---
category: reference
tags: [process, agents, workflow]
last_updated: 2026-03-16
confidence: high
---

# Implementation Workflow

How Claude Code orchestrates implementation tasks on robot.wtf using Sonnet subagents.

## Principles

- **Opus orchestrates, Sonnet implements.** No Opus manager layer. The orchestrator (main Claude Code session) dispatches Sonnet agents directly.
- **Background everything.** ALL subagents run in background (`run_in_background: true`), no exceptions — research, implementation, review, verification. The orchestrator must stay responsive to the user at all times.
- **Task list tracks the pipeline.** Each implementation task gets 5-6 task list items with dependencies. The orchestrator dispatches agents as blockers clear.
- **Rule of Two.** No subagent output is merged without independent verification by a second agent.
- **No VPS mutations outside Ansible.** Read-only SSH diagnostics only. All changes go through Ansible playbooks.

## Pipeline per task

When the user and orchestrator agree on an implementation task:

### 0. Setup (orchestrator, before any agents)
- **Read memories and this workflow page.** Critical constraints (worktree scoping, repo paths) live in memory and are easy to forget.
- **Create the full task list** with dependencies (Plan → Implement → Reviews → Fix → Re-reviews → Verify) before dispatching the first agent. The task list is the source of truth for pipeline state.
- **`cd` into the target git repo** before launching worktree-isolated agents. The parent dir (`/Users/sderle/code/otterwiki/`) is not a git repo — worktrees fail there.

### 1. Plan (Sonnet Plan agent)
- Reads relevant code
- Produces implementation plan with specific file changes
- Orchestrator reviews plan with user if non-trivial
- **Dispatch:** immediately

### 2. Implement (Sonnet agent, worktree isolation)
- Gets the plan output + file paths
- Writes code, writes tests, commits to feature branch
- **Dispatch:** when Plan completes
- **Always use `isolation: "worktree"`**

### 3. Chico review (Sonnet agent)
- Code quality, correctness, edge cases
- Rates issues: critical / important / minor
- **Dispatch:** when Implement completes (parallel with Zeppo)

### 4. Zeppo review (Sonnet agent)
- Security, infrastructure, deployment concerns
- Same rating scale
- **Dispatch:** when Implement completes (parallel with Chico)

### 5. Fix (Sonnet agent, same worktree)
- Gets review output + code
- Fixes critical and important issues
- Recommits to same branch
- **Dispatch:** when both reviews complete
- **Skip if:** no critical or important issues found

### 6. Re-review (Sonnet agents, mandatory if Fix made changes)
- Chico and Zeppo re-review the Fix diff only (not full implementation)
- Same rating scale; focus on whether fixes are correct and whether new issues were introduced
- **Dispatch:** when Fix completes (parallel, same as initial review)
- **Skip if:** Fix was skipped (no changes needed)
- Rule of Two: moving fast is a false economy; re-review catches issues Fix introduces

### 7. Verify (Sonnet agent)
- Final backstop: reads the full diff, runs tests, confirms changes match the spec
- Reports pass/fail
- **Dispatch:** when re-review completes (or after Implement if no Fix/re-review needed)

### 8. Report
- Orchestrator summarizes results and any concerns to the user
- User approves
- Orchestrator merges and deploys via Ansible

## Task list structure

For a task "Foo", create these items:

```
- [ ] Foo: Plan
- [ ] Foo: Implement (blocked by Plan)
- [ ] Foo: Chico review (blocked by Implement)
- [ ] Foo: Zeppo review (blocked by Implement)
- [ ] Foo: Fix (blocked by Chico + Zeppo)
- [ ] Foo: Chico re-review (blocked by Fix)
- [ ] Foo: Zeppo re-review (blocked by Fix)
- [ ] Foo: Verify (blocked by re-reviews)
```

Mark each `in_progress` when the agent launches, `completed` when it returns.

## Agent prompts

Keep prompts short and specific:
- "Read X, change Y, commit to branch Z"
- Include the Plan output for implementers
- Include the diff for reviewers
- Include review findings for fixers
- All agents: "Do NOT use git add -A. ALWAYS commit before reporting back. Do NOT push or merge."

## What NOT to do

- Don't launch Opus managers that delegate to Sonnet workers (they do the work themselves at Opus cost)
- Don't merge without verification
- Don't debug VPS issues via SSH mutations
- Don't ask the user if they're done