/yx:work — Working on Yaks

Overview

You orchestrate; subagents implement. Each leaf yak gets its own worktree and branch. When the subagent finishes and verification passes, you merge back to main.

The golden rule: Neither you nor your subagents may modify main's working tree.

When invoked with arguments (e.g., /yx:work fix auth bug), use those to identify which yak to work on.

Always announce: "I'm using /yx:work to implement leaf yaks in isolated worktrees. I'll merge back to main once verification passes."

When to Use

Use when:

User asks to "implement", "work on", or "pick up" yaks
Ready leaf yaks exist (has context, no @needs-human tag, no children)
User wants to start building after mapping or preparing

Don't use when:

No leaf yaks exist yet (use /yx:map first)
Yaks lack context or clear definition of done (use /yx:prepare first)
User is just exploring or planning (not ready to implement)

What This Skill Owns vs What the Project Owns

This Skill Owns

Yak lifecycle (identify ready leaves, mark wip/done, handle @needs-human tags)
Worktree management (create, cleanup, ensure main is never modified)
Orchestration (dispatch subagents, review output, determine independence for parallel work)
Merging (verify, merge to main, clean up branches)

The Project Owns

Implementation practices: TDD, code review, commit messages, etc. — defer to project conventions
Verification: Before merging, run the project's verification (tests, linting, CI checks). Check CLAUDE.md for "done" criteria
Code quality: The subagent decides how to implement, what tests to write, how to refactor

The key: This skill provides structure; the project provides standards. Always check CLAUDE.md or project docs for verification requirements.

THE MAIN BRANCH RULE

Neither you nor your subagents may modify main's working tree. Main is for merging finished branches only.

Subagents work in their own worktrees
You (orchestrating agent) never edit files on main
If uncommitted changes exist on main, STOP and ask the user

Why: Keeps main clean, prevents conflicts, makes rollback simple, enforces trunk-based development.

Before Starting Work

Always verify before starting:

Context exists: yx show "yak name" --format json — if missing/vague, STOP and tell user to use /yx:prepare
No @needs-human tag: If tagged, surface the question and ask user to answer or pick a different yak
Is a leaf: No children. If not a leaf: "This yak has incomplete children. Ready leaves: [list them]."

Good context includes: what needs doing, why it matters, what "done" looks like, and any constraints.

Single Yak Workflow

Step 1: Mark as WIP

yx start "yak name"

Step 2: Create Worktree

yx show "yak name" --format json  # Get the slug/ID (e.g., "fix-auth-bug-a1b2")
git worktree add .worktrees/<yak-slug> -b <yak-slug>

Step 3: Dispatch Subagent

const yakContext = await getYakContext("yak name")
const prompt = `${yakContext}

Implement this yak. Commit when done. Follow any conventions in CLAUDE.md or project docs.`

await subagent({
  agent: "claude",
  task: prompt,
  cwd: `.worktrees/<yak-slug>`  // Work in isolated worktree
})

The subagent reads context as spec, implements, commits. You don't interfere — just wait.

Step 4: Review Subagent Output

When subagent returns: read what it did, check commits, verify it addressed acceptance criteria. If stuck:

yx tag "yak name" @needs-human
# Add question to context, pick another leaf

Step 5: Run Verification

cd .worktrees/<yak-slug>
npm test && npm run lint  # Adjust to project (cargo test, pytest, etc.)
# Check CLAUDE.md for project-specific requirements

If verification fails: dispatch subagent again with failure info, or tag @needs-human. Do not merge failing branches.

Step 6: Merge to Main

cd <back to main>
git checkout main
git merge --ff-only <yak-slug>  # Rebase first if main has moved
git push origin main

Step 7: Clean Up

git worktree remove .worktrees/<yak-slug>
git branch -d <yak-slug>

Step 8: Mark Done

yx done "yak name"

Multiple Independent Yaks (Parallel Work)

Work on multiple leaves in parallel if they're independent (don't touch same files or depend on each other).

