nickgallick Dependency Management — Agent Blocking & Parallel Work
Purpose
Track which agents are blocked by which, identify idle agents, and maximize parallel utilization across the pipeline. No agent should sit idle when there's prep work available.
12-Phase Pipeline Dependency Chain
Phase 1: Intake (MaksPM)
↓ blocks
Phase 2: Research (Scout)
↓ blocks
Phase 3: Architecture (Forge)
↓ blocks
Phase 4: COO Gate 1 (ClawExpert)
↓ blocks
Phase 5: Design (Pixel)
↓ blocks
Phase 6: COO Gate 2 (ClawExpert)
↓ blocks
Phase 7: Build (Maks)
↓ blocks
Phase 8: Code Review (Forge)
↓ blocks
Phase 9: COO Gate 3 (ClawExpert)
↓ blocks
Phase 10: QA (MaksPM)
↓ blocks
Phase 11: Launch (Launch)
↓ blocks
Phase 12: Complete (MaksPM)
Dependency Matrix
| Phase Being Worked | Scout | Forge | Pixel | Maks | Launch | ClawExpert |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Intake | idle | idle | idle | idle | idle | idle |
| 2. Research | BUSY | idle | idle | idle | idle | idle |
| 3. Architecture | idle | BUSY | idle | idle | idle | idle |
| 4. COO Gate 1 | idle | idle | idle | idle | idle | BUSY |
| 5. Design | idle | idle | BUSY | idle | idle | idle |
| 6. COO Gate 2 | idle | idle | idle | idle | idle | BUSY |
| 7. Build | idle | idle | idle | BUSY | idle | idle |
| 8. Code Review | idle | BUSY | idle | idle | idle | idle |
| 9. COO Gate 3 | idle | idle | idle | idle | idle | BUSY |
| 10. QA | idle | idle | idle | idle | idle | idle |
| 11. Launch | idle | idle | idle | idle | BUSY | idle |
Parallel Work Opportunities
When one project is in a given phase, idle agents can do prep or work on other projects:
| Current Phase | Idle Agent | Assignable Parallel Work |
|---|---|---|
| Research (Scout) | Forge | Review architecture patterns for similar projects |
| Research (Scout) | Pixel | Prepare design system tokens, review reference screenshots |
| Research (Scout) | Launch | Research distribution channels, prep GTM templates |
| Architecture (Forge) | Scout | Start research on next queued project |
| Architecture (Forge) | Pixel | Collect design references, prep Stitch inputs |
| Architecture (Forge) | Launch | Draft launch timeline template |
| Design (Pixel) | Scout | Start next project research |
| Design (Pixel) | Forge | Review architecture spec for completeness |
| Design (Pixel) | Launch | Draft positioning copy, prep launch assets |
| Build (Maks) | Scout | Start next project research |
| Build (Maks) | Forge | Prep code review checklist from architecture spec |
| Build (Maks) | Pixel | QA design implementation fidelity (once deployed) |
| Build (Maks) | Launch | Write launch copy, set up analytics plan, prep distribution |
| Code Review (Forge) | Scout | Next project research |
| Code Review (Forge) | Pixel | Prep design QA checklist |
| Code Review (Forge) | Launch | Finalize launch package |
| QA (MaksPM) | All | Available for fix iterations or next project |
Multi-Project Pipeline
When running 2+ projects simultaneously:
Rules
- No agent works on more than 1 task at a time
- Priority order: current project phase > parallel prep > next project
- If an agent is blocked waiting for a dependency, assign parallel prep immediately
- Track which project each agent is currently serving
Multi-Project Dependency Template
## Agent Allocation — [Date]
| Agent | Current Task | Project | Blocked By | Available For |
|-------|-------------|---------|------------|---------------|
| Scout | Research | Project B | — | — |
| Forge | Idle | — | — | Architecture prep (Project B), Review prep (Project A) |
| Pixel | Design | Project A | — | — |
| Maks | Idle | — | Pixel (Project A) | — |
| Launch | Idle | — | — | GTM prep (Project A) |
| ClawExpert | Idle | — | — | Gate prep |
Identifying Blocked Agents
Check for blocks at every phase transition:
- Read active-projects/ files for all active projects
- For each agent, determine: busy / blocked / idle
- If idle and active projects exist → assign parallel work
- If blocked → identify the blocking agent/phase and estimate unblock time
Escalation Rules
- Agent blocked for >2× expected phase duration → nudge blocking agent
- Agent blocked for >3× expected phase duration → escalate to Nick
- Agent idle with no assignable work for >2 hours → flag in status report