AI Development Loop

Autonomous task execution with QA gates across multiple AI platforms.

Overview

The AI Development Loop enables fully autonomous feature development where:

AI agents pick up and implement tasks from a queue You do QA only (approve or reject in Testing column) Multiple platforms (Claude CLI, Cursor, Codex) can work in parallel Rate limits are maximized by switching between platforms Architecture ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ │ BACKLOG │────▶│ TO DO │────▶│ TESTING │────▶│ DONE │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ PRDs ready │ │ Agent picks │ │ YOU review │ │ Shipped │ │ │ │ & builds │ │ & approve │ │ │ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ │ │ ┌─────┴─────┐ ┌─────┴─────┐ │ Claude │ │ Reject │ │ Cursor │ │ → To Do │ │ Codex │ └───────────┘ └───────────┘

Task Lifecycle 1. Task Creation

Tasks live in .agent/TASKS/[task-name].md with structured metadata:

Task: [Feature Name]

ID: feature-name-slug Status: Backlog | To Do | Testing | Done Priority: High | Medium | Low PRD: Link

Agent Metadata

Claimed-By: [platform-session-id] Claimed-At: [timestamp] Completed-At: [timestamp]

Progress

Agent-Notes: [real-time updates] QA-Checklist:

• [ ] Code compiles/lints
• [ ] Tests pass (CI)
• [ ] User acceptance
• [ ] Visual review

Rejection History

Rejection-Count: 0 Rejections: [list of rejection notes]

1. Task Claiming

When an agent runs /loop:

Scans .agent/TASKS/ for Status: To Do Sorts by priority (High > Medium > Low) Skips tasks with active claims (< 30 min old) Updates task with Claimed-By and Claimed-At 3. Implementation

Agent works on the task:

Reads task file and linked PRD Checks .agent/SESSIONS/ for related past work Implements the feature/fix Updates Agent-Notes with progress Creates branch and commits 4. Quality Check

Before moving to Testing:

Runs qa-reviewer skill Updates QA-Checklist items Ensures code compiles/lints 5. Completion

Agent finalizes:

Sets Status: Testing Sets Completed-At timestamp Adds final summary to Agent-Notes Prompts for next action 6. QA Gate (Your Turn)

In Kaiban.md:

Review Testing column Click task to see PRD preview Check linked PR Approve: Drag to Done Reject: Click reject, add note → returns to To Do 7. Rejection Handling

When rejected:

Status returns to To Do Rejection-Count increments Rejection note added to history Next /loop picks up with full context Multi-Platform Strategy Platform Strengths Platform Best For Claude CLI Complex logic, backend, architecture Cursor UI components, styling, visual work Codex Bulk refactoring, migrations, docs Parallel Execution

Multiple platforms can work simultaneously:

Each claims different tasks Claims prevent conflicts (30-min lock) Shared state via task files Rate Limit Handling

When rate limited:

Agent saves progress to Agent-Notes Releases claim (clears Claimed-By) Suggests switching platform User continues with different platform Daily Workflow Morning QA Session Open Kaiban.md extension in VS Code Review Testing column Approve good work → Done Reject with notes → To Do Throughout Day

Claude CLI

claude

/loop # Process task /loop # Next task

Rate limited? Switch to Cursor

Rate Limit Strategy Claude limit? → Switch to Cursor Cursor limit? → Switch to Codex All limited? → QA time (review Testing)

Integration Points Kaiban.md Extension Visual Kanban board for .agent/TASKS/ Drag & drop status changes PRD preview panel Reject button with note input Agent claim status badges Existing Skills qa-reviewer: 6-phase quality verification session-documenter: Auto-document completed work rules-capture: Learn from rejection feedback Git Workflow Branch per task: feature/[task-id] Commits with clear messages PR linked in task file Not a Daemon

Important: /loop is NOT a background process.

Each invocation handles ONE task Returns control to user User decides to continue or stop Respects "never run background processes" rule Claim Expiration

Claims expire after 30 minutes:

Handles agent crashes Handles rate limit interruptions Previous Agent-Notes provide context for pickup Enables multi-platform handoff Best Practices For Task Creation Write clear, actionable task descriptions Link to PRD for requirements Set appropriate priority Include testing criteria For Agents Read task and PRD thoroughly before starting Update Agent-Notes regularly Run qa-reviewer before completing Create clean, focused commits For QA (You) Review PRD alongside implementation Provide specific rejection feedback Approve incrementally (don't batch) Keep Testing column short