Step 1: Identify Independent Leaves

Use yx list to find ready leaves. Check context to ensure:

Different files/areas (e.g., "Add profile endpoint" + "Update README")
No dependencies on each other

Dependent examples (work sequentially): "Add migration" + "Use new schema", "Refactor auth" + "Add auth tests"

When in doubt, work sequentially.

Step 2: Create Worktrees

yx start "yak 1"
git worktree add .worktrees/<slug-1> -b <slug-1>
yx start "yak 2"
git worktree add .worktrees/<slug-2> -b <slug-2>

Step 3: Dispatch in Parallel

await subagent({
  tasks: [
    { agent: "claude", task: yakPrompt1, cwd: `.worktrees/slug-1` },
    { agent: "claude", task: yakPrompt2, cwd: `.worktrees/slug-2` }
  ]
})

Step 4: Verify and Merge Each

Review output, verify, merge, clean up, mark done (same as single workflow). If conflicts arise: merge first, rebase second, dispatch subagent again if needed.

@needs-human Convention

Tag when: context unclear, subagent stuck, verification fails unexpectedly, design question arises.

When encountering tagged yak: "This yak is tagged @needs-human. Question: [from context]. Answer now or pick a different yak?"

To add tag:

yx tag "yak name" @needs-human
yx context "yak name" <<'EOF'
[Existing context]

## Open Question
[What's blocking progress]
EOF

To remove after answer:

yx context "yak name" <<'EOF'
[Updated context with answer]
EOF
yx tag "yak name" --remove @needs-human

Worktree Lifecycle Reference

Complete lifecycle for a single yak:

# 1. Verify yak is ready
yx list                                    # Find leaf yaks
yx show "yak name" --format json           # Get slug and check context

# 2. Start work
yx start "yak name"                        # Mark as WIP
git worktree add .worktrees/<slug> -b <slug>

# 3. Implement (via subagent in worktree)
# [Subagent works, commits changes]

# 4. Verify
cd .worktrees/<slug>
npm test && npm run lint                   # Or project-specific commands
cd <back to main>

# 5. Merge
git checkout main
git merge --ff-only <slug>                 # May need rebase first
git push origin main

# 6. Clean up
git worktree remove .worktrees/<slug>
git branch -d <slug>

# 7. Mark done
yx done "yak name"

Common Mistakes

Working directly on main: Always create worktree first, set cwd to worktree path, never cwd: "."
Forgetting to mark WIP: Always yx start before creating worktree
Not reviewing subagent output: Review commits and verify acceptance criteria before marking done
Working on non-leaf yaks: Only work on leaves (no children)
Skipping context verification: Verify context exists and is clear before starting
Parallel work on dependent yaks: Check yaks are truly independent; when in doubt, work sequentially
Merging without verification: Always run tests/linting in worktree before merging
Prescribing implementation: Pass yak context; defer to project conventions. Don't tell subagent "use TDD"
Modifying main while subagents work: Once dispatched, you only observe and merge. No editing main

After Completing Yaks

Once you've completed one or more leaf yaks, present the status:

Completed yaks:
- yak name (merged in <commit-hash>)
- another yak (merged in <commit-hash>)

Updated yak tree:
[show yx list output]

Remaining ready leaves:
- other yak (context: brief description)

Next steps:
1. Continue with remaining leaves
2. Use /yx:map to discover more work
3. Use /yx:prepare if any yak needs clearer specs

What would you like to do?

Quick Reference

Action	Command
List leaf yaks	`yx list` (look for leaves)
Check yak details	`yx show "yak name" --format json`
Mark as WIP	`yx start "yak name"`
Create worktree	`git worktree add .worktrees/<slug> -b <slug>`
Dispatch subagent	`subagent({ agent, task, cwd: ".worktrees/<slug>" })`
Verify work	`cd .worktrees/<slug> && npm test` (or project tests)
Merge to main	`git merge --ff-only <slug>`
Remove worktree	`git worktree remove .worktrees/<slug>`
Delete branch	`git branch -d <slug>`
Mark done	`yx done "yak name"`
Tag needs-human	`yx tag "yak name" @needs-human`
Remove tag	`yx tag "yak name" --remove @needs-human`