PRD Start - Begin Implementation Work

Instructions

You are helping initiate active implementation work on a specific Product Requirements Document (PRD). This command sets up the implementation context (validates readiness, creates branch, prepares environment) then hands off to

/prd-next

for task identification.

IMPORTANT: Do NOT include time estimates or effort estimates in your responses. Focus on setup and readiness without speculating on duration.

Process Overview

Select Target PRD - Identify which PRD to implement
Validate PRD Readiness - Ensure the PRD is ready for implementation
Set Up Implementation Context - Create branch and prepare environment
Hand Off to prd-next - Delegate task identification to the appropriate prompt

Step 0: Check for PRD Argument

If
prdNumber
argument is provided ({{prdNumber}}):

Skip context check and auto-detection
Use PRD #{{prdNumber}} directly
Proceed to Step 2 (PRD Readiness Validation)

If
prdNumber
argument is NOT provided:

Continue to context awareness check below

Step 0b: Context Awareness Check

Check if PRD context is already clear from recent conversation:

Skip detection if recent conversation shows:

Recent PRD work discussed - "We just worked on PRD 29", "Just completed PRD update", etc.
Specific PRD mentioned - "PRD #X", "MCP Prompts PRD", etc.
PRD-specific commands used - Recent use of
```
/prd-update-progress
```
,
```
/prd-start
```
with specific PRD
Clear work context - Discussion of specific features, tasks, or requirements for a known PRD

If context is clear:

Skip to Step 2 (PRD Readiness Validation) using the known PRD

If context is unclear:

Continue to Step 1 (PRD Detection)

Step 1: Smart PRD Detection (Only if Context Unclear)

Auto-detect the target PRD using these context clues (in priority order):

Git Branch Analysis - Check current branch name for PRD patterns:
- ```
feature/prd-12-*
```
  → PRD 12
- ```
prd-13-*
```
  → PRD 13
- ```
feature/prd-*
```
  → Extract PRD number
Recent Git Commits - Look at recent commit messages for PRD references:
- "fix: PRD 12 documentation" → PRD 12
- "feat: implement prd-13 features" → PRD 13
Git Status Analysis - Check modified/staged files for PRD clues:
- Modified
```
prds/12-*.md
```
  → PRD 12
- Changes in feature-specific directories
Available PRDs Discovery - List all PRDs in
```
prds/
```
directory
Fallback to User Choice - Only if context detection fails, ask user to specify

Detection Logic:

High Confidence: Branch name matches PRD pattern (e.g.,
```
feature/prd-12-documentation-testing
```
)
Medium Confidence: Modified PRD files in git status or recent commits mention PRD
Low Confidence: Multiple PRDs available, use heuristics (most recent, largest)
No Context: Present available options to user

If context detection fails, ask the user:

markdown

## Which PRD would you like to start implementing?

Please provide the PRD number (e.g., "12", "PRD 12", or "36").

**Not sure which PRD to work on?**
Execute `dot-ai:prds-get` prompt to see all available PRDs organized by priority and readiness.

**Your choice**: [Wait for user input]

Once PRD is identified:

Read the PRD file from
```
prds/[issue-id]-[feature-name].md
```

Step 2: PRD Readiness Validation

Before starting implementation, validate that the PRD is ready:

Requirements Validation

Functional Requirements: Are core requirements clearly defined and complete?
Success Criteria: Are measurable success criteria established?
Dependencies: Are all external dependencies identified and available?
Risk Assessment: Have major risks been identified and mitigation plans created?

Documentation Analysis

For documentation-first PRDs:

Specification completeness: Is the feature fully documented with user workflows?
Integration points: Are connections with existing features documented?
API/Interface definitions: Are all interfaces and data structures specified?
Examples and usage: Are concrete usage examples provided?

Implementation Readiness Checklist

markdown

## PRD Readiness Check
- [ ] All functional requirements defined
- [ ] Success criteria measurable
- [ ] Dependencies available
- [ ] Documentation complete
- [ ] Integration points clear
- [ ] Implementation approach decided

If PRD is not ready: Inform the user what's missing and suggest they complete PRD planning first.

Step 3: Implementation Context Setup

⚠️ MANDATORY: Complete this step BEFORE proceeding to Step 4

Git Branch Management

Check current branch: Run
```
git branch --show-current
```

If on
main
or
master
: Create and switch to feature branch:

bash

git checkout -b feature/prd-[issue-id]-[feature-name]

If already on a feature branch: Verify it's the correct branch for this PRD

Development Environment Setup

Dependencies: Install any new dependencies required by the PRD
Configuration: Set up any configuration needed for development
Test data: Prepare test data or mock services

Step 3 Checkpoint (REQUIRED)

You MUST display this confirmation before proceeding to Step 4:

markdown

## Environment Setup ✅
- **Branch**: `[current-branch-name]` ✅
- **Status**: [Created new branch / Already on correct branch / Staying on main (reason)]

DO NOT proceed to Step 4 until branch setup is confirmed.

Step 4: Hand Off to prd-next

Once the implementation context is set up, present this message to the user:

markdown

## Ready for Implementation 🚀

**PRD**: [PRD Name] (#[PRD Number])
**Branch**: `[branch-name]`
**Status**: Ready for development

---

To identify and start working on your first task, run `/prd-next`.

⚠️ STOP HERE - DO NOT:

Identify or recommend tasks to work on
Analyze implementation priorities or critical paths
Start any implementation work
Continue beyond presenting the handoff message

/prd-next

handles all task identification and implementation guidance.

Success Criteria

This command should:

✅ Successfully identify the target PRD for implementation
✅ Validate that the PRD is ready for development work
✅ Set up proper implementation context (branch, environment)
✅ Hand off to
```
/prd-next
```
for task identification
✅ Bridge the gap between PRD planning and development setup

Notes

This command focuses on setup only - it validates readiness, creates the branch, and prepares the environment
Once setup is complete,
```
/prd-next
```
handles all task identification, implementation guidance, and progress tracking

dot-ai-prd-start

NPX Install

Tags

SKILL.md Content

PRD Start - Begin Implementation Work

Instructions

Process Overview

Step 0: Check for PRD Argument

Step 0b: Context Awareness Check

Step 1: Smart PRD Detection (Only if Context Unclear)

Step 2: PRD Readiness Validation

Requirements Validation

Documentation Analysis

Implementation Readiness Checklist

Step 3: Implementation Context Setup

Git Branch Management

Development Environment Setup

Step 3 Checkpoint (REQUIRED)

Step 4: Hand Off to prd-next

Success Criteria

Notes