Spec-First + Superpowers Orchestrator v3
Stop the AI from jumping straight to code. Every feature, bugfix, and refactor goes through a specification phase first — because unexamined code is expensive code.
Commands
| Command | Effect |
|---|---|
/super-spec | Full workflow (auto mode + auto complexity) |
/super-spec force-spec-kit | Force Spec-Kit mode |
/super-spec force-openspec | Force OpenSpec mode |
/super-spec reset | Reset mode selection |
How It Works
Step 1: Pick a Mode
Check for existing signals, then fall back to heuristics:
| Signal | Mode |
|---|---|
.spec-mode file exists | Use whatever it says |
.specify/ directory | Spec-Kit |
.openspec/ directory | OpenSpec |
| Brand new project, < 30 files | Spec-Kit |
| Everything else | OpenSpec (default) |
Save the choice to .spec-mode so future sessions remember it.
For detailed mode workflows, read:
- Spec-Kit: references/spec-kit-workflow.md
- OpenSpec: references/openspec-workflow.md
Step 2: Triage Complexity
The AI suggests a level; the user confirms or overrides.
| Level | When | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Quick | Single-file bugfix, typo, config | Simplified spec (/opsx:ff) → TDD → archive |
| Standard | Single feature, clear scope | All phases (Phase 3 only if UI) |
| Thorough | Multi-module, architecture decisions | All phases + Agent Teams evaluation |
Step 3: Execute the Pipeline
Phase 0 — Session Recovery (automatic)
If task_plan.md exists from a previous session, read all planning files, run the 5-Question Reboot Test (Where am I? / Where am I going? / What's the goal? / What did I learn? / What did I do?), then resume from the last checkpoint.
Phase 1 — Specification Write the spec using the selected mode. Quick tasks use fast-forward; standard/thorough use the full flow. The user must explicitly confirm the spec before moving on. Gate G1: User confirmed + spec aligns with constitution.
Phase 2 — Persistent Planning
Generate task_plan.md (numbered checklist with test points), findings.md, and progress.md using planning-with-files + writing-plans.
Gate G2: Every task has file paths + acceptance criteria + test strategy.
Phase 3 — UI/UX Design (conditional)
Triggered only when UI keywords are detected. Invoke ui-ux-pro-max --design-system --persist to generate and persist the design system.
Gate G3: Pre-delivery checklist passed + user confirmed design.
Phase 4 — Implementation Execute via one of two strategies (AI recommends, user picks):
- Subagent-Driven: Fresh subagent per task + two-stage review (spec conformance → code quality)
- Executing-Plans: Batch execution + checkpoint reviews
TDD throughout. Errors escalate through the 3-Strike protocol → systematic-debugging.
Gate G4: All tests pass + review passed + verification evidence written to progress.md.
Phase 5 — Archive
finishing-a-development-branch → update all checkboxes → archive spec artifacts → final progress.md entry.
Quality Gates
Each gate is a hard stop — nothing moves forward until all checks pass. If a gate fails, fix the issue and re-evaluate. Full gate criteria: references/quality-gates.md
Anti-Rush Protection
If the user asks to skip the spec phase, politely decline and redirect to /super-spec. The whole point of this skill is preventing premature implementation.
Reference Files
Read these as needed — they contain detailed procedures that would bloat this file:
| File | When to read |
|---|---|
| references/quality-gates.md | Evaluating any gate (G0-G4) |
| references/synergy-patterns.md | Understanding cross-tool integration |
| references/integration-guide.md | Setup, troubleshooting, dependency list |
| references/spec-kit-workflow.md | Running the Spec-Kit flow |
| references/openspec-workflow.md | Running the OpenSpec flow |
| assets/constitutions/openspec-constitution.md | OpenSpec constitution template |
| assets/constitutions/spec-kit-constitution.md | Spec-Kit constitution template |