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

1. Select Target PRD – Identify which PRD to implement
2. Validate PRD Readiness – Ensure the PRD is ready for implementation
3. Set Up Implementation Context – Create branch and prepare environment
4. 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):

1. Git Branch Analysis – Check current branch name for PRD patterns:

   • feature/prd-12-* → PRD 12
   • prd-13-* → PRD 13
   • feature/prd-* → Extract PRD number

2. Recent Git Commits – Look at recent commit messages for PRD references:

   • “fix: PRD 12 documentation” → PRD 12
   • “feat: implement prd-13 features” → PRD 13

3. Git Status Analysis – Check modified/staged files for PRD clues:

   • Modified prds/12-*.md → PRD 12
   • Changes in feature-specific directories

4. Available PRDs Discovery – List all PRDs in prds/ directory

5. 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:

## 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

## 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

1. Check current branch: Run git branch --show-current
2. If on main or master: Create and switch to feature branch:

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

3. 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:

## 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:

## 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