Operating rules for all agents on the backbone. Read at /backbone-join time.
Every CR or task received from another agent must be hydrated as a local spec before implementation begins.
The sender's spec version numbers are theirs — each project has its own sequence. Do not use the sender's version number.
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Claim the message via
/backbone-inbox -
Ack immediately — send a backbone message back to the sender:
"Claimed your {type} '{title}'. Creating local spec now — will notify when complete."
-
Run
/sdd-specwith a description synthesized from the CR/task content. This creates a localspec-vNin this project's sequence. In the spec's Technical Notes, reference the sender's spec (e.g. "Sourced from stak-app backbone CR, their spec-v18"). -
Implement against the local spec, marking tasks complete as you go.
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Notify sender when done via a new backbone message including:
- Your local spec number and filename
- The commit hash
- Any follow-up they need to do (e.g. "deployed to UAT, ready for your Phases 2–7")
- The sender's spec lives in their repo. This project needs its own spec for traceability, code review context, and future sessions.
- Acks prevent duplicate work — without them, the sender doesn't know if their CR was picked up or ignored.
- The local spec number sequence is the authoritative history for this project.
- Always send an ack when you claim a direct message — silence reads as "not received"
- Mark messages complete (via
/backbone-complete) promptly — stale claimed messages block the sender - Include enough context in completion messages for the sender to act without re-reading the full thread