Clear Command Driven Development

A workflow methodology: persist Plan Mode output externally, execute TODOs one at a time with /clear between each, and continuously update the plan as new information emerges. The 1M token context window is irrelevant — small, focused context produces better results.

Core Principles

1. Plan first, code later — Always start in Plan Mode to design before implementing
2. Externalize memory — Your note app is the persistent store; Claude's context is ephemeral
3. One TODO, one session — Each /clear resets context; each task gets full attention
4. Living plans — Plans are updated as implementation reveals new information

The Cycle

Plan Mode ──→ Copy to clipboard ──→ Paste into your notes
                                          │
                ┌─────────────────────────┘
                ▼
         Pick a TODO item
                │
                ▼
         /clear ──→ Paste TODO + minimal context ──→ Implement
                │                                        │
                │              ┌─────────────────────────┘
                │              ▼
                │       Discovered something new?
                │         Yes ──→ /update-plan ──→ Update notes ──→ Commit ──→ /clear
                │          No ──→ Commit ──→ Mark TODO [x] ──→ /clear
                │              │
                └──────────────┘

Related Skills

Execution Tips

• Context loading: When starting a TODO, provide only what Claude needs — the specific task (including its "Done when" and "Verify"), its target files, relevant references, and any shared decision table rows it cites. Do not paste the entire plan.
• CLAUDE.md synergy: Project-wide conventions belong in CLAUDE.md; task-level planning lives in your external notes. Do not duplicate.
• Verify before commit: Run the TODO's "Verify" step and confirm each "Done when" item holds before committing. Reviewers check the change against the same list.
• Commit cadence: Commit after each TODO completion, before /clear.
• Update before clear: If you discover something unexpected, run /update-plan while the context is still available, then /clear after committing.
• Granularity: Each TODO item should be completable in a single Claude Code session (roughly 10–30 minutes of implementation).

Anti-Patterns

• Pasting the entire plan into every session (defeats the purpose of /clear)
• Skipping the plan update phase when encountering surprises
• Mixing layers in one TODO (DDL and application code together are hard to review)
• PRs with more than one purpose (if the heading needs "and", split the PR)
• Making TODO items too large (split a big layer change by feature within that layer)
• Keeping stale plans — always reflect reality in your notes