How do I install the Mode skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add data-ai-xyz/mode in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Mode?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

DATA-AI-XYZ (@data-ai-xyz) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Mode by data-ai-xyz — Agent Skill

Name: Mode
Author: DATA-AI-XYZ

Mode

Set and enforce the project's global conversation Mode (Plan · Dev · Dual · Neutral) — the persistent "moat" that frames every joined chat. Use when the user says "go to plan/dev/dual mode", "set the mode", "isolate this chat", "rejoin global mode", when a request is out-of-mode, or when uncertain which conversation Mode is active.

DATA-AI-XYZ 37d1298 3.3 KB Updated Sep 17, 2026

File contents

Tandem conversation Mode — "the moat"

A single project-global Mode frames every joined chat so suggestions stay in-phase. State lives in .tandem-mode.json at the repo root (git-ignored). Read/write it ONLY through _00-Project-Management/93-Scripts/mode.js (CLI or import) — never hand-edit the JSON.

The four modes

Mode	Meaning	Out-of-mode requests
plan	Planning phase. Founder/PM/QA-planning work.	Dev requests → nudge
dev	Building phase. Dev/QA-execution work.	Plan requests → nudge
dual	Both allowed (planning in one chat, building in another).	No nudge
neutral	No active frame (default/resting).	No enforcement

What is Plan vs Dev (anchored to lifecycle skills, not keyword-guessing)

Plan: draft-okrs, draft-prd, draft-epic, split-into-features, split-into-stories, refine-backlog, execution-strategist; planning a testplan.
Dev: execute-batch, execute-story, run-testplan, close-out-story; running a testplan.

Joining (opt-in) and isolation

A chat is free (no mode, no nudges) until it joins. Joining happens when session-start runs, or when the mode is set from within the chat.
The UserPromptSubmit hook injects a Tandem mode: … banner each message for joined chats; a free chat gets nothing.
"isolate this chat" → free it again: node _00-Project-Management/93-Scripts/mode.js leave --session <session_id>.

Use the session ID from the hook payload / session context as <session_id> in every command below.

Setting the mode

Triggered by /mode <plan|dev|dual|neutral> or natural language ("go to plan mode"):

node _00-Project-Management/93-Scripts/mode.js set <mode> --by user --session <session_id> [--context "<short label>"]

Setting from a chat also joins that chat. Confirm the change in one line and state what it now enforces.

The nudge (soft — never a hard block)

When a JOINED chat's active mode disagrees with the request:

In plan, asked for Dev work:

⚠️ We're in Plan mode — that's Dev work. (a) switch to Dev, (b) go Dual so planning here + dev elsewhere both run, or (c) do it as a one-off without changing the mode?

On (c), do the single task; leave the flag on plan (no silent drift).
In dev, asked for Plan work: mirror image.
In dual: no nudge — both allowed.
In neutral: no enforcement; proceed. If a sustained run of one phase begins, you MAY offer once: "Want to set Plan mode for this?" — offer, never force.
Free (un-joined) chat: no banner, no nudge.

Auto-reset to Neutral (driven by the close skills)

You do not flip to Neutral spontaneously. It happens via:

close-out-story — only when the closed story was the last open story in the phase.
close-phase — always (also how Dual exits).

Each auto-reset is announced; it is written with --by auto-neutral.

When in doubt

Bring it to the user. Never invent a fifth mode. Never hand-edit .tandem-mode.json.

---name: modedescription: Set and enforce the project's global conversation Mode (Plan · Dev · Dual · Neutral) — the persistent "moat" that frames every joined chat. Use when the user says "go to plan/dev/dual mode", "set the mode", "isolate this chat", "rejoin global mode", when a request is out-of-mode, or when uncertain which conversation Mode is active.---# Tandem conversation Mode — "the moat"A single project-global Mode frames every **joined** chat so suggestions stay in-phase. State lives in `.tandem-mode.json` at the repo root (git-ignored). Read/write it ONLY through `_00-Project-Management/93-Scripts/mode.js` (CLI or import) — never hand-edit the JSON.## The four modes| Mode | Meaning | Out-of-mode requests ||---|---|---|| **plan** | Planning phase. Founder/PM/QA-planning work. | Dev requests → nudge || **dev** | Building phase. Dev/QA-execution work. | Plan requests → nudge || **dual** | Both allowed (planning in one chat, building in another). | No nudge || **neutral** | No active frame (default/resting). | No enforcement |## What is Plan vs Dev (anchored to lifecycle skills, not keyword-guessing)- **Plan:** draft-okrs, draft-prd, draft-epic, split-into-features, split-into-stories, refine-backlog, execution-strategist; *planning* a testplan.- **Dev:** execute-batch, execute-story, run-testplan, close-out-story; *running* a testplan.## Joining (opt-in) and isolation- A chat is **free** (no mode, no nudges) until it **joins**. Joining happens when `session-start` runs, or when the mode is set from within the chat.- The `UserPromptSubmit` hook injects a `Tandem mode: …` banner each message for joined chats; a free chat gets nothing.- **"isolate this chat"** → free it again: `node _00-Project-Management/93-Scripts/mode.js leave --session <session_id>`.> Use the session ID from the hook payload / session context as `<session_id>` in every command below.## Setting the modeTriggered by `/mode <plan|dev|dual|neutral>` or natural language ("go to plan mode"):```node _00-Project-Management/93-Scripts/mode.js set <mode> --by user --session <session_id> [--context "<short label>"]```Setting from a chat also joins that chat. Confirm the change in one line and state what it now enforces.## The nudge (soft — never a hard block)When a JOINED chat's active mode disagrees with the request:- **In plan, asked for Dev work:** > ⚠️ We're in **Plan** mode — that's Dev work. (a) switch to **Dev**, (b) go **Dual** so planning here + dev elsewhere both run, or (c) do it as a **one-off** without changing the mode? On (c), do the single task; leave the flag on `plan` (no silent drift).- **In dev, asked for Plan work:** mirror image.- **In dual:** no nudge — both allowed.- **In neutral:** no enforcement; proceed. If a *sustained* run of one phase begins, you MAY offer once: "Want to set Plan mode for this?" — offer, never force.- **Free (un-joined) chat:** no banner, no nudge.## Auto-reset to Neutral (driven by the close skills)You do not flip to Neutral spontaneously. It happens via:- `close-out-story` — only when the closed story was the **last open story in the phase**.- `close-phase` — always (also how Dual exits).Each auto-reset is announced; it is written with `--by auto-neutral`.## When in doubtBring it to the user. Never invent a fifth mode. Never hand-edit `.tandem-mode.json`.

Frequently asked questions