Agent Team Driven Development for Plan Execution

Coordinate multiple specialized teammates working in parallel to execute complex implementation plans.

Agent Teams vs Sub-agents

Choose based on whether workers need to communicate with each other.

Dimension Sub-agents Agent Teams

Communication Results return to caller only Teammates message each other directly

Coordination Main agent manages all work Shared task list with self-coordination

Best for Focused tasks where only the result matters Complex work requiring discussion and collaboration

Token cost Lower Higher: each teammate is a separate instance

Use Sub-agents for independent tasks needing no inter-worker communication (research, validation, file search). Use Agent Teams when teammates must share findings, challenge each other, or self-coordinate across 3+ parallel work streams. For sequential or highly interdependent tasks, use a single session.

Execution Workflow

• Analyze plan -- identify task independence, file conflicts, and required roles (Implementer, Reviewer, Architect)

• Spawn team -- provide each teammate with task assignments, file paths, constraints, and verification criteria. Teammates do not inherit conversation history.

• Coordinate -- monitor via shared task list, facilitate cross-teammate communication, use delegate mode (Shift+Tab ) to keep the lead focused on coordination

• Verify and clean up -- validate integration, run tests, shut down teammates, clean up team resources via the lead

See ./references/initiate-team-workflow.md and ./references/manage-team-workflow.md for detailed workflows.

Roles

• Implementer: executes coding tasks on assigned files, follows TDD/BDD. See ./references/implementer-role.md .

• Reviewer: validates quality, security, and plan compliance. See ./references/reviewer-role.md .

• Architect: resolves cross-cutting concerns, maintains system-wide consistency. See ./references/architect-role.md .

Key Practices

• Assign distinct file ownership per teammate to prevent edit conflicts

• Include 5-6 tasks per teammate for steady throughput

• Document task dependencies explicitly so blocked tasks wait automatically

• Provide full context in spawn prompts (file paths, goals, constraints)

• Require verification evidence (test results, etc.) upon task completion

• Monitor frequently; unattended teams risk wasted effort

For architecture, capabilities, and limitations, see ./references/official-documentation.md .