Retrospective

🌱 ShiningPlague-adopted. Originally Donchitos (barebones stub); battle-tested on a shipped Godot project. Upstream was a pointer-only file; the studio version is the full implementation that routes retrospective output INTO docs/devlog.md rather than creating separate files.

If an artifact named here is absent: say so plainly in one line, skip that step, and continue. Never invent the file to satisfy a checklist, and never fail a close because an optional artifact was never created.

Devlog routing (studio rule)

Retrospective output gets appended to docs/devlog.md under a dated section, not to a separate retrospectives folder.

Why: hard-won rule — docs/devlog.md is the single canonical change log. Retrospectives route INTO devlog so the doc stack stays consolidated: one canonical change-log + retro record per file. Avoids parallel docs.

Procedure

Step 1: Read sprint state

• production/sprint-status.yaml — current sprint metadata + story states
• production/sprints/sprint-<N>-*.md — sprint plan + acceptance criteria
• Git log since sprint start — commits, what shipped
• docs/open-flags.md — flags raised during sprint
• production/qa/bugs/ — bugs found during sprint

Step 2: Synthesize retro themes

For each prompt, gather observations from the sprint:

• What worked — 3-5 things that went smoothly + reasons
• What didn't work — 3-5 things that struggled + root causes
• Surprises — what came up that wasn't planned
• Action items — concrete changes for next sprint
• Velocity / metrics — stories closed, blocked, deferred

Step 3: Append to devlog.md

Add a new section to docs/devlog.md:

## YYYY-MM-DD — Sprint <N> Retrospective: <Sprint Focus>

**Sprint:** <N> · **Type:** Foundation/Adoption | Production | Polish · **Duration:** YYYY-MM-DD → YYYY-MM-DD

### What worked
- ...
- ...

### What didn't work
- ...
- ...

### Surprises
- ...

### Action items for next sprint
- [ ] <action>
- [ ] <action>

### Velocity
- Stories planned: N · Closed: N · Blocked: N · Deferred: N
- Major commits: <list>
- Bugs found: N · Resolved: N

### Open carry-overs
- Stories that didn't close: <list with reasons>

Step 4: Update sprint-status.yaml

• Mark current sprint as status: closed
• Add retrospective_logged: docs/devlog.md#<anchor>
• Note any stories carrying to next sprint

Step 5: Propose next sprint

After retro lands, propose firing /sprint-plan for next sprint OR /gate-check if a phase transition is the natural next step.

When to fire

• End of any sprint (story status: all closed or carried)
• After major milestone (phase transition, release)
• Designer says "let's reflect", "what worked", "retro"
• Auto-fire opportunity: as part of /session-close if a sprint closed that session

Cross-skill awareness

• After firing, if sprint closed → propose /sprint-plan new for next sprint
• If phase transition opportunity → propose /gate-check <phase>
• Chain into /update if devlog needs broader project sync

Failure modes

• ❌ Creating retrospective in separate file when devlog.md exists — violates the consolidation rule
• ❌ Skipping sprint-status.yaml update — leaves sprint state stale, /help misreports
• ❌ Vague retros ("things were OK") — concrete items only, or skip
• ❌ Firing too early (mid-sprint) — wait until natural sprint end OR designer explicitly invokes early