Opinionated AI agent dev stack with tools, guides, templates, and workflows to take you from good to great.
npx skills add https://github.com/Mburdo/knowledge_and_vibes --skill advanceInstallieren Sie diesen Skill über die CLI und beginnen Sie mit der Verwendung des SKILL.md-Workflows in Ihrem Arbeitsbereich.
A structured workflow for building real software with AI assistance. Plans are explicit, work is tracked, and verification is mandatory.
The core insight: truth lives outside the model. The AI's confident output is not truth. Truth is tests that pass, code that compiles, documentation that exists. Everything else is a hypothesis that needs verification.
Six open-source CLI tools that give AI agents structure, memory, and accountability. Together they enable multiple agents to work on the same codebase without conflicts, remember what worked across sessions, and catch bugs before they ship.
| Tool | What It Does | Repo |
|---|---|---|
| bd | Track tasks with dependencies and verification gates | mcp_agent_mail |
| bv | Analyze task graph—blockers, critical path, what's ready | mcp_agent_mail |
| Agent Mail | Coordinate agents—file reservations, messaging, handoffs | mcp_agent_mail |
| ubs | Scan for security vulnerabilities before every commit | ultimate_bug_scanner |
| cass | Search past sessions—find how you solved it before | coding_agent_session_search |
| cm | Persist learned patterns and rules across sessions | cass_memory_system |
Quick install: Each tool installs with a single
curl | bashcommand.
See the Setup Guide for details.
AI-assisted development fails in predictable ways:
You can't prompt your way out of these problems. You need a system where failures get caught before they matter.
Before the formal pipeline, surface every decision hiding in your idea. Use relentless curiosity to interrogate frontier models until nothing is left to interpret. The plan is complete when any capable agent could implement without asking a single clarifying question.
Plan as much as appropriate. Give the AI as few decisions as possible.
Before anyone writes code, the goal is pinned down. A North Star Card captures what success looks like, what's out of scope, and when the AI should stop and ask. Requirements are written in testable terms. Decisions are recorded so they're not relitigated.
Work is broken into beads: tasks with dependencies, status, and verification requirements. Nothing gets forgotten. Nothing falls through the cracks. The graph of work is explicit and queryable.
When multiple AI agents work simultaneously, they need a protocol. File reservations prevent conflicts. Claim/close announcements tell everyone what's taken. Calibration checkpoints catch drift before it compounds.
Tests are written before implementation (TDD). Security scans run before every commit. If something fails after three attempts, it gets decomposed or escalated rather than retried indefinitely.
flowchart TB
START([Start]) --> S0
subgraph PLAN[Planning]
S0[North Star] --> S1[Requirements]
S1 --> S2[QA Pass]
S2 --> S3[Decisions]
S3 --> S4[Spikes]
S4 --> S5[Plan Pack]
end
subgraph DECOMP[Decomposition]
S6[Phases] --> S7[Beads]
end
subgraph EXEC[Execution]
COORD[Coordinate] --> TDD[Tests First]
TDD --> IMPL[Implement]
IMPL --> CHECK{Pass?}
CHECK -->|no| RETRY{Try 3?}
RETRY -->|yes| IMPL
RETRY -->|no| SPLIT[Decompose]
SPLIT --> TDD
CHECK -->|yes| SEC[Security Scan]
SEC --> NEXT{More beads?}
NEXT -->|yes| TDD
end
subgraph CAL[Calibration]
COV[Coverage] --> DRIFT[Drift Check]
DRIFT --> RESOLVE[Test Resolution]
RESOLVE --> GATE{Pass?}
end
subgraph REL[Release]
VERIFY[Verify All] --> ACCEPT[Acceptance]
ACCEPT --> SHIP([Ship])
end
S5 --> S6
S7 --> COORD
NEXT -->|no| COV
GATE -->|yes| VERIFY
GATE -->|no| S0
Every protocol is backed by research. 50+ papers distilled into actionable practices:
See the Research summaries for the full collection.
| Section | What You'll Find |
|---|---|
| Discovery | Pre-pipeline: curiosity-driven architecture (start here for new projects) |
| Setup Guide | How to install and configure the toolchain |
| Pipeline Reference | The complete 11-stage pipeline |
| Protocols | 19 repeatable procedures for common situations |
| Templates | North Star cards, requirements, ADRs, and more |
| Glossary | Every term defined |
Start with START_HERE.md for the recommended reading order.
Copy this entire block and give it to an AI agent to fully set up Knowledge & Vibes in your project:
Copy everything below this line:
Repository: https://github.com/Mburdo/knowledge_and_vibes
Set up the complete Knowledge & Vibes framework in this project. Follow every step precisely.
Check if these tools exist. For any that are missing, install them.
Run this to check:
command -v bd && echo "bd: installed" || echo "bd: MISSING"
command -v bv && echo "bv: installed" || echo "bv: MISSING"
command -v ubs && echo "ubs: installed" || echo "ubs: MISSING"
command -v cass && echo "cass: installed" || echo "cass: MISSING"
command -v cm && echo "cm: installed" || echo "cm: MISSING"
If any are missing, install them:
# Beads (bd, bv) and Agent Mail
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Dicklesworthstone/mcp_agent_mail/main/scripts/install.sh | bash -s -- --dir "$HOME/mcp_agent_mail" --yes
# CASS (session search)
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Dicklesworthstone/coding_agent_session_search/main/install.sh | bash -s -- --easy-mode
# UBS (security scanner)
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Dicklesworthstone/ultimate_bug_scanner/master/install.sh | bash -s -- --easy-mode
# cm (context memory) - detect architecture and install
mkdir -p ~/.local/bin
ARCH=$(uname -m); OS=$(uname -s)
if [ "$OS" = "Darwin" ] && [ "$ARCH" = "arm64" ]; then
curl -L https://github.com/Dicklesworthstone/cass_memory_system/releases/latest/download/cass-memory-macos-arm64 -o ~/.local/bin/cm
elif [ "$OS" = "Darwin" ]; then
curl -L https://github.com/Dicklesworthstone/cass_memory_system/releases/latest/download/cass-memory-macos-x64 -o ~/.local/bin/cm
else
curl -L https://github.com/Dicklesworthstone/cass_memory_system/releases/latest/download/cass-memory-linux-x64 -o ~/.local/bin/cm
fi
chmod +x ~/.local/bin/cm
Run Claude Code's built-in init to create the base .claude/ folder:
/init
This creates .claude/CLAUDE.md with project-specific instructions.
