Using Ring PM-Team: Pre-Dev Workflow
When to use
- Starting any feature implementation
- Need systematic planning before coding
- User requests "plan a feature"
Skip when
- Quick exploratory work → skip formal planning
- Bug fix with known solution → direct implementation
- Trivial change (<1 hour) → skip formal planning
The ring-pm-team plugin provides 14 skills and 4 agents. Use them via Skill tool: "ring:gate-name".
Follow the ORCHESTRATOR principle from ring:using-ring. Dispatch pre-dev workflow to handle planning; plan thoroughly before coding.
All artifacts land in docs/pre-dev/<feature-name>/. Both tracks end at plan.md — the single execution document consumed by ring:running-dev-cycle and ring:executing-plans.
Two Tracks: Choose Your Path
Small Track (4 Gates) — <2 Day Features
Use when ALL criteria met: implementation <2 days, no new external dependencies, no new data models, no multi-service integration, uses existing architecture, single developer.
| Gate |
Skill |
Output |
| 0 |
ring:researching-features |
research.md |
| 1 |
ring:writing-prds |
prd.md |
| 2 |
ring:writing-trds |
trd.md |
| 3 |
ring:writing-plans (invoked by orchestrator) |
plan.md |
Large Track (8 Gates) — ≥2 Day Features
Use when ANY criteria met: implementation ≥2 days, new external dependencies, new data models/entities, multi-service integration, new architecture patterns, team collaboration needed.
| Gate |
Skill |
Output |
| 0 |
ring:researching-features |
research.md |
| 1 |
ring:writing-prds |
prd.md |
| 2 |
ring:mapping-feature-relationships |
feature-map.md |
| 3 |
ring:writing-trds |
trd.md |
| 4 |
ring:designing-api-contracts |
openapi.yaml |
| 5 |
ring:designing-data-model |
schema.sql / schema.prisma (stack-native) |
| 6 |
ring:pinning-dependency-versions |
dependencies.md |
| 7 |
ring:writing-plans (default plugin, invoked by orchestrator) |
plan.md |
Gate Summaries
| Gate |
Skill |
What It Does |
| 0 |
ring:researching-features |
Parallel technical/product research: codebase patterns, web research (firecrawl/exa), framework docs |
| 1 |
ring:writing-prds |
Squad-facing product spec: what, why, scope, functional requirements, acceptance criteria |
| 2 |
ring:mapping-feature-relationships |
Feature relationships, dependencies, and the phasing the squad validates (Large only) |
| 3 |
ring:writing-trds |
Technical architecture: components, boundaries, data flow, integration points |
| 4 |
ring:designing-api-contracts |
Real OpenAPI 3.1 spec: paths, schemas, error envelope (Large only) |
| 5 |
ring:designing-data-model |
Real stack-native schema: DDL, indexes, constraints (Large only) |
| 6 |
ring:pinning-dependency-versions |
Explicit tech choices, versions, licenses (Large only) |
| 7/3 |
ring:writing-plans |
Rolling-wave phased plan: all phases with epics, Phase 1 detailed into tasks |
Standalone Utilities
| Skill |
When to Use |
| ring:validating-ux-completeness |
Before the TRD when the feature has UI; validates ux-criteria/wireframes from a product-designer run |
| ring:mapping-streaming-events |
Map eventable points in Go service for lib-streaming |
| ring:creating-grafana-dashboards |
Sweep telemetry → telemetry-dictionary.md → PM iterates themes → Grafonnet dashboards + blocking drift CI |
| ring:reconciling-predev-docs |
Before dev-cycle to catch contradictions across pre-dev artifacts |
Agents
| Agent |
Specialization |
| ring:repo-researcher |
Codebase patterns, existing solutions (Gate 0) |
| ring:web-researcher |
External best practices, industry standards (Gate 0) |
| ring:docs-researcher |
Tech stack docs, version constraints (Gate 0) |
| ring:product-designer |
Standalone UX step (ux-research, ux-validation, ux-design) — not a gate agent |
Entry Points
- Small Track: Invoke
ring:planning-small-features
- Large Track: Invoke
ring:planning-large-features
- Specific gate: Invoke the gate's skill directly if prior gates are done
