PRD Start - Begin Implementation Work

Instructions

You are helping initiate active implementation work on a specific Product Requirements Document (PRD). This command sets up the implementation context (validates readiness, creates branch, prepares environment) then hands off to /prd-next for task identification.

IMPORTANT: Do NOT include time estimates or effort estimates in your responses. Focus on setup and readiness without speculating on duration.

Process Overview

• Select Target PRD - Identify which PRD to implement

• Validate PRD Readiness - Ensure the PRD is ready for implementation

• Set Up Implementation Context - Create branch and prepare environment

• Hand Off to prd-next - Delegate task identification to the appropriate prompt

Step 0: Check for PRD Argument

If prdNumber argument is provided ({{prdNumber}}):

• Skip context check and auto-detection

• Use PRD #{{prdNumber}} directly

• Proceed to Step 2 (PRD Readiness Validation)

If prdNumber argument is NOT provided:

• Continue to context awareness check below

Step 0b: Context Awareness Check

Check if PRD context is already clear from recent conversation:

Skip detection if recent conversation shows:

• Recent PRD work discussed - "We just worked on PRD 29", "Just completed PRD update", etc.

• Specific PRD mentioned - "PRD #X", "MCP Prompts PRD", etc.

• PRD-specific commands used - Recent use of /prd-update-progress , /prd-start with specific PRD

• Clear work context - Discussion of specific features, tasks, or requirements for a known PRD

If context is clear:

• Skip to Step 2 (PRD Readiness Validation) using the known PRD

If context is unclear:

• Continue to Step 1 (PRD Detection)

Step 1: Smart PRD Detection (Only if Context Unclear)

Auto-detect the target PRD using these context clues (in priority order):

Git Branch Analysis - Check current branch name for PRD patterns:

• feature/prd-12-* → PRD 12

• prd-13-* → PRD 13

• feature/prd-* → Extract PRD number

Recent Git Commits - Look at recent commit messages for PRD references:

• "fix: PRD 12 documentation" → PRD 12

• "feat: implement prd-13 features" → PRD 13

Git Status Analysis - Check modified/staged files for PRD clues:

• Modified prds/12-*.md → PRD 12

• Changes in feature-specific directories

Available PRDs Discovery - List all PRDs in prds/ directory

Fallback to User Choice - Only if context detection fails, ask user to specify

Detection Logic:

• High Confidence: Branch name matches PRD pattern (e.g., feature/prd-12-documentation-testing )

• Medium Confidence: Modified PRD files in git status or recent commits mention PRD

• Low Confidence: Multiple PRDs available, use heuristics (most recent, largest)

• No Context: Present available options to user

If context detection fails, ask the user:

Which PRD would you like to start implementing?

Please provide the PRD number (e.g., "12", "PRD 12", or "36").

Not sure which PRD to work on? Execute dot-ai:prds-get prompt to see all available PRDs organized by priority and readiness.

Your choice: [Wait for user input]

Once PRD is identified:

• Read the PRD file from prds/[issue-id]-[feature-name].md

Step 2: PRD Readiness Validation

Before starting implementation, validate that the PRD is ready:

Requirements Validation

• Functional Requirements: Are core requirements clearly defined and complete?

• Success Criteria: Are measurable success criteria established?

• Dependencies: Are all external dependencies identified and available?

• Risk Assessment: Have major risks been identified and mitigation plans created?

Documentation Analysis

For documentation-first PRDs:

• Specification completeness: Is the feature fully documented with user workflows?

• Integration points: Are connections with existing features documented?

• API/Interface definitions: Are all interfaces and data structures specified?

• Examples and usage: Are concrete usage examples provided?

Implementation Readiness Checklist

PRD Readiness Check

• All functional requirements defined
• Success criteria measurable
• Dependencies available
• Documentation complete
• Integration points clear
• Implementation approach decided

If PRD is not ready: Inform the user what's missing and suggest they complete PRD planning first.

Step 3: Implementation Context Setup

⚠️ MANDATORY: Complete this step BEFORE proceeding to Step 4

Git Branch Management

• Check current branch: Run git branch --show-current

• If on main or master : Create and switch to feature branch: git checkout -b feature/prd-[issue-id]-[feature-name]

• If already on a feature branch: Verify it's the correct branch for this PRD

Development Environment Setup

• Dependencies: Install any new dependencies required by the PRD

• Configuration: Set up any configuration needed for development

• Test data: Prepare test data or mock services

Step 3 Checkpoint (REQUIRED)

You MUST display this confirmation before proceeding to Step 4:

Environment Setup ✅

• Branch: [current-branch-name] ✅
• Status: [Created new branch / Already on correct branch / Staying on main (reason)]

DO NOT proceed to Step 4 until branch setup is confirmed.

Step 4: Hand Off to prd-next

Once the implementation context is set up, present this message to the user:

Ready for Implementation 🚀

PRD: [PRD Name] (#[PRD Number]) Branch: [branch-name] Status: Ready for development

To identify and start working on your first task, run /prd-next.

⚠️ STOP HERE - DO NOT:

• Identify or recommend tasks to work on

• Analyze implementation priorities or critical paths

• Start any implementation work

• Continue beyond presenting the handoff message

/prd-next handles all task identification and implementation guidance.

Success Criteria

This command should:

• ✅ Successfully identify the target PRD for implementation

• ✅ Validate that the PRD is ready for development work

• ✅ Set up proper implementation context (branch, environment)

• ✅ Hand off to /prd-next for task identification

• ✅ Bridge the gap between PRD planning and development setup

Notes

• This command focuses on setup only - it validates readiness, creates the branch, and prepares the environment

• Once setup is complete, /prd-next handles all task identification, implementation guidance, and progress tracking