story: e45s30
Delegate Task
HARD GATE — HARD GATE — Delegated work must have clear success criteria and verification commands. The delegate must be able to verify completion independently.
Delegate a single complex task to a subagent with a two-stage review gate before accepting the result. Use when oversight of a single task matters more than speed.
Distinct from dispatch-agents: This skill runs one subagent sequentially with a mandatory review. dispatch-agents runs multiple subagents in parallel without inter-task review gates.
Subagent depth tiers (e45s30)
Select brief depth from task risk: and skill effort: before spawning:
| Tier | When | Brief includes |
|---|---|---|
full_maturity | P0 stories, multi-file refactors, security work | Full template + CONVENTIONS excerpts + threat model if present |
standard | Default implementation tasks | Goal, scope, out-of-bounds, constraints, verify, prior decisions |
minimal_decisive | Light probes, read-only audits | Goal, verify, explicit file list (≤15 lines total) |
State depth: <tier> in the Agent tool description field.
Process
1. Define the task
Before spawning the agent, read specs/state.yaml if it exists. Then write a minimal self-contained brief using this template (brief size directly controls token cost and hallucination risk — do not pad):
Goal: [one sentence — specific, measurable outcome] In scope: [explicit file or module list] Out of bounds: [what NOT to do] Constraints: [relevant CONVENTIONS.md rules, existing patterns, test requirements] Verify: [runnable command] Prior decisions: [relevant entries from specs/state.yaml — omit section if none apply]
Do not include full file contents, full conversation history, or decisions unrelated to this task.
2. Spawn the subagent (iterative retrieval, max 3 cycles)
Use the Agent tool with a fresh context per spawn. Pass prior decisions only via specs/state.yaml.
Cycle: dispatch → evaluate output vs goal → refine brief → re-spawn if needed (max 3 cycles).
Include in each brief:
- All context the agent needs (it starts cold — no shared state)
- Reference to CONVENTIONS.md constraints
- The verify command it must run before reporting done
3. Stage 1 review — output inspection
When the subagent returns, review its report before looking at the diff:
- Did it run the verify command? Did it pass?
- Does it explain what it changed and why?
- Are there any concerns raised by the agent?
If the report raises red flags, ask the subagent for clarification or re-run with adjusted instructions.
4. Stage 2 review — diff inspection
Inspect the actual diff:
bashgit diff main...HEAD
Check:
- Changes are scoped to what was asked — nothing extra
- No
any, no@ts-ignore, no disabled lint rules - Tests added for new behavior
- CONVENTIONS.md compliance (naming, structure, no gh issue creation)
- Boy Scout Rule: touched areas are cleaner than before
5. Decision
- Accept: merge the result into the main working branch
- Revise: send back to the subagent with specific feedback
- Reject: discard and re-approach differently
After accepting, append to specs/state.yaml under ## Active Decisions:
**[task short name]**: [what approach the agent chose and why — one sentence]
Report the decision and rationale to the user.
