implement-spec
The facts
Its description
Implement the result of /to-spec and /to-tickets in code.
The description the agent reads to decide when to use it.
When it starts
This skill is not chosen from its description: it carries `disable-model-invocation: true`, so the agent never picks it up on its own and only follows it once the user invokes it as a command with a spec (and its tickets) already in hand. Its description frames it as implementing the result of /to-spec and /to-tickets in code.
A model's summary of when it is used.
Who can start it
Only you
Only you can start it. The agent never picks it on its own.
Starts other agents
9 lines mention starting other agents (first 5 linked)
Lines in the file that mention starting another agent. Found by matching words, so treat them as pointers.
What it leads to
- calls code-review line 38
- calls tdd line 31
- requires setup-matt-pocock-skills only when the issue tracker was not provided line 9
- requires to-spec line 3
- requires to-tickets line 3
Other skills this one hands off to, calls, requires or offers instead, as a model read them.
What leads to it
- ask-matt hands off to this when you'd rather orchestrate the build than drive each ticket ask-matt, line 27
- chief-of-staff calls this for large chunks of work chief-of-staff, line 54
Other skills that hand off to this one, call it, require it or offer it instead, as a model read them.
Licence
MIT, from LICENSE
The terms its author shares it under, which let it be shown here.
Other files in this skill (1) Close
The text
Most marks come from matching words in the file, so treat them as pointers.
You have been provided a spec. This spec should have tickets associated with it, describing how to implement the spec.
The issue tracker should have been provided to you. If not, tell the user to run /setup-matt-pocock-skills.
The goal is the entire spec implemented on a single integration branch, with every ticket resolved the way the issue tracker closes work.
The tickets are not a list of steps. They are a task graph with blocking relationships between them. This means there is always a frontier of tickets which are ready to be grabbed.
Start every subagent with a fresh context window.
Communication to and from subagents should be sparse. Communicate primarily through context pointers: to the spec, tickets, research notes, and previous commits. Don't duplicate information already available via pointers.
Implementer subagents should be run in the background where possible for maximum concurrency.
Raw lines 1 to 20Steps
- Read the spec and tickets to understand the task graph.
- (optional) Use an exploration subagent to conduct any exploration required by the tickets - relevant codebase files or external documentation. Ensure the exploration subagent can save files - it should save its markdown notes in a directory outside the repo, accessible by all future subagents. This lets implementer subagents focus on implementation rather than exploration.
- Create the integration branch. If the issue tracker closes work through PRs, or the user asks for one, open a draft PR after the first merge in step 5 (a branch with no commits ahead of main can't open one), marked as closing the spec and tickets.
- Use a fresh implementer subagent for each ticket, each in its own worktree on its own branch. Each implementer subagent:
- confirms its worktree is based on the integration branch before starting, and resets onto it if not;
- calls the Skill tool with
tddto build the ticket; - merges the integration branch tip into its own branch before reporting done
- Once an implementer subagent completes, merge its work to the integration branch with a merger subagent.
- If this changes the frontier of available tickets, kick off more implementer subagents to work on the new tickets. This allows for maximum concurrency.
- Once all tickets are complete, call the Skill tool with
code-reviewon the integration branch. Fix all issues raised by the code review in a single fresh implementer subagent.
- If a draft PR exists, mark it ready for review. Otherwise, resolve each ticket the way the issue tracker closes work, and report the integration branch.
- Clean up all implementer subagent worktrees.
From mattpocock/skills at 4ae2317, 2026-10-31. Skills read by DeepSeek V4.1 Flash on 2026-11-04. Summary and techniques by Claude Opus 5.5 on 2026-11-06.