Context Driven Development

Context-Driven Development

Guide for implementing and maintaining context as a managed artifact alongside code, enabling consistent AI interactions and team alignment through structured project documentation.

When to Use This Skill

• Setting up new projects with Conductor
• Understanding the relationship between context artifacts
• Maintaining consistency across AI-assisted development sessions
• Onboarding team members to an existing Conductor project
• Deciding when to update context documents
• Managing greenfield vs brownfield project contexts

Detailed patterns and worked examples

Detailed pattern documentation lives in references/details.md. Read that file when the navigation tier above is insufficient.

Best Practices

1. Read context first: Always read relevant artifacts before starting work 2. Small updates: Make incremental context changes, not massive rewrites 3. Link decisions: Reference context when making implementation choices 4. Version context: Commit context changes alongside code changes 5. Review context: Include context artifact reviews in code reviews 6. Validate regularly: Run context validation checklist before major work 7. Communicate changes: Notify team when context artifacts change significantly 8. Preserve history: Use git to track context evolution over time 9. Question staleness: If context feels wrong, investigate and update 10. Keep it actionable: Every context item should inform a decision or behavior

Artifact Templates

Starter templates for each Conductor context artifact. Copy and fill in for new projects.

Contributed by @fernandezbaptiste (#437)

product.md

# [Product Name]

> One-line description of what this product does.

## Problem

What problem does this solve and for whom?

## Solution

High-level approach to solving the problem.

## Target Users

| Persona | Needs | Pain Points |
|---|---|---|
| Persona 1 | What they need | What frustrates them |

## Core Features

| Feature | Status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Feature A | planned | What it does |
| Feature B | implemented | What it does |

## Success Metrics

| Metric | Target | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Metric 1 | target value | - |

## Roadmap

- **Phase 1**: scope
- **Phase 2**: scope

tech-stack.md

# Tech Stack

## Languages & Frameworks

| Technology | Version | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Python | 3.12 | Backend API |
| React | 18.x | Frontend UI |

## Key Dependencies

| Package | Version | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| FastAPI | 0.100+ | REST API framework |
| SQLAlchemy | 2.x | ORM and database access |

## Infrastructure

| Component | Choice | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | AWS ECS | Production containers |
| Database | PostgreSQL 16 | Primary data store |
| CI/CD | GitHub Actions | Build and deploy |

## Dev Tools

| Tool | Purpose | Config |
|---|---|---|
| pytest | Testing (target: 80% coverage) | pyproject.toml |
| ruff | Linting + formatting | ruff.toml |

workflow.md

# Workflow

## Methodology

TDD with trunk-based development.

## Git Conventions

- **Branch naming**: `feature/<track-id>-description`
- **Commit format**: `type(scope): message`
- **PR requirements**: 1 approval, all checks green

## Quality Gates

| Gate | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Tests | All pass, coverage >= 80% |
| Lint | Zero errors |
| Review | At least 1 approval |
| Types | No type errors |

## Deployment

1. PR merged to main
2. CI runs tests + build
3. Auto-deploy to staging
4. Manual promotion to production

tracks.md

# Tracks

## Active

| ID | Title | Status | Priority | Assignee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TRACK-001 | Feature name | in-progress | high | @person |

## Completed

| ID | Title | Completed |
|---|---|---|
| TRACK-000 | Initial setup | 2024-01-15 |

product-guidelines.md

# Product Guidelines

## Voice & Tone

- Professional but approachable
- Direct and concise
- Technical where needed, plain language by default

## Terminology

| Term | Use | Don't Use |
|---|---|---|
| workspace | preferred | project, repo |
| track | preferred | ticket, issue |

## Error Messages

Format: `[Component] What happened. What to do next.`
Example: `[Auth] Session expired. Please sign in again.`

context-driven-development — detailed patterns and worked examples

Core Philosophy

Context-Driven Development treats project context as a first-class artifact managed alongside code. Instead of relying on ad-hoc prompts or scattered documentation, establish a persistent, structured foundation that informs all AI interactions.

