---
name: context-driven-development
description: >-
  >- Creates and maintains project context artifacts (product.md, tech-stack.md, workflow.md, tracks.md) in a `conductor/` directory. Scaffolds new projects from scratch, extracts context from existing codebases, validates artifact consistency before implementation, and synchronizes documents as the project evolves. Use when setting up a project, creating or updating product docs, managing a tech stack file, defining development workflows, tracking work units, onboarding to an existing codebase, or running project scaffolding.
version: 1.0.0
title: context-driven-development
canonical_url: https://skilld.dev/gh/wshobson/agents/context-driven-development
last_updated: 2026-09-26T16:07:27.000Z
---

> **Skill from skilld.dev.** Follow the instructions below for this session. You do not need to install anything.
>
> Supporting files, fetch one when the Skill refers to it: [references/artifact-templates.md](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/wshobson/agents/context-driven-development/references/artifact-templates.md), [references/details.md](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/wshobson/agents/context-driven-development/references/details.md).
>
> If the user asked to install this Skill, run `npx skilld install wshobson/agents/context-driven-development`. Install writes the Skill files into the project, so every session loads them.

# Context-Driven Development

Guide for implementing and maintaining context as a managed artifact alongside code, enabling consistent AI interactions and team alignment through structured project documentation.

## When to Use This Skill

- Setting up new projects with Conductor
- Understanding the relationship between context artifacts
- Maintaining consistency across AI-assisted development sessions
- Onboarding team members to an existing Conductor project
- Deciding when to update context documents
- Managing greenfield vs brownfield project contexts

## Detailed patterns and worked examples

Detailed pattern documentation lives in `references/details.md`. Read that file when the navigation tier above is insufficient.

## Best Practices

1. **Read context first**: Always read relevant artifacts before starting work
2. **Small updates**: Make incremental context changes, not massive rewrites
3. **Link decisions**: Reference context when making implementation choices
4. **Version context**: Commit context changes alongside code changes
5. **Review context**: Include context artifact reviews in code reviews
6. **Validate regularly**: Run context validation checklist before major work
7. **Communicate changes**: Notify team when context artifacts change significantly
8. **Preserve history**: Use git to track context evolution over time
9. **Question staleness**: If context feels wrong, investigate and update
10. **Keep it actionable**: Every context item should inform a decision or behavior