Agent Creation Skill

[!FIXED!]

Purpose

This skill provides procedures for creating new agents when project complexity requires delegation. Agents should be created on-demand, not preemptively.

When to use:

• Task complexity exceeds single-agent capacity
• Specialized expertise is needed
• Parallel work would be beneficial
• Recurring tasks would benefit from dedicated agent

When NOT to use:

• Simple tasks Head Cook can handle
• One-off tasks
• Early project phases (keep simple) [!FIXED!]

=== PREREQUISITES ===

Before using this skill:

• You are Head Cook (only Head Cook creates agents)
• Assessed that complexity warrants new agent
• Identified appropriate template
• Buildlog is current

=== PROCEDURE: ASSESS NEED ===

Questions to Ask

1. Is this task recurring?

   • One-off → Handle directly
   • Recurring → Consider agent

2. Does this require specialized expertise?

   • Coding focus → Code Chef
   • Review focus → Review Chef
   • Documentation focus → Doc Chef
   • General → Handle directly

3. Would parallel work help?

   • Sequential is fine → Handle directly
   • Parallel beneficial → Consider agent

4. Is current workload sustainable?

   • Manageable → Handle directly
   • Overwhelming → Create agent(s)

Decision Matrix

=== PROCEDURE: SELECT TEMPLATE ===

Available Templates

Template Selection

1. For coding tasks

   • Use code-chef.template.md
   • Customize for specific tech stack

2. For review tasks

   • Use review-chef.template.md
   • Customize review criteria

3. For documentation tasks

   • Use doc-chef.template.md
   • Customize for project docs

4. For other specialized tasks

   • Use agent.template.md
   • Define role from scratch

=== PROCEDURE: CREATE AGENT ===

Step 1: Copy Template

# Copy appropriate template
cp agentdocs/templates/code-chef.template.md agentdocs/code-chef.agent.md

Step 2: Customize Preamble

Update YAML preamble:

---
document_name: "code-chef.agent.md"
location: "agentdocs/code-chef.agent.md"
codebook_id: "CB-AGENT-CODE-001"  # Assign unique ID
date_created: "YYYY-MM-DD"         # Today's date
date_last_edited: "YYYY-MM-DD"     # Today's date
# ... rest of preamble
---

Step 3: Customize Content

Replace all << placeholder >> values:

1. Responsibilities

   • Customize for project needs
   • Add project-specific duties
   • Remove irrelevant items

2. Capabilities

   • Map to available skills
   • Add project-specific skills
   • Specify proficiency levels

3. Boundaries

   • Define what agent DOES
   • Define what agent DOES NOT
   • Specify escalation paths

4. Handoff Protocols

   • Define inputs from Head Cook
   • Define outputs to Head Cook
   • Define interactions with other agents

Step 4: Register Agent

Update agentdocs/_agent-index.md:

=== REGISTERED AGENTS ===

| Codebook ID | Agent Name | File | Role | Status |
|-------------|------------|------|------|--------|
| CB-AGENT-HEAD-001 | Head Cook | head-cook.agent.md | Orchestrator | active |
| CB-AGENT-CODE-001 | Code Chef | code-chef.agent.md | Coding | active |  <!-- NEW -->

Step 5: Log Creation

Add buildlog entry:

| HH:MM | #micro-decision | Created Code Chef agent for dedicated coding tasks | CB-AGENT-CODE-001 |

Step 6: Verify

• Agent file has complete preamble
• All placeholders replaced
• Codebook ID is unique
• Registered in index
• Referenced skills exist
• Handoff protocols are clear

=== PROCEDURE: RETIRE AGENT ===

When an agent is no longer needed:

Step 1: Assess

• Is agent still being used?
• Would other agents cover this role?
• Is project complexity decreasing?

Step 2: Mark Deprecated

Update agent's preamble:

status: "deprecated"

Step 3: Update Index

In _agent-index.md, change status:

| CB-AGENT-XXX-001 | Agent Name | file.md | Role | deprecated |

Step 4: Archive (Optional)

Move to agentdocs/archive/ if keeping for reference.

Step 5: Log

| HH:MM | #micro-decision | Retired Agent Name - no longer needed | CB-AGENT-XXX-001 |

=== CODEBOOK ID ASSIGNMENT ===

Format

CB-AGENT-{NAME}-{SEQUENCE}

Examples:
- CB-AGENT-HEAD-001    : Head Cook
- CB-AGENT-CODE-001    : Code Chef
- CB-AGENT-REVIEW-001  : Review Chef
- CB-AGENT-DOC-001     : Doc Chef
- CB-AGENT-TEST-001    : Test Chef
- CB-AGENT-CUSTOM-001  : Custom agent

Rules

1. Use descriptive NAME (CODE, REVIEW, DOC, etc.)
2. Start SEQUENCE at 001
3. Never reuse a retired agent's ID
4. Document in both agent file and index

=== COMMON ISSUES ===

Too Many Agents

Issue: Created agents prematurely, now overwhelming Fix: Retire unused agents; consolidate similar roles

Missing Skills

Issue: Agent references skills that don't exist Fix: Create required skills first, or adjust agent capabilities

Unclear Boundaries

Issue: Agents stepping on each other's responsibilities Fix: Review and clarify boundaries; update both agents

Orphaned Agents

Issue: Agent exists but is never used Fix: Either integrate into workflow or retire

=== RELATED DOCUMENTS ===