Clone K&V temporarily and copy everything needed:
# Clone K&V repo
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Mburdo/knowledge_and_vibes.git /tmp/kv-setup
# Create PLAN directory
mkdir -p PLAN
# Copy all agent configuration
cp -r /tmp/kv-setup/.claude/commands .claude/
cp -r /tmp/kv-setup/.claude/rules .claude/
cp -r /tmp/kv-setup/.claude/skills .claude/
cp -r /tmp/kv-setup/.claude/templates .claude/
# Copy AGENTS.md template
cp /tmp/kv-setup/templates/AGENTS_TEMPLATE.md ./AGENTS.md
# Copy planning templates into PLAN directory
cp /tmp/kv-setup/templates/NORTH_STAR_CARD_TEMPLATE.md ./PLAN/00_north_star.md
cp /tmp/kv-setup/templates/REQUIREMENTS_TEMPLATE.md ./PLAN/01_requirements.md
cp /tmp/kv-setup/templates/REQUIREMENTS_QA_TEMPLATE.md ./PLAN/02_requirements_qa.md
cp /tmp/kv-setup/templates/DECISIONS_ADRS_TEMPLATE.md ./PLAN/03_decisions.md
cp /tmp/kv-setup/templates/RISKS_AND_SPIKES_TEMPLATE.md ./PLAN/04_risks_and_spikes.md
cp /tmp/kv-setup/templates/TRACEABILITY_TEMPLATE.md ./PLAN/05_traceability.md
# Clean up
rm -rf /tmp/kv-setup
bd init
Now analyze the current project to understand:
Read any existing README, CONTRIBUTING, or architecture docs.
Edit AGENTS.md with project-specific information based on your analysis:
If the project has existing code, create CODEMAPS/overview.md with:
Based on your analysis, give me specific recommendations:
If starting from scratch:
If existing codebase:
ubs . to find existing problemsFirst commands to try:
/prime - Start a working sessionbd create "First task" -t task -p 2 - Create first taskbv --robot-triage - Analyze task graphgit add .beads/ .claude/ AGENTS.md PLAN/
git add CODEMAPS/ 2>/dev/null || true
git commit -m "Initialize Knowledge & Vibes framework"
Generate a personalized orientation for the human user. Use this structure:
Setup complete. Here's what you now have and how to use it.
[List tools: what was already present vs newly installed, any issues]
flowchart LR
subgraph TOOLS["Your Tools"]
BD["bd"]
BV["bv"]
UBS["ubs"]
CASS["cass"]
CM["cm"]
end
BD --> TASKS["Track tasks"]
BV --> GRAPH["See dependencies"]
UBS --> SCAN["Catch bugs"]
CASS --> HISTORY["Search past work"]
CM --> MEMORY["Remember patterns"]
What each does:
[Show actual structure created, annotated for this specific project]
flowchart LR
PLAN["Plan it"] --> DECOMPOSE["Break it down"]
DECOMPOSE --> BUILD["Build it"]
BUILD --> VERIFY["Verify it"]
VERIFY --> SHIP["Ship it"]
In practice:
PLAN/. Start with the North Star.bd create.ubs before commits./calibrate to check for drift. /release when ready to ship.[Personalized analysis:]
If starting fresh:
PLAN/00_north_star.md and define what success looks likePLAN/01_requirements.mdbd create "First task" -t taskIf existing codebase:
ubs . to see current issues/prime| You want to... | Run this |
|---|---|
| Start working | /prime |
| See available tasks | bd ready |
| Create a task | bd create "description" |
| Finish a task | bd close <id> |
| Check for bugs | ubs . |
| Find past solutions | cass search "query" |
docs/workflow/IDEATION_TO_PRODUCTION.mddocs/workflow/PROTOCOLS.mdresearch/README.mdThis framework is the distillation of three years of building with AI, starting from zero.
When GPT-3.5 launched, I was in high finance. I couldn't write a line of code. But I recognized immediately that AI was going to fundamentally change how things get built, and I wanted to be part of it.
So I went all in. Not with tutorials or bootcamps, but with a first principles approach: What can these models actually do? Where do they fail? How do you extract every ounce of capability while catching the inevitable mistakes?
The early days were rough. The models were weaker. The tooling didn't exist. Every technique had to be discovered through trial and error. But I stayed in it, learning, building, refining, session after session, project after project.
Three years later, I'm shipping complex applications with real users and real revenue. Not because I became a traditional developer, but because I learned how to work with AI in a way that produces reliable results.
This framework is everything I've learned, systematized. The protocols that prevent the common failures. The tools that catch mistakes before they ship. The workflow that turns AI-assisted coding from a gamble into a repeatable process.
If you're technical, this will make you faster. If you're not, this is proof that you can build real things anyway.