Key principles:

1. Context precedes code: Define what you're building and how before implementation 2. Living documentation: Context artifacts evolve with the project 3. Single source of truth: One canonical location for each type of information 4. AI alignment: Consistent context produces consistent AI behavior

The Workflow

Follow the Context → Spec & Plan → Implement workflow:

1. Context Phase: Establish or verify project context artifacts exist and are current 2. Specification Phase: Define requirements and acceptance criteria for work units 3. Planning Phase: Break specifications into phased, actionable tasks 4. Implementation Phase: Execute tasks following established workflow patterns

Artifact Relationships

product.md - Defines WHAT and WHY

Purpose: Captures product vision, goals, target users, and business context.

Contents:

• Product name and one-line description
• Problem statement and solution approach
• Target user personas
• Core features and capabilities
• Success metrics and KPIs
• Product roadmap (high-level)

Update when:

• Product vision or goals change
• New major features are planned
• Target audience shifts
• Business priorities evolve

product-guidelines.md - Defines HOW to Communicate

Purpose: Establishes brand voice, messaging standards, and communication patterns.

Contents:

• Brand voice and tone guidelines
• Terminology and glossary
• Error message conventions
• User-facing copy standards
• Documentation style

Update when:

• Brand guidelines change
• New terminology is introduced
• Communication patterns need refinement

tech-stack.md - Defines WITH WHAT

Purpose: Documents technology choices, dependencies, and architectural decisions.

Contents:

• Primary languages and frameworks
• Key dependencies with versions
• Infrastructure and deployment targets
• Development tools and environment
• Testing frameworks
• Code quality tools

Update when:

• Adding new dependencies
• Upgrading major versions
• Changing infrastructure
• Adopting new tools or patterns

workflow.md - Defines HOW to Work

Purpose: Establishes development practices, quality gates, and team workflows.

Contents:

• Development methodology (TDD, etc.)
• Git workflow and commit conventions
• Code review requirements
• Testing requirements and coverage targets
• Quality assurance gates
• Deployment procedures

Update when:

• Team practices evolve
• Quality standards change
• New workflow patterns are adopted

tracks.md - Tracks WHAT'S HAPPENING

Purpose: Registry of all work units with status and metadata.

Contents:

• Active tracks with current status
• Completed tracks with completion dates
• Track metadata (type, priority, assignee)
• Links to individual track directories

Update when:

• New tracks are created
• Track status changes
• Tracks are completed or archived

See references/artifact-templates.md for copy-paste starter templates.

Context Maintenance Principles

Keep Artifacts Synchronized

Ensure changes in one artifact reflect in related documents:

• New feature in product.md → Update tech-stack.md if new dependencies needed
• Completed track → Update product.md to reflect new capabilities
• Workflow change → Update all affected track plans

Update tech-stack.md When Adding Dependencies

Before adding any new dependency:

1. Check if existing dependencies solve the need 2. Document the rationale for new dependencies 3. Add version constraints 4. Note any configuration requirements

Update product.md When Features Complete

After completing a feature track:

1. Move feature from "planned" to "implemented" in product.md 2. Update any affected success metrics 3. Document any scope changes from original plan

Verify Context Before Implementation

Before starting any track:

1. Read all context artifacts 2. Flag any outdated information 3. Propose updates before proceeding 4. Confirm context accuracy with stakeholders

Greenfield vs Brownfield Handling

Greenfield Projects (New)

For new projects:

1. Run /conductor:setup to create all artifacts interactively 2. Answer questions about product vision, tech preferences, and workflow 3. Generate initial style guides for chosen languages 4. Create empty tracks registry

Characteristics:

• Full control over context structure
• Define standards before code exists
• Establish patterns early

Brownfield Projects (Existing)

For existing codebases:

1. Run /conductor:setup with existing codebase detection 2. System analyzes existing code, configs, and documentation 3. Pre-populate artifacts based on discovered patterns 4. Review and refine generated context

Characteristics:

