developerinlondon/autonomous-workflow

Autonomous Workflow

Proposal-First (CRITICAL)

NEVER create or modify files without explicit approval. Always:

1. PROPOSE the change (what, why, which files)
2. WAIT for approval
3. IMPLEMENT only after approval

Exceptions: bug fixes in already-approved work, read-only research, formatting.

Decision Authority (for approved work)

• Fix bugs, warnings, missing error handling, broken imports: proceed without asking
• Add missing tests, fix linting issues, update outdated deps: proceed without asking
• Change architecture, add new infrastructure, switch libraries: ASK first
• Delete or significantly restructure existing code: ASK first

After Every Change

• Run the relevant test suite
• Run the linter/type checker
• Fix ALL warnings, not just errors
• Run the project's formatter on changed files

Unused Variables

• NEVER prefix unused variables with underscore (_var) to silence linters
• Either USE the variable or REMOVE it entirely
• If a function parameter is required by an interface but unused, restructure to avoid it
• This applies to all languages: TypeScript, Rust, Python

Commit Hygiene

• Never use --force, --no-verify, HUSKY=0 without explicit permission
• Never commit .env files, credentials, or secrets
• Atomic commits: one logical change per commit
• Never add Co-authored-by, Ultraworked with, or any AI agent attribution to commits, PRs/MRs, comments, or changelogs. Keep commit messages clean and focused on the change itself.

Fresh Context for Large Work

Before starting large implementations (multi-phase plans, migrations, new stack deployments):

• Commit and push all preparatory work (plans, config updates)
• Start a fresh session / compact context to maximize available context window
• Reference the plan file for implementation details rather than relying on conversation history

Continuous Config Improvement

Agent instructions are living documents. When you discover something that should be codified -- a new pattern, a gotcha, a convention, a lesson learned -- PROPOSE updating the relevant config file:

1. What to codify: Recurring mistakes, new conventions, environment-specific gotchas, workflow patterns that should be standardized
2. Always propose first: Never silently update config files. Describe what you learned and why it should be codified. Wait for approval.