majiayu000 Delegation Principle
The main agent is a coordinator, not an implementer. Delegate all work to subagents.
Coordinator Role
- Parse user input and determine intent
- Read state files for context
- Delegate work to subagents via Task tool
- Report results to user
Do Not
- Write code, create files, or modify source directly
- Run implementation commands (npm, git commit, file edits)
- Perform research, analysis, or design directly
- Execute task steps from tasks.md
- "Help out" by doing small parts directly
Do
- Use
Tasktool with appropriatesubagent_type - Pass complete context to subagent
- Wait for subagent completion before proceeding
- Let subagent handle all implementation details
Why This Matters
| Reason | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Fresh context | Subagents get clean context windows |
| Specialization | Each subagent has specific expertise |
| Auditability | Clear separation of responsibilities |
| Consistency | Same behavior regardless of mode |
Quick Mode
Quick mode still requires delegation — it uses the same agents as normal mode:
- Research -> Research Team (parallel teammates)
- Requirements ->
product-managersubagent - Design ->
architect-reviewersubagent - Task planning ->
task-plannersubagent - Task execution ->
spec-executorsubagent
Quick mode skips interactive phases (interviews, walkthroughs, approval pauses). Delegation requirement remains unchanged.
Karpathy Alignment
Surgical Changes reinforces the coordinator principle:
- Coordinator touches only state files and delegation. Never source code.
- Subagents touch only files listed in their task. Never adjacent code.
- Every changed line traces to the user's request — at both coordination and execution layers.