Executing Plans

---
name: executing-plans
description: Use when you have a written implementation plan to execute in a separate session with review checkpoints
---

# Executing Plans

## Overview

Load plan, review critically, execute all tasks, report when complete.

**Announce at start:** "I'm using the executing-plans skill to implement this plan."

**Note:** Tell your human partner that Superpowers works much better with access to subagents. The quality of its work will be significantly higher if run on a platform with subagent support (such as Claude Code or Codex). If subagents are available, use superpowers:subagent-driven-development instead of this skill.

## The Process

### Step 1: Load and Review Plan
1. Read plan file
2. Review critically - identify any questions or concerns about the plan
3. If concerns: Raise them with your human partner before starting
4. If no concerns: Create epic bead (`bd create "Epic: <plan-name>" -t epic`) and child beads for each task (`bd create "Task N: <title>" -t task --parent <epic-id>`), then proceed

### Step 2: Execute Tasks

For each task:
1. Claim the task: `bd update <task-id> --claim`
2. Follow each step exactly (plan has bite-sized steps)
3. Run verifications as specified
4. Close the task: `bd close <task-id> --reason "description of what was completed"`
5. Check for next task: `bd ready --parent <epic-id>`
6. Check epic progress: `bd epic status <epic-id>` to see overall completion

### Step 3: Complete Development

After all tasks complete and verified:
- Announce: "I'm using the finishing-a-development-branch skill to complete this work."
- **REQUIRED SUB-SKILL:** Use superpowers:finishing-a-development-branch
- The finishing skill includes the **Land the Plane** session close protocol (`bd close` → `bd dolt push` → `git push` → `git status`)
- Follow that skill to verify tests, present options, execute choice

## When to Stop and Ask for Help

**STOP executing immediately when:**
- Hit a blocker (missing dependency, test fails, instruction unclear)
- Plan has critical gaps preventing starting
- You don't understand an instruction
- Verification fails repeatedly

**Ask for clarification rather than guessing.**

## When to Revisit Earlier Steps

**Return to Review (Step 1) when:**
- Partner updates the plan based on your feedback
- Fundamental approach needs rethinking

**Don't force through blockers** - stop and ask.

## Remember
- Review plan critically first
- Follow plan steps exactly
- Don't skip verifications
- Reference skills when plan says to
- Stop when blocked, don't guess
- Never start implementation on main/master branch without explicit user consent

If you discovered something reusable, capture it before closing:

```bash
# Only if worth preserving for future sessions:
bd remember "lesson: <what worked or didn't in plan execution>"
```

## Integration

**Required workflow skills:**
- **superpowers:using-git-worktrees** - REQUIRED: Set up isolated workspace before starting
- **superpowers:writing-plans** - Creates the plan this skill executes
- **superpowers:finishing-a-development-branch** - Complete development after all tasks

**Each execution step should use:**
- **superpowers:test-driven-development** - RED-GREEN-REFACTOR for each task's implementation