Start Ralph

Start Ralph Mode

Create a PRD backlog and enter ralph mode for autonomous long-running task processing.

What This Does

1. Creates .deep/prd.json with a task backlog from user's description
2. Sets up the orchestration state
3. Begins processing tasks using internal Task agents (uses Max subscription, no API key)

PRD Format

[
  {
    "id": "task-001",
    "story": "Description of what to build",
    "acceptance_criteria": [
      "Criterion 1",
      "Criterion 2"
    ],
    "priority": "high",
    "passes": false,
    "attempts": 0,
    "lastError": null
  }
]

Usage

When user runs /start-ralph [description]:

1. Parse the description into discrete tasks
2. Create PRD file at .deep/prd.json
3. Begin internal ralph loop - process each task with Task agent

Creating the PRD

Break down the user's request into atomic tasks. Each task should:

• Be completable in one session
• Have clear acceptance criteria
• Be independently testable

Processing Tasks

For each task where passes: false:

Use Task tool with:
- subagent_type: "general-purpose"
- description: "[task-id]: [brief description]"
- prompt: |
    You are executing a single task from a PRD backlog.
    
    TASK: [task story]
    
    ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA:
    [list criteria]
    
    INSTRUCTIONS:
    1. Implement the task to meet ALL acceptance criteria
    2. Run appropriate verification (tests, lint, types)
    3. Make a git commit if successful
    4. Report: TASK_PASSED or TASK_FAILED with details
    
    Work autonomously. Do not ask questions - make reasonable decisions.

After Each Task

• If TASK_PASSED: Update prd.json with passes: true, completedAt: [timestamp]
• If TASK_FAILED: Increment attempts, log error to lastError, retry or move on

Completion

When all tasks have passes: true:

• Output PROMISE_COMPLETE
• Append summary to progress.txt

Example

User: /start-ralph Build a user authentication system with login, logout, and session management

Creates PRD:

[
  {
    "id": "auth-001",
    "story": "Create user login endpoint with email/password",
    "acceptance_criteria": [
      "POST /api/auth/login accepts email and password",
      "Returns JWT token on success",
      "Returns 401 on invalid credentials"
    ],
    "priority": "high",
    "passes": false
  },
  {
    "id": "auth-002",
    "story": "Create user logout endpoint",
    "acceptance_criteria": [
      "POST /api/auth/logout invalidates session",
      "Requires valid JWT token"
    ],
    "priority": "high",
    "passes": false
  },
  {
    "id": "auth-003",
    "story": "Add session management middleware",
    "acceptance_criteria": [
      "Protected routes require valid JWT",
      "Expired tokens return 401",
      "Token refresh mechanism works"
    ],
    "priority": "high",
    "passes": false
  }
]

Then spawns Task agents to implement each.