cwoodruff/cross-squad

Context

When an organization runs multiple Squad instances (e.g., platform-squad, frontend-squad, data-squad), those squads need to discover each other, share context, and hand off work across repository boundaries. This skill teaches agents how to coordinate across squads without creating tight coupling.

Cross-squad orchestration applies when:

• A task requires capabilities owned by another squad
• An architectural decision affects multiple squads
• A feature spans multiple repositories with different squads
• A squad needs to request infrastructure, tooling, or support from another squad

Patterns

Discovery via Manifest

Each squad publishes a .squad/manifest.json declaring its name, capabilities, and contact information. Squads discover each other through:

1. Well-known paths: Check .squad/manifest.json in known org repos
2. Upstream config: Squads already listed in .squad/upstream.json are checked for manifests
3. Explicit registry: A central squad-registry.json can list all squads in an org

{
  "name": "platform-squad",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "description": "Platform infrastructure team",
  "capabilities": ["kubernetes", "helm", "monitoring", "ci-cd"],
  "contact": {
    "repo": "org/platform",
    "labels": ["squad:platform"]
  },
  "accepts": ["issues", "prs"],
  "skills": ["helm-developer", "operator-developer", "pipeline-engineer"]
}

Context Sharing

When delegating work, share only what the target squad needs:

• Capability list: What this squad can do (from manifest)
• Relevant decisions: Only decisions that affect the target squad
• Handoff context: A concise description of why this work is being delegated

Do NOT share:

• Internal team state (casting history, session logs)
• Full decision archives (send only relevant excerpts)
• Authentication credentials or secrets

Work Handoff Protocol

1. Check manifest: Verify the target squad accepts the work type (issues, PRs)
2. Create issue: Use gh issue create in the target repo with:
   • Title: [cross-squad] <description>
   • Label: squad:cross-squad (or the squad's configured label)
   • Body: Context, acceptance criteria, and link back to originating issue
3. Track: Record the cross-squad issue URL in the originating squad's orchestration log
4. Poll: Periodically check if the delegated issue is closed/completed

Feedback Loop

Track delegated work completion:

• Poll target issue status via gh issue view
• Update originating issue with status changes
• Close the feedback loop when delegated work merges

Examples

Discovering squads

# List all squads discoverable from upstreams and known repos
squad discover

# Output:
#   platform-squad  →  org/platform  (kubernetes, helm, monitoring)
#   frontend-squad  →  org/frontend  (react, nextjs, storybook)
#   data-squad      →  org/data      (spark, airflow, dbt)

Delegating work

# Delegate a task to the platform squad
squad delegate platform-squad "Add Prometheus metrics endpoint for the auth service"

# Creates issue in org/platform with cross-squad label and context

Manifest in squad.config.ts

export default defineSquad({
  manifest: {
    name: 'platform-squad',
    capabilities: ['kubernetes', 'helm'],
    contact: { repo: 'org/platform', labels: ['squad:platform'] },
    accepts: ['issues', 'prs'],
    skills: ['helm-developer', 'operator-developer'],
  },
});

Anti-Patterns

• Direct file writes across repos — Never modify another squad's .squad/ directory. Use issues and PRs as the communication protocol.
• Tight coupling — Don't depend on another squad's internal structure. Use the manifest as the public API contract.
• Unbounded delegation — Always include acceptance criteria and a timeout. Don't create open-ended requests.
• Skipping discovery — Don't hardcode squad locations. Use manifests and the discovery protocol.
• Sharing secrets — Never include credentials, tokens, or internal URLs in cross-squad issues.
• Circular delegation — Track delegation chains. If squad A delegates to B which delegates back to A, something is wrong.