context-driven-development

Context-Driven Development

Guide for implementing and maintaining context as a managed artifact alongside code, enabling consistent AI interactions and team alignment through structured project documentation.

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Instructions

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Core Philosophy

Context-Driven Development treats project context as a first-class artifact managed alongside code. Instead of relying on ad-hoc prompts or scattered documentation, establish a persistent, structured foundation that informs all AI interactions.

Key principles:

The Workflow

Follow the Context → Spec & Plan → Implement workflow:

Artifact Relationships

product.md - Defines WHAT and WHY

Purpose: Captures product vision, goals, target users, and business context.

Contents:

Update when:

product-guidelines.md - Defines HOW to Communicate

Purpose: Establishes brand voice, messaging standards, and communication patterns.

Contents:

Update when:

tech-stack.md - Defines WITH WHAT

Purpose: Documents technology choices, dependencies, and architectural decisions.

Contents:

Update when:

workflow.md - Defines HOW to Work

Purpose: Establishes development practices, quality gates, and team workflows.

Contents:

Update when:

tracks.md - Tracks WHAT'S HAPPENING

Purpose: Registry of all work units with status and metadata.

Contents:

Update when:

Context Maintenance Principles

Keep Artifacts Synchronized

Ensure changes in one artifact reflect in related documents:

Update tech-stack.md When Adding Dependencies

Before adding any new dependency:

Update product.md When Features Complete

After completing a feature track:

Verify Context Before Implementation

Before starting any track:

Greenfield vs Brownfield Handling

Greenfield Projects (New)

For new projects:

Characteristics:

Brownfield Projects (Existing)

For existing codebases:

Characteristics:

Benefits

Team Alignment

AI Consistency

Institutional Memory

Quality Assurance

Directory Structure

conductor/
├── index.md              # Navigation hub linking all artifacts
├── product.md            # Product vision and goals
├── product-guidelines.md # Communication standards
├── tech-stack.md         # Technology preferences
├── workflow.md           # Development practices
├── tracks.md             # Work unit registry
├── setup_state.json      # Resumable setup state
├── code_styleguides/     # Language-specific conventions
│   ├── python.md
│   ├── typescript.md
│   └── ...
└── tracks/
    └── <track-id>/
        ├── spec.md
        ├── plan.md
        ├── metadata.json
        └── index.md

Context Lifecycle

Context Validation Checklist

Before starting implementation on any track, validate context:

Product Context

Technical Context

Workflow Context

Track Context

Common Anti-Patterns

Avoid these context management mistakes:

Stale Context

Problem: Context documents become outdated and misleading.
Solution: Update context as part of each track's completion process.

Context Sprawl

Problem: Information scattered across multiple locations.
Solution: Use the defined artifact structure; resist creating new document types.

Implicit Context

Problem: Relying on knowledge not captured in artifacts.
Solution: If you reference something repeatedly, add it to the appropriate artifact.

Context Hoarding

Problem: One person maintains context without team input.
Solution: Review context artifacts in pull requests; make updates collaborative.

Over-Specification

Problem: Context becomes so detailed it's impossible to maintain.
Solution: Keep artifacts focused on decisions that affect AI behavior and team alignment.

Integration with Development Tools

IDE Integration

Configure your IDE to display context files prominently:

Git Hooks

Consider pre-commit hooks that:

CI/CD Integration

Include context validation in pipelines:

Session Continuity

Conductor supports multi-session development through context persistence:

Starting a New Session

Ending a Session

Handling Interruptions

If interrupted mid-task:

Best Practices