msd-core/get-shit-done/workflows/research-project.md

Orchestrate batched subagent research for domain ecosystems before roadmap creation.

Subagents write directly to .planning/research/ to preserve main context. Maximum 4 parallel subagents, recommended batch size 3.

Create research directory:

mkdir -p .planning/research

Parse PROJECT.md to extract:

• Domain keywords (technology mentions, problem space)
• Constraints that affect ecosystem choices
• Any mentioned preferences or requirements

Standard research categories:

1. ecosystem.md - Libraries, frameworks, tools for this domain
2. architecture.md - Patterns, project structure, component organization
3. pitfalls.md - Common mistakes, what NOT to do, performance traps
4. standards.md - Best practices, conventions, quality expectations

Each subagent researches ONE category and writes directly to .planning/research/{category}.md

## Batched Subagent Spawning

Batch 1: Foundation research (spawn in parallel)

Spawn using Task tool with subagent_type="general-purpose":

Subagent 1: ecosystem.md
Subagent 2: architecture.md

Wait for Batch 1 completion.

Batch 2: Risk & quality research (spawn in parallel)

Subagent 3: pitfalls.md
Subagent 4: standards.md

Wait for Batch 2 completion.

Subagent prompt structure:

Use prompts from ~/.claude/get-shit-done/references/research-subagent-prompts.md

Each subagent receives:

• Domain context from PROJECT.md
• Category assignment (ecosystem, architecture, etc.)
• Output format from templates/project-research.md
• Instruction to write directly to .planning/research/{category}.md

After all batches complete:

# Check all files exist
ls -la .planning/research/

# Verify each file has content
for f in ecosystem architecture pitfalls standards; do
  [ -s ".planning/research/${f}.md" ] && echo "✓ ${f}.md" || echo "✗ ${f}.md MISSING"
done

If any file missing:

• Log which subagent failed
• Optionally retry that specific subagent
• Continue with available research (partial is better than none)

Read key findings from each research file for summary:

# Extract first few lines of each for summary
for f in .planning/research/*.md; do
  echo "=== $(basename $f) ==="
  head -20 "$f"
  echo ""
done

Extract for user summary:

• Top library/framework recommendation from ecosystem.md
• Primary architecture pattern from architecture.md
• Most critical pitfall from pitfalls.md
• Key quality standard from standards.md

<batching_rules>

Batching Configuration

Maximum parallel subagents: 4 (API safety limit) Recommended batch size: 3 (reliable)

Batch ordering rationale:

• Batch 1 (ecosystem + architecture): Foundation knowledge that informs everything
• Batch 2 (pitfalls + standards): Risk and quality that build on foundation

Between batches:

• Verify all subagents in batch completed
• Check for failures, note for retry if needed
• Proceed to next batch </batching_rules>

<subagent_template>

Task Tool Invocation Pattern

For each subagent, use:

Task tool parameters:
- subagent_type: "general-purpose"
- description: "Research {category} for {domain}"
- prompt: [filled template from research-subagent-prompts.md]

Prompt template (simplified):

Research and write {category}.md for {domain} domain.

## Context
{Paste relevant sections from PROJECT.md}

## Your Assignment
File: .planning/research/{category}.md
Category: {category}
Purpose: {category-specific purpose}

## Research Requirements
Use WebSearch to find current information. Verify:
- Libraries are actively maintained (commits in last 12 months)
- Patterns are current best practice (not deprecated)
- Examples are from 2024-2025 sources where possible

## Output
Write directly to .planning/research/{category}.md using the template structure:
- research_summary
- findings (specific discoveries with sources)
- recommendations (actionable guidance)
- sources (where info came from, confidence level)
- open_questions (what couldn't be resolved)

Quality bar: Someone reading this should be able to make informed decisions about the roadmap.

</subagent_template>

<success_criteria> Research workflow complete when:

• All 4 research files exist in .planning/research/
• Each file has substantive content (not empty/error)
• Key findings extracted for summary
• Main agent context preserved (minimal usage) </success_criteria>