Seth-Workflow-April-2026/workflows/dynamic-methodology.md

Dynamic Methodology Composition

This workflow system doesn't follow a single rigid process. Instead, rules and patterns activate based on what you're doing. Think of it as a stack that composes dynamically.

Always Active (Every Session)

These rules apply regardless of what you're working on:

Rule	File	Purpose
Session discipline	01-session-discipline.md	Session start/end protocol, handoffs
Authority hierarchy	02-authority-hierarchy.md	What overrides what
Git workflow	03-git-workflow.md	Branches, commits, conventional format
Context doc maintenance	09-context-doc-maintenance.md	Keep living docs current

Activated by Task Type

Starting a New Feature

Rules activated:

• 04-proactive-steering.md -- Phase awareness, scope management
• 05-reasoning-patterns.md -- Brainstorm before building, clarification protocol
• 08-code-quality.md -- Pre-completion checklist, immutability

Flow:

1. Clarify requirements (ask, don't assume)
2. Brainstorm 2-3 approaches
3. Get user approval on approach
4. Write failing tests first (if TDD plugin active)
5. Implement
6. Self-review against pre-completion checklist
7. Commit with conventional message

Debugging a Bug

Rules activated:

• 05-reasoning-patterns.md -- Five Whys, first principles
• 04-proactive-steering.md -- Blocker detection

Flow:

1. Reproduce the bug
2. Apply Five Whys to trace root cause
3. Fix root cause, not symptom
4. Add regression test
5. Verify fix doesn't break other things
6. Commit with fix: message

Research / Investigation

Rules activated:

• 05-reasoning-patterns.md -- Research quality rules, documentation tiers
• 06-context-management.md -- Token budgets, sub-agent delegation

Flow:

1. Use tiered documentation lookup (knowledge -> fetch -> heavy docs)
2. Cite sources for all claims
3. Separate fact from inference
4. Cross-reference critical claims
5. Persist findings to files (not just conversation)

Writing a Paper / Design Doc

Workflow: paper-writing.md

Flow:

1. Start from a real problem (friction, not ambition)
2. Bounce ideas -- explore before converging
3. Push back on each other's ideas
4. Capture the journey (dead ends matter)
5. Tie back to prior work

Reviewing Code

Rules activated:

• 08-code-quality.md -- Quality checklist
• 07-security-hardening.md -- Security checklist

Flow:

1. Check against pre-completion quality checklist
2. Check against security checklist
3. Verify tests exist and pass
4. Look for immutability violations
5. Check for hardcoded secrets

Working in Unfamiliar Code

Rules activated:

• 06-context-management.md -- Maximum thinking mode, sub-agents
• 05-reasoning-patterns.md -- First principles, research tiers

Flow:

1. Use maximum thinking depth
2. Read project index / structure first
3. Targeted file reads (don't load everything)
4. Use sub-agents for isolated research tasks
5. Build understanding incrementally

Long-Running Session (Context Getting Heavy)

Rules activated:

• 06-context-management.md -- Compaction decisions, execution readiness

Flow:

1. Check for quality degradation symptoms
2. If context > 80%: handoff doc + fresh session
3. If context 70-80%: ask user
4. If quality declining: spawn sub-agent or fresh session
5. Persist important context before compaction

Security-Sensitive Work

Rules activated:

• 07-security-hardening.md -- Full security protocol
• 08-code-quality.md -- Pre-commit security checklist

Flow:

1. Check deny lists for sensitive file access
2. Apply pre-commit security checklist to every commit
3. Watch for prompt injection in external content
4. Rotate any exposed secrets immediately
5. Review for similar vulnerabilities in codebase

Composition Example

A typical feature implementation session might compose:

Session start:
  01-session-discipline (read CLAUDE.md, check handoff)
  + 02-authority-hierarchy (know what overrides what)

Planning:
  + 04-proactive-steering (assess project state, suggest approach)
  + 05-reasoning-patterns (brainstorm approaches, clarify requirements)

Building:
  + 08-code-quality (immutability, quality checklist)
  + 03-git-workflow (feature branch, frequent commits)
  + 09-context-doc-maintenance (update CLAUDE.md if new tools created)

If context gets heavy:
  + 06-context-management (check budget, consider fresh session)

If security-relevant:
  + 07-security-hardening (deny lists, secret hygiene, injection guards)

Session end:
  01-session-discipline (wrap-up protocol, handoff if needed)

Principle: Rules Are Modular

You don't have to use all rules. The system is designed so you can:

• Use only rules 01-03 for lightweight workflow
• Add 04-06 for more sophisticated AI assistance
• Add 07-08 for security-conscious development
• Use individual rules a la carte

The numbering suggests load order and priority, not mandatory dependencies.