/exploration-plan - Planning & Beads Creation

Turn ideas into executable plans, and plans into Beads. This skill handles the full journey from exploration to tracked work items.

The Process

1. Ask which mode - Use AskUserQuestion with the three options
2. Execute the selected mode
3. After creating plan.md - Always offer to create Beads

Mode Selection

Which planning mode?
  • Plan from brainstorm  → reads ideas/<topic>/spec.md
  • Plan from scratch     → start with just an idea
  • Create Beads from plan → reads planned/<topic>/plan.md

---

Mode 1: Plan from Brainstorm

Input:

exploration/ideas/YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>/spec.md

Output:

plan.md

in same folder, then move to

planned/

Steps

1. List available explorations in

   exploration/ideas/

2. Confirm selection with user
3. Read spec.md - Form your own view first
   • Fallback: If

     spec.md

     not found, check for legacy

     exploration.md

4. Ask to convene council - "Ready to send planning agents?"
5. Spawn council - 3 agents analyze in parallel (see Council section)
6. Synthesize - Combine your analysis + council input
7. Present for approval - Feature structure, sequence, implementation approach
8. Write plan.md - In the same folder
9. Move folder -

   ideas/<topic>/

   →

   planned/<topic>/

10. Offer Beads - "Create these as Beads now?"

If user says yes to Beads, execute Mode 3.

---

Mode 2: Plan from Scratch

Input: User describes idea Output:

planned/YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>/plan.md

Steps

1. Discuss the idea - Ask clarifying questions (use AskUserQuestion)
2. Ask to convene council - Same as Mode 1
3. Spawn council - 3 agents analyze in parallel
4. Synthesize - Combine your analysis + council input
5. Present for approval - Feature structure, sequence, implementation approach
6. Create folder -

   exploration/planned/YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>/

7. Write plan.md - No exploration.md (that's fine)
8. Offer Beads - "Create these as Beads now?"

If user says yes to Beads, execute Mode 3.

---

Mode 3: Create Beads from Plan

Input:

exploration/planned/YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>/plan.md

Output: Beads (feature + tasks), move folder to

mission/staged/

Steps

1. List available plans in

   exploration/planned/

2. Confirm selection with user

3. Read plan.md - Parse the feature and tasks

4. Show what will be created - List feature name + task names

5. Create Beads:

   # Get active epic
   EPIC_ID=$(bd list -t epic --status open --json | jq -r '.[0].id')
   
   # Create feature under epic
   bd create "Feature title" -t feature --parent "$EPIC_ID" -p 2
   
   # Get the feature ID just created
   FEATURE_ID=$(bd list -t feature --status open --json | jq -r '.[-1].id')
   
   # Create tasks under feature with descriptions from plan.md
   bd create "Task 1" -t task --parent "$FEATURE_ID" -p 1 -d "$(cat <<'EOF'
   **Goal:** [One sentence goal from plan]
   
   **Files:**
   - [file list from plan]
   
   **Steps:**
   1. [steps from plan]
   EOF
   )"
   
   bd create "Task 2" -t task --parent "$FEATURE_ID" -p 2 -d "$(cat <<'EOF'
   **Goal:** [One sentence goal from plan]
   
   **Files:**
   - [file list from plan]
   
   **Steps:**
   1. [steps from plan]
   EOF
   )"
   
   # Set up dependencies if specified in plan
   bd dep add <task-id> <depends-on-id>
   
   bd sync
   

   Description format: Extract from each

   ### Task:

   section in plan.md:

   • **Goal:**

     from task's Goal line

   • **Files:**

     from task's Files line

   • **Steps:**

     from task's Steps list

6. Rename and move folder - Use the feature number (e.g.,

   1.5

   from

   space-agents-1.5

   ) instead of the date:

   planned/YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>/

   →

   mission/staged/<feature-num>-<topic>/

7. Confirm - "Feature ready. Run

   /mission

   to begin execution."

---

The Council

Advisors, not decision makers. HOUSTON synthesizes and can override.

• space-agents:plan-task-planner

  - Breaks feature into tasks

• space-agents:plan-sequencer

  - Analyzes dependencies, execution order

• space-agents:plan-implementer

  - Creates TDD task breakdown per task

Spawn all 3 in parallel with

run_in_background: true

. Continue conversation while they work.

---

plan.md Structure

Use explicit hierarchy that maps to Beads:

# Feature: [Feature Name]

**Goal:** [One sentence description]

## Overview

[Context, motivation, what this achieves]

## Tasks

### Task: [Task 1 Name]

**Goal:** [One sentence]
**Files:** [Create/Modify/Test]
**Depends on:** [None or other task names]

**Steps:**
1. [Step description]
2. [Step description]

### Task: [Task 2 Name]

**Goal:** [One sentence]
**Files:** [Create/Modify/Test]
**Depends on:** Task 1 Name

**Steps:**
1. [Step description]
2. [Step description]

## Sequence

1. Task 1 (no dependencies)
2. Task 2 (depends on Task 1)
3. Task 3 (can run parallel with Task 2)

## Success Criteria

- [ ] [Criterion 1]
- [ ] [Criterion 2]

Parsing rules:

• # Feature:

  → Creates Beads feature

• ### Task:

  → Creates Beads task

• **Depends on:**

  → Sets up

  bd dep add

---

Folder Lifecycle

exploration/
  ideas/       ← /brainstorm creates spec.md here
  planned/     ← /plan creates plan.md, moves from ideas/

mission/
  staged/      ← /plan creates Beads, moves from exploration/planned/
  complete/    ← /land moves here when feature closes

---

Remember

• Always use AskUserQuestion for mode selection and approvals
• Council are advisors - synthesize their input, don't just accept it
• After writing plan.md, always offer to create Beads
• Move folders at each transition
• Beads auto-generates IDs