swain-do

Abstraction layer for agent execution tracking. Other skills (e.g., swain-design) express intent using abstract terms; this skill translates that intent into concrete CLI commands.

Before first use: Read references/bd-cheatsheet.md for complete command syntax, flags, ID formats, and anti-patterns.

This skill receives handoffs from swain-design based on a four-tier tracking model:

Bootstrap, install, and operate an external task-management CLI as the source of truth for agent execution tracking (instead of built-in todos). Provides the abstraction layer between swain-design intent (implementation plans and tasks) and concrete CLI commands. MUST be invoked when any implementation-tier artifact (SPEC, STORY, BUG) comes up for implementation — create a tracked plan before writing code. Optional but recommended for complex SPIKEs. For coordination-tier artifacts (EPIC, VISION, JOURNEY), swain-design must decompose into implementable children first — this skill tracks the children, not the container. Also use for standalone tasks that require backend portability, persistent progress across agent runtimes, or external supervision. Use this skill whenever the user asks to track tasks, create an implementation plan, check what to work on next, see task status, manage dependencies between work items, or close/abandon tasks — even if they don't mention "execution tracking" explicitly. Source: cristoslc/swain.