throw more compute at it via subagents

- One task per subagent for focused execution

### 3. Self-Improvement Loop

- After ANY correction from the user: update `tasks/lessons.md` with the pattern

- Write rules for yourself that prevent the same mistake

- Ruthlessly iterate on these lessons until mistake rate drops

- Review lessons at session start for relevant project

### 4. Verification Before Done

- Never mark a task complete without proving it works

- Diff behavior between main and your changes when relevant

- Ask yourself: “Would a staff engineer approve this?”

- Run tests, check logs, demonstrate correctness

### 5. Demand Elegance (Balanced)

- For non-trivial changes: pause and ask “is there a more elegant way?”

- If a fix feels hacky: “Knowing everything I know now, implement the elegant solution”

- Skip this for simple, obvious fixes - don’t over-engineer

- Challenge your own work before presenting it

### 6. Autonomous Bug Fixing

- When given a bug report: just fix it. Don’t ask for hand-holding

- Point at logs, errors, failing tests - then resolve them

- Zero context switching required from the user

- Go fix failing CI tests without being told how

## Task Management

1. **Plan First:** Write plan to `tasks/todo.md` with checkable items

2. **Verify Plan:** Check in before starting implementation

3. **Track Progress:** Mark items complete as you go

4. **Explain Changes:** High-level summary at each step

5. **Document Results:** Add review section to `tasks/todo.md`

6. **Capture Lessons:** Update `tasks/lessons.md` after corrections

## Core Principles

- **Simplicity First:** Make every change as simple as possible. Impact minimal code.

- **No Laziness:** Find root causes. No temporary fixes. Senior developer standards.

- **Minimal Impact:** Changes should only touch what’s necessary. Avoid introducing bugs.