AI Development Loop

Autonomous task execution with QA gates across multiple AI platforms.

Overview

The AI Development Loop enables fully autonomous feature development where:

• AI agents pick up and implement tasks from a queue
• You do QA only (approve or reject in Testing column)
• Multiple platforms (Claude CLI, Cursor, Codex) can work in parallel
• Rate limits are maximized by switching between platforms

Architecture

┌─────────────┐     ┌─────────────┐     ┌─────────────┐     ┌─────────────┐
│   BACKLOG   │────▶│   TO DO     │────▶│  TESTING    │────▶│    DONE     │
│             │     │             │     │             │     │             │
│  PRDs ready │     │ Agent picks │     │ YOU review  │     │  Shipped    │
│             │     │ & builds    │     │ & approve   │     │             │
└─────────────┘     └─────────────┘     └─────────────┘     └─────────────┘
                          │                   │
                    ┌─────┴─────┐       ┌─────┴─────┐
                    │  Claude   │       │  Reject   │
                    │  Cursor   │       │  → To Do  │
                    │  Codex    │       └───────────┘
                    └───────────┘

Task Lifecycle

1. Task Creation

Tasks live in .agents/TASKS/[task-name].md with structured metadata:

## Task: [Feature Name]

**ID:** feature-name-slug
**Status:** Backlog | To Do | Testing | Done
**Priority:** High | Medium | Low
**PRD:** [Link](../PRDS/prd-file.md)

### Agent Metadata

**Claimed-By:** [platform-session-id]
**Claimed-At:** [timestamp]
**Completed-At:** [timestamp]

### Progress

**Agent-Notes:** [real-time updates]
**QA-Checklist:**

- [ ] Code compiles/lints
- [ ] Tests pass (CI)
- [ ] User acceptance
- [ ] Visual review

### Rejection History

**Rejection-Count:** 0
**Rejections:** [list of rejection notes]

2. Task Claiming

When an agent runs /loop:

1. Scans .agents/TASKS/ for Status: To Do
2. Sorts by priority (High > Medium > Low)
3. Skips tasks with active claims (< 30 min old)
4. Updates task with Claimed-By and Claimed-At

3. Implementation

Agent works on the task:

1. Reads task file and linked PRD
2. Checks .agents/SESSIONS/ for related past work
3. Implements the feature/fix
4. Updates Agent-Notes with progress
5. Creates branch and commits

4. Quality Check

Before moving to Testing:

1. Runs qa-reviewer skill
2. Updates QA-Checklist items
3. Ensures code compiles/lints

5. Completion

Agent finalizes:

1. Sets Status: Testing
2. Sets Completed-At timestamp
3. Adds final summary to Agent-Notes
4. Prompts for next action

6. QA Gate (Your Turn)

In Kaiban.md:

1. Review Testing column
2. Click task to see PRD preview
3. Check linked PR
4. Approve: Drag to Done
5. Reject: Click reject, add note → returns to To Do

7. Rejection Handling

When rejected:

1. Status returns to To Do
2. Rejection-Count increments
3. Rejection note added to history
4. Next /loop picks up with full context

Multi-Platform Strategy

Platform Strengths

Platform	Best For
Claude CLI	Complex logic, backend, architecture
Cursor	UI components, styling, visual work
Codex	Bulk refactoring, migrations, docs

Parallel Execution

Multiple platforms can work simultaneously:

• Each claims different tasks
• Claims prevent conflicts (30-min lock)
• Shared state via task files

Rate Limit Handling

When rate limited:

1. Agent saves progress to Agent-Notes
2. Releases claim (clears Claimed-By)
3. Suggests switching platform
4. User continues with different platform

Daily Workflow

Morning QA Session

1. Open Kaiban.md extension in VS Code
2. Review Testing column
3. Approve good work → Done
4. Reject with notes → To Do

Throughout Day

# Claude CLI
claude
> /loop   # Process task
> /loop   # Next task
# Rate limited? Switch to Cursor

Rate Limit Strategy

Claude limit? → Switch to Cursor
Cursor limit? → Switch to Codex
All limited? → QA time (review Testing)

Integration Points

Kaiban.md Extension

• Visual Kanban board for .agents/TASKS/
• Drag & drop status changes
• PRD preview panel
• Reject button with note input
• Agent claim status badges

Existing Skills

• qa-reviewer: 6-phase quality verification
• session-documenter: Auto-document completed work
• rules-capture: Learn from rejection feedback

Git Workflow

• Branch per task: feature/[task-id]
• Commits with clear messages
• PR linked in task file

Not a Daemon

Important: /loop is NOT a background process.

• Each invocation handles ONE task
• Returns control to user
• User decides to continue or stop
• Respects "never run background processes" rule

Claim Expiration

Claims expire after 30 minutes:

• Handles agent crashes
• Handles rate limit interruptions
• Previous Agent-Notes provide context for pickup
• Enables multi-platform handoff

Best Practices

For Task Creation

• Write clear, actionable task descriptions
• Link to PRD for requirements
• Set appropriate priority
• Include testing criteria

For Agents

• Read task and PRD thoroughly before starting
• Update Agent-Notes regularly
• Run qa-reviewer before completing
• Create clean, focused commits

For QA (You)

• Review PRD alongside implementation
• Provide specific rejection feedback
• Approve incrementally (don't batch)
• Keep Testing column short