• Extract implicit context from existing code
• Reconcile existing patterns with desired patterns
• Document technical debt and modernization plans
• Preserve working patterns while establishing standards

Benefits

Team Alignment

• New team members onboard faster with explicit context
• Consistent terminology and conventions across the team
• Shared understanding of product goals and technical decisions

AI Consistency

• AI assistants produce aligned outputs across sessions
• Reduced need to re-explain context in each interaction
• Predictable behavior based on documented standards

Institutional Memory

• Decisions and rationale are preserved
• Context survives team changes
• Historical context informs future decisions

Quality Assurance

• Standards are explicit and verifiable
• Deviations from context are detectable
• Quality gates are documented and enforceable

Directory Structure

conductor/
├── index.md              # Navigation hub linking all artifacts
├── product.md            # Product vision and goals
├── product-guidelines.md # Communication standards
├── tech-stack.md         # Technology preferences
├── workflow.md           # Development practices
├── tracks.md             # Work unit registry
├── setup_state.json      # Resumable setup state
├── code_styleguides/     # Language-specific conventions
│   ├── python.md
│   ├── typescript.md
│   └── ...
└── tracks/
    └── <track-id>/
        ├── spec.md
        ├── plan.md
        ├── metadata.json
        └── index.md

Context Lifecycle

1. Creation: Initial setup via /conductor:setup 2. Validation: Verify before each track 3. Evolution: Update as project grows 4. Synchronization: Keep artifacts aligned 5. Archival: Document historical decisions

Context Validation Checklist

Before starting implementation on any track, validate context:

Product Context

• [ ] product.md reflects current product vision
• [ ] Target users are accurately described
• [ ] Feature list is up to date
• [ ] Success metrics are defined

Technical Context

• [ ] tech-stack.md lists all current dependencies
• [ ] Version numbers are accurate
• [ ] Infrastructure targets are correct
• [ ] Development tools are documented

Workflow Context

• [ ] workflow.md describes current practices
• [ ] Quality gates are defined
• [ ] Coverage targets are specified
• [ ] Commit conventions are documented

Track Context

• [ ] tracks.md shows all active work
• [ ] No stale or abandoned tracks
• [ ] Dependencies between tracks are noted

Common Anti-Patterns

Avoid these context management mistakes:

Stale Context

Problem: Context documents become outdated and misleading. Solution: Update context as part of each track's completion process.

Context Sprawl

Problem: Information scattered across multiple locations. Solution: Use the defined artifact structure; resist creating new document types.

Implicit Context

Problem: Relying on knowledge not captured in artifacts. Solution: If you reference something repeatedly, add it to the appropriate artifact.

Context Hoarding

Problem: One person maintains context without team input. Solution: Review context artifacts in pull requests; make updates collaborative.

Over-Specification

Problem: Context becomes so detailed it's impossible to maintain. Solution: Keep artifacts focused on decisions that affect AI behavior and team alignment.

Integration with Development Tools

IDE Integration

Configure your IDE to display context files prominently:

• Pin conductor/product.md for quick reference
• Add tech-stack.md to project notes
• Create snippets for common patterns from style guides

Git Hooks

Consider pre-commit hooks that:

• Warn when dependencies change without tech-stack.md update
• Remind to update product.md when feature branches merge
• Validate context artifact syntax

CI/CD Integration

Include context validation in pipelines:

• Check tech-stack.md matches actual dependencies
• Verify links in context documents resolve
• Ensure tracks.md status matches git branch state

Session Continuity

Conductor supports multi-session development through context persistence:

Starting a New Session

1. Read index.md to orient yourself 2. Check tracks.md for active work 3. Review relevant track's plan.md for current task 4. Verify context artifacts are current

Ending a Session

1. Update plan.md with current progress 2. Note any blockers or decisions made 3. Commit in-progress work with clear status 4. Update tracks.md if status changed

Handling Interruptions

If interrupted mid-task:

1. Mark task as [~] with note about stopping point 2. Commit work-in-progress to feature branch 3. Document any uncommitted decisions in plan.md