---
name: dev-loop
description: Run a bounded autonomous development loop (Steinberger-style) over one or more repositories or task queues — triage, pick the highest-value bounded task, land it only behind full gates, and stop cleanly. Use for continuous maintenance sessions or scheduled background dev runs, not one-off edits.
allowed-tools: Read Grep Glob Bash Write Edit Skill Agent
---

Operate a controlled maintenance loop that makes steady, verified progress without human babysitting — and without ever landing unverified or unauthorized work. Opus owns routing and acceptance; this skill is the loop discipline. Adapt the cadence to the runtime: a live session iterates continuously; a scheduled run (see the `schedule` skill) executes one pass per trigger.

## Loop

While maintenance is active, on each cycle:

1. **Triage.** List candidate work across the repositories/queues in scope (open tasks in `docs/TASKS.md`, failing checks, TODOs, dependency alerts, review comments). Read each repository's latest state before acting.
2. **One thread per repository.** Reuse a single working context/branch per repository; do not fragment a repo across parallel threads. Do not interrupt coherent active work already in progress — pick it up where it is or leave it alone.
3. **Pick one bounded task.** Choose the highest value-per-effort item that fits within granted permissions and a single cycle. Write or update its contract in `docs/TASKS.md`. If it needs a decision you can't make, mark it decision-ready and move on.
4. **Execute within permission.** Delegate implementation to `builder` (or do the minimal change) on the named files only. Never expand scope, and never take destructive or external actions without explicit authorization.
5. **Landing gates — all required before anything lands:**
   - tests written/updated and passing,
   - live proof the change does what it claims (run it, not just read it),
   - independent review (`verifier`; add `security-auditor`/`critic` for sensitive changes),
   - green CI.
   If any gate is red, do not land — fix or revert, then re-run the gates.
6. **Escalate, don't guess.** Stop and surface anything touching product direction, access/permissions, security, cost, or irreversible action. Leave it decision-ready with the options laid out.
7. **Record.** For every meaningful change, update `docs/HANDOFF.md` (state, changed paths, checks) and move finished contracts out of Active in `docs/TASKS.md`. Trigger `continuous-improvement` on a verified failure.

## Stop condition

End the run when every in-scope item is one of: **landed**, **decision-ready** (blocked on the user), **blocked** (external dependency), or **no work left**. Do not invent work to stay busy — an idle, clean stop is a success. Report a one-screen summary: landed, awaiting-decision, blocked, and next cadence.

## Scheduling

To run this unattended, pair it with the `schedule` skill (e.g. wake on a cron cadence, execute one pass, stop). Keep the per-run budget explicit (max tasks/turns) so a scheduled run can't sprawl.
