work

/work

/work [slug] is a declaration for this task: "spin up a dedicated worktree and do the work there." It applies to what the user is starting right now — it is not a standing rule that all work always happens in worktrees.

When invoked:

1. Look at what the repo already does, and copy it.
2. Create the worktree + branch and cd into it.
3. Do the requested work there.

Read the repo's conventions

git worktree list                                   # sibling dirs + branches
git branch -a --sort=-committerdate | head -20      # branch prefix/slug pattern
git remote show origin | sed -n 's/.*HEAD branch: //p'   # default branch

• Branch prefix — mirror the dominant one (e.g. <initials>/<slug>). None obvious → ask.
• Worktree dir — mirror sibling naming/location (commonly <repo>-<short> next to the primary checkout). Short suffix ≠ full branch is fine.
• Base — current default branch unless they name another.
• Slug — from the /work argument, else the task description.

Create it

repo="$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)"
parent="$(dirname "$repo")"
default="$(git -C "$repo" remote show origin | sed -n 's/.*HEAD branch: //p')"
git -C "$repo" fetch origin "$default"
git -C "$repo" worktree add -b <prefix>/<slug> "$parent/$(basename "$repo")-<short>" "origin/$default"
cd "$parent/$(basename "$repo")-<short>"

Reuse a matching worktree/branch if one already exists — don't duplicate. Match how siblings handle node_modules / .venv / symlinks.

• Never git stash in a worktree while other agents run: the stash list is shared repo-wide, so a pop can grab another worker's WIP. Commit WIP instead.

Then

• Do the task in the worktree; never in the primary checkout, and never in another agent's worktree.
• Never git stash in a worktree: refs/stash is shared by every worktree of the repo, so a parallel agent can pop your entry (or you pop theirs). To test against base, copy the file aside (git show HEAD:<path> > …) or use a throwaway worktree instead.
• Every worker and subagent gets its own hermes-agent worktree, and the worktree path is in its instructions. Fixes use a bb/* branch. Verification, typecheck, and tests use a detached worktree at origin/main. Each worktree runs its own npm ci. Never edit, install, build, typecheck, or test in ~/Developer/hermes-agent. tsc -b there emits .js beside the sources.
• Prefer direct execution for focused fixes. Do not delegate routine sibling-path audits or cleanup; reserve subagents for substantial independent work that clearly saves time.
• Default to pnpm for JavaScript package commands and install examples when the repository supports it. Respect an existing different package-manager/lockfile contract rather than introducing a second lockfile.
• UI → ui-only + ui-system. Tests → whatever the repo uses.
• When handing off, tell the user the worktree path and how to run it.
• Ship → commit, push the branch, open a PR/MR to the default branch.
• Cleaning up → offer to remove worktrees whose branch is already merged.
• Reviewing an existing PR instead of new work → pr-triage.