track-management

Guide for creating, managing, and completing Conductor tracks - the logical work units that organize features, bugs, and refactors through specification, planning, and implementation phases.

When to Use This Skill

• Creating new feature, bug, or refactor tracks
• Writing or reviewing spec.md files
• Creating or updating plan.md files
• Managing track lifecycle from creation to completion
• Understanding track status markers and conventions
• Working with the tracks.md registry
• Interpreting or updating track metadata

Detailed patterns and worked examples

Detailed pattern documentation lives in references/details.md. Read that file when the navigation tier above is insufficient.

Best Practices

1. One track, one concern: Keep tracks focused on a single logical change
2. Small phases: Break work into phases of 3-5 tasks maximum
3. Verification after phases: Always include verification tasks
4. Update markers immediately: Mark task status as you work
5. Record SHAs: Always note commit SHAs for completed tasks
6. Review specs before planning: Ensure spec is complete before creating plan
7. Link dependencies: Explicitly note track dependencies
8. Archive, don't delete: Preserve completed tracks for reference
9. Size appropriately: Keep tracks between 1-5 days of work
10. Clear acceptance criteria: Every requirement must be testable