BMAD-METHOD/docs/explanation/features/quick-flow.md

title	description
Quick Spec Flow	Understanding Quick Spec Flow for rapid development in BMad Method

Quick Spec Flow is a streamlined alternative to the full BMad Method for Quick Flow track projects. Instead of going through Product Brief → PRD → Architecture, you go straight to a context-aware technical specification and start coding.

• Perfect for: Bug fixes, small features, rapid prototyping, and quick enhancements
• Time to implementation: Minutes, not hours

When to Use Quick Flow

Use Quick Flow when:

• Single bug fix or small enhancement
• Small feature with clear scope (typically 1-15 stories)
• Rapid prototyping or experimentation
• Adding to existing brownfield codebase
• You know exactly what you want to build

Use BMad Method or Enterprise when:

• Building new products or major features
• Need stakeholder alignment
• Complex multi-team coordination
• Requires extensive planning and architecture

:::tip[Not Sure?] Run workflow-init to get a recommendation based on your project's needs. :::

Quick Flow Overview

flowchart TD
    START[Step 1: Run Tech-Spec Workflow]
    DETECT[Detects project stack]
    ANALYZE[Analyzes brownfield codebase]
    TEST[Detects test frameworks]
    CONFIRM[Confirms conventions]
    GENERATE[Generates context-rich tech-spec]
    STORIES[Creates ready-to-implement stories]
    IMPL[Step 2: Implement with DEV Agent]
    DONE[DONE!]

    START --> DETECT
    DETECT --> ANALYZE
    ANALYZE --> TEST
    TEST --> CONFIRM
    CONFIRM --> GENERATE
    GENERATE --> STORIES
    STORIES --> IMPL
    IMPL --> DONE

    style START fill:#bfb,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style IMPL fill:#bbf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style DONE fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:3px

What Makes It Quick

• No Product Brief needed
• No PRD needed
• No Architecture doc needed
• Auto-detects your stack
• Auto-analyzes brownfield code
• Auto-validates quality
• Story context optional (tech-spec is comprehensive)

Smart Context Discovery

Quick Spec Flow automatically discovers and uses:

Existing Documentation

• Product briefs (if they exist)
• Research documents
• document-project output (brownfield codebase map)

Project Stack

• Node.js: package.json → frameworks, dependencies, scripts
• Python: requirements.txt, pyproject.toml → packages, tools
• Ruby: Gemfile → gems and versions
• Java: pom.xml, build.gradle → Maven/Gradle dependencies
• Go: go.mod → modules
• Rust: Cargo.toml → crates

Brownfield Code Patterns

• Directory structure and organization
• Existing code patterns (class-based, functional, MVC)
• Naming conventions
• Test frameworks and patterns
• Code style configurations

Convention Confirmation

Quick Spec Flow detects your conventions and asks for confirmation:

I've detected these conventions in your codebase:

Code Style:
- ESLint with Airbnb config
- Prettier with single quotes

Test Patterns:
- Jest test framework
- .test.js file naming

Should I follow these existing conventions? (yes/no)

You decide: Conform to existing patterns or establish new standards!

Auto-Validation

Quick Spec Flow automatically validates everything:

• Context gathering completeness
• Definitiveness (no "use X or Y" statements)
• Brownfield integration quality
• Stack alignment
• Implementation readiness

Comparison: Quick Flow vs Full BMM

Aspect	Quick Flow Track	BMad Method/Enterprise Tracks
Setup	None (standalone)	workflow-init recommended
Planning Docs	tech-spec.md only	Product Brief → PRD → Architecture
Time to Code	Minutes	Hours to days
Best For	Bug fixes, small features	New products, major features
Context Discovery	Automatic	Manual + guided
Validation	Auto-validates everything	Manual validation steps
Brownfield	Auto-analyzes and conforms	Manual documentation required

When to Graduate to BMad Method

Start with Quick Flow, but switch to BMad Method when:

• Project grows beyond initial scope
• Multiple teams need coordination
• Stakeholders need formal documentation
• Product vision is unclear
• Architectural decisions need deep analysis
• Compliance/regulatory requirements exist

:::tip[Transition Tip] You can always run workflow-init later to transition from Quick Flow to BMad Method. :::