1---2name: ring-using-pm-team3description: Routing feature planning through the ring-pm-team pre-dev workflow: choosing the Small Track (4 gates, <2 days) or Large Track (8 gates, 2+ days) and entering via ring:planning-small-features or ring:planning-large-features. Indexes pre-dev gates, standalone utilities, and research agents. Use when starting a feature that needs systematic planning. Skip for quick exploratory work, known-solution bug fixes, or trivial changes.4---56# Using Ring PM-Team: Pre-Dev Workflow78## When to use910- Starting any feature implementation11- Need systematic planning before coding12- User requests "plan a feature"1314## Skip when1516- Quick exploratory work → skip formal planning17- Bug fix with known solution → direct implementation18- Trivial change (<1 hour) → skip formal planning192021The ring-pm-team plugin provides 14 skills and 4 agents. Use them via `Skill tool: "ring:gate-name"`.2223Follow the **ORCHESTRATOR principle** from `ring:using-ring`. Dispatch pre-dev workflow to handle planning; plan thoroughly before coding.2425All artifacts land in `docs/pre-dev/<feature-name>/`. Both tracks end at `plan.md` — the single execution document consumed by `ring:running-dev-cycle` and `ring:executing-plans`.2627## Two Tracks: Choose Your Path2829### Small Track (4 Gates) — <2 Day Features3031Use when ALL criteria met: implementation <2 days, no new external dependencies, no new data models, no multi-service integration, uses existing architecture, single developer.3233| Gate | Skill | Output |34|------|-------|--------|35| 0 | ring:researching-features | research.md |36| 1 | ring:writing-prds | prd.md |37| 2 | ring:writing-trds | trd.md |38| 3 | ring:writing-plans (invoked by orchestrator) | plan.md |3940### Large Track (8 Gates) — ≥2 Day Features4142Use when ANY criteria met: implementation ≥2 days, new external dependencies, new data models/entities, multi-service integration, new architecture patterns, team collaboration needed.4344| Gate | Skill | Output |45|------|-------|--------|46| 0 | ring:researching-features | research.md |47| 1 | ring:writing-prds | prd.md |48| 2 | ring:mapping-feature-relationships | feature-map.md |49| 3 | ring:writing-trds | trd.md |50| 4 | ring:designing-api-contracts | openapi.yaml |51| 5 | ring:designing-data-model | schema.sql / schema.prisma (stack-native) |52| 6 | ring:pinning-dependency-versions | dependencies.md |53| 7 | ring:writing-plans (default plugin, invoked by orchestrator) | plan.md |5455## Gate Summaries5657| Gate | Skill | What It Does |58|------|-------|-------------|59| 0 | ring:researching-features | Parallel technical/product research: codebase patterns, web research (firecrawl/exa), framework docs |60| 1 | ring:writing-prds | Squad-facing product spec: what, why, scope, functional requirements, acceptance criteria |61| 2 | ring:mapping-feature-relationships | Feature relationships, dependencies, and the phasing the squad validates (Large only) |62| 3 | ring:writing-trds | Technical architecture: components, boundaries, data flow, integration points |63| 4 | ring:designing-api-contracts | Real OpenAPI 3.1 spec: paths, schemas, error envelope (Large only) |64| 5 | ring:designing-data-model | Real stack-native schema: DDL, indexes, constraints (Large only) |65| 6 | ring:pinning-dependency-versions | Explicit tech choices, versions, licenses (Large only) |66| 7/3 | ring:writing-plans | Rolling-wave phased plan: all phases with epics, Phase 1 detailed into tasks |6768## Standalone Utilities6970| Skill | When to Use |71|-------|-------------|72| ring:validating-ux-completeness | Before the TRD when the feature has UI; validates ux-criteria/wireframes from a product-designer run |73| ring:mapping-streaming-events | Map eventable points in Go service for lib-streaming |74| ring:creating-grafana-dashboards | Sweep telemetry → telemetry-dictionary.md → PM iterates themes → Grafonnet dashboards + blocking drift CI |75| ring:reconciling-predev-docs | Before dev-cycle to catch contradictions across pre-dev artifacts |7677## Agents7879| Agent | Specialization |80|-------|---------------|81| ring:repo-researcher | Codebase patterns, existing solutions (Gate 0) |82| ring:web-researcher | External best practices, industry standards (Gate 0) |83| ring:docs-researcher | Tech stack docs, version constraints (Gate 0) |84| ring:product-designer | Standalone UX step (ux-research, ux-validation, ux-design) — not a gate agent |8586## Entry Points8788- **Small Track:** Invoke `ring:planning-small-features`89- **Large Track:** Invoke `ring:planning-large-features`90- **Specific gate:** Invoke the gate's skill directly if prior gates are done
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