BMAD-METHOD/bmad-core/tasks/session-kickoff.md

Session Kickoff

This task ensures AI agents have complete project context and understanding before starting work. It provides systematic session initialization across all agent types.

Purpose

• Establish comprehensive project understanding
• Validate documentation consistency
• Identify current project state and priorities
• Recommend next steps based on evidence
• Prevent context gaps that lead to suboptimal decisions

Process

1. Memory Bank Review (Primary Context)

Priority Order:

1. Memory Bank Files (if they exist): docs/memory-bank/
   • projectbrief.md - Project foundation and scope
   • activeContext.md - Current work and immediate priorities
   • progress.md - Project state and completed features
   • systemPatterns.md - Architecture and technical decisions
   • techContext.md - Technology stack and constraints
   • productContext.md - Problem space and user needs

Analysis Required:

• When were these last updated?
• Is information current and accurate?
• Any apparent inconsistencies between files?

2. Architecture Documentation Review

Primary References (check which exists):

• /docs/architecture.md - General backend/system architecture (greenfield)
• /docs/brownfield-architecture.md - Enhancement architecture for existing systems
• /docs/frontend-architecture.md - Frontend-specific architecture
• /docs/fullstack-architecture.md - Complete full-stack architecture

Key Elements to Review:

• Core architectural decisions and patterns
• System design and component relationships
• Technology choices and constraints
• Integration points and data flows
• API documentation
• Database schemas

3. Development History Review

Recent Dev Journals: docs/devJournal/

• Read last 3-5 entries to understand recent work
• Identify patterns in challenges and decisions
• Note any unresolved issues or technical debt
• Understand development velocity and blockers

Current ADRs: docs/adr/

• Review recent architectural decisions
• Check for pending or superseded decisions
• Validate alignment with current architecture
• Skip archived ADRs (consolidated in architecture docs)

4. Project Documentation Scan

Core Documentation:

• README.md - Project overview and setup
• CHANGELOG.md - Recent changes and releases
• Package manifests (package.json, requirements.txt, etc.)
• Configuration files

Additional Context:

• Issue trackers or project boards
• Recent commits and branches
• Test results and coverage reports

5. Current State Assessment

Development Environment:

# Check git status
git status
git log --oneline -10

# Check current branch and commits
git branch -v

# Review recent changes
git diff --name-status HEAD~5

Project Health:

• Are there failing tests or builds?
• Any urgent issues or blockers?
• Current sprint/iteration status
• Outstanding pull requests

6. Consistency Validation

Cross-Reference Checks:

• Does Memory Bank align with actual codebase?
• Are ADRs reflected in current architecture?
• Do dev journals match git history?
• Is documentation current with recent changes?

Identify Gaps:

• Missing or outdated documentation
• Undocumented architectural decisions
• Inconsistencies between sources
• Knowledge gaps requiring clarification

7. Agent-Specific Context

For Architect Agent:

• Focus on architectural decisions and system design
• Review technical debt and improvement opportunities
• Assess scalability and performance considerations

For Developer Agent:

• Focus on current work items and immediate tasks
• Review recent implementation patterns
• Understand testing and deployment processes

For Product Owner Agent:

• Focus on requirements and user stories
• Review product roadmap and priorities
• Assess feature completion and user feedback

8. Next Steps Recommendation

Based on Evidence:

• What are the most urgent priorities?
• Are there any blockers or dependencies?
• What documentation needs updating?
• What architectural decisions are pending?

Recommended Actions:

1. Immediate Tasks - Ready to start now
2. Dependency Resolution - What needs clarification
3. Documentation Updates - What needs to be updated
4. Strategic Items - Longer-term considerations

Quality Checklist

• Memory Bank reviewed (or noted if missing)
• Architecture documentation understood
• Recent development history reviewed
• Current project state assessed
• Documentation inconsistencies identified
• Agent-specific context established
• Next steps clearly recommended
• Any urgent issues flagged

Output Template

# Session Kickoff Summary

## Project Understanding
- **Project**: [Name and core purpose]
- **Current Phase**: [Development stage]
- **Last Updated**: [When Memory Bank was last updated]

## Documentation Health
- **Memory Bank**: [Exists/Missing/Outdated]
- **Architecture Docs**: [Current/Needs Update]
- **Dev Journals**: [Last entry date]
- **ADRs**: [Recent decisions noted]

## Current State
- **Active Branch**: [Git branch]
- **Recent Work**: [Summary from dev journals]
- **Project Health**: [Green/Yellow/Red with reasons]
- **Immediate Blockers**: [Any urgent issues]

## Inconsistencies Found
[List any documentation inconsistencies or gaps]

## Agent-Specific Context
[Relevant context for current agent role]

## Recommended Next Steps
1. [Most urgent priority]
2. [Secondary priority]
3. [Documentation updates needed]

Integration Points

This task integrates with:

• Memory Bank: Primary source of project context
• All Agents: Universal session initialization
• Document Project: Can trigger if documentation missing
• Update Memory Bank: Can trigger if information outdated
• Agent Activation: Called at start of agent sessions

Usage Patterns

New Agent Session:

1. Agent activates
2. Runs session-kickoff task
3. Reviews output and confirms understanding
4. Proceeds with informed context

Project Handoff:

1. New team member or AI session
2. Runs comprehensive kickoff
3. Identifies knowledge gaps
4. Updates documentation as needed

Quality Gate:

1. Before major feature work
2. After significant time gap
3. When context seems incomplete
4. As part of regular project health checks

Notes

• This task should be lightweight for daily use but comprehensive for major handoffs
• Adapt depth based on project complexity and available time
• Can be automated as part of agent startup routines
• Helps prevent tunnel vision and context loss