dev-workflow

The Governor Workflow: From Idea to Production

1. Why: A Structured Workflow for Predictable Results

Working with AI can sometimes feel unpredictable. The AI Governor Framework provides a development workflow designed to fix that, for both new and existing projects.

It provides a structured, sequential process that transforms your AI from a simple code generator into a reliable engineering partner. By following these five protocols, you ensure that both you and the AI are always aligned, moving from a high-level idea to a well-implemented feature with clarity, control, and consistency.

The goal is to make AI-powered development:

• Predictable: Each step has a clear purpose and output.
• Controllable: You are always in the loop for key decisions.
• Efficient: The AI does the heavy lifting, you provide the strategic direction.

2. How it Works: The Optimized 5-Protocol Development Lifecycle

This workflow guides you through the entire development process, from initial setup to continuous improvement. Each protocol assigns a specific role to the AI, ensuring a structured and predictable collaboration with intelligent session management.

Step 0: Bootstrap Your Project (One-Time Setup)

Role: The AI acts as a Project Analyst.

First, the AI analyzes your entire codebase to build a "Context Kit"—a set of foundational READMEs and project-specific rules. This is a one-time protocol that turns a generic AI into a project-specific expert.

Apply instructions from dev-workflow/0-bootstrap-your-project.md

(For best results, Cursor users should use Max Mode for this step.)

Step 1: Create a Product Requirements Document (PRD)

Role: The AI acts as a Product Manager.

Next, you define the "what" and "why" of your feature. The AI interviews you to create a detailed Product Requirements Document (PRD), ensuring all requirements are captured before any code is written.

Apply instructions from dev-workflow/1-create-prd.md

Here's the feature I want to build: [Describe your feature in detail]

(For best results, Cursor users should use Max Mode for this step.)

Step 2: Generate Your Task List

Role: The AI acts as a Tech Lead.

The AI then transforms the PRD into a granular, step-by-step technical execution plan. This ensures that both you and the AI are aligned on the implementation strategy.

Apply instructions from dev-workflow/2-generate-tasks.md to @prd-my-feature.md

(Note: Replace @prd-my-feature.md with the actual filename of your PRD.)

(For best results, Cursor users should use Max Mode for this step.)

Step 3: Execute Tasks with Integrated Quality Gates

Role: The AI acts as a Paired Developer with built-in quality validation.

Here, the AI implements the plan one parent task at a time, within a dedicated chat session. Each session includes implementation + quality audit + retrospective for optimal context preservation.

🔄 Per Parent Task (New Chat Session):

1. Start a parent task in a fresh session:

   Apply instructions from dev-workflow/3-process-tasks.md to @tasks-my-feature.md. Start on task 1.
   

   (Note: Replace @tasks-my-feature.md with the actual filename of your task list.)

2. Implementation with Quick Reviews:

   • AI implements sub-tasks with integrated quick validation
   • Critical issues are caught and fixed immediately
   • You review and approve: "yes" or "continue"

3. Protocol 4: Unified Quality Review (Same Session) Once the parent task is complete, use the unified review system by calling the central orchestrator:

   🎯 Tool-Agnostic Command:

   Apply instructions from dev-workflow/4-quality-audit.md
   

   The orchestrator provides an interactive selection interface:

   • ☐ Code Review - DDD compliance + Code quality (quick feedback)
   • ☐ 🚀 Run All - Comprehensive 6-layer validation
   • ☐ Security Check - Focus on auth/data/multi-tenant validation
   • ☐ Architecture Review - Focus on performance + DDD architecture
   • ☐ Design System - Component usage + Visual consistency
   • ☐ UI/UX & Accessibility - WCAG compliance + Responsive design
   • ☐ Pre-Production Security - Complete security validation

   Automatic Fallback: Custom protocols → Generic protocols (tool-agnostic)

4. Protocol 5: Implementation Retrospective (Same Session) Capture learnings while context is fresh:

   Apply instructions from dev-workflow/5-implementation-retrospective.md
   

5. Start the next parent task in a new chat:

   Apply instructions from dev-workflow/3-process-tasks.md to @tasks-my-feature.md. Start on task 2.
   

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A Note on the Revolutionary Unified Workflow

This streamlined 5-protocol workflow with a unified review system eliminates tool-specific complexity while maintaining all quality benefits. Key improvements:

• Simplified entry point with a single, central orchestrator
• Tool-agnostic design works across Claude Code, Cursor, Aider
• Context optimization through intelligent session management
• Smart protocol selection with automatic custom/generic fallback
• Interactive selection prevents tool-specific confusion
• 6-layer validation including Design + UX coverage

Tool-Specific Usage:

Claude Code: Use the /review command for interactive selection. Cursor: Use @review for interactive selection. Aider: Use /load .ai-governor/dev-workflow/4-quality-audit.md Universal: All tools use the same underlying protocol system.

The initial structured approach pays off exponentially as the AI learns your codebase patterns and becomes a true expert companion for your project with predictable, high-quality output across any development tool.