Agent Creation Skill

[!FIXED!]

Purpose

This skill provides procedures for creating new agents when project complexity requires delegation. Agents should be created on-demand, not preemptively.

When to use:

• Task complexity exceeds single-agent capacity
• Specialized expertise is needed
• Parallel work would be beneficial
• Recurring tasks would benefit from dedicated agent

When NOT to use:

• Simple tasks Head Cook can handle
• One-off tasks
• Early project phases (keep simple) [!FIXED!]

---

=== PREREQUISITES ===

Before using this skill:

• You are Head Cook (only Head Cook creates agents)
• Assessed that complexity warrants new agent
• Identified appropriate template
• Buildlog is current

---

=== PROCEDURE: ASSESS NEED ===

Questions to Ask

1. Is this task recurring?

   • One-off → Handle directly
   • Recurring → Consider agent

2. Does this require specialized expertise?

   • Coding focus → Code Chef
   • Review focus → Review Chef
   • Documentation focus → Doc Chef
   • General → Handle directly

3. Would parallel work help?

   • Sequential is fine → Handle directly
   • Parallel beneficial → Consider agent

4. Is current workload sustainable?

   • Manageable → Handle directly
   • Overwhelming → Create agent(s)

Decision Matrix

Recurring	Specialized	Parallel	Overwhelming	Action
No	No	No	No	Handle directly
Yes	Any	Any	Any	Create agent
Any	Yes	Any	Any	Create agent
Any	Any	Yes	Any	Create agent
Any	Any	Any	Yes	Create agent(s)

---

=== PROCEDURE: SELECT TEMPLATE ===

Available Templates

Template	Use For
agent.template.md	Custom/new agent types
code-chef.template.md	Dedicated coding agent
review-chef.template.md	Code review specialist
doc-chef.template.md	Documentation specialist

Template Selection

1. For coding tasks

   • Use code-chef.template.md
   • Customize for specific tech stack

2. For review tasks

   • Use review-chef.template.md
   • Customize review criteria

3. For documentation tasks

   • Use doc-chef.template.md
   • Customize for project docs

4. For other specialized tasks

   • Use agent.template.md
   • Define role from scratch

---

=== PROCEDURE: CREATE AGENT ===

Step 1: Copy Template

# Copy appropriate template
cp agentdocs/templates/code-chef.template.md agentdocs/code-chef.agent.md

Step 2: Customize Preamble

Update YAML preamble:

---
document_name: "code-chef.agent.md"
location: "agentdocs/code-chef.agent.md"
codebook_id: "CB-AGENT-CODE-001"  # Assign unique ID
date_created: "YYYY-MM-DD"         # Today's date
date_last_edited: "YYYY-MM-DD"     # Today's date
# ... rest of preamble
---

Step 3: Customize Content

Replace all << placeholder >> values:

1. Responsibilities

   • Customize for project needs
   • Add project-specific duties
   • Remove irrelevant items

2. Capabilities

   • Map to available skills
   • Add project-specific skills
   • Specify proficiency levels

3. Boundaries

   • Define what agent DOES
   • Define what agent DOES NOT
   • Specify escalation paths

4. Handoff Protocols

   • Define inputs from Head Cook
   • Define outputs to Head Cook
   • Define interactions with other agents

Step 4: Register Agent

Update agentdocs/_agent-index.md:

=== REGISTERED AGENTS ===

| Codebook ID | Agent Name | File | Role | Status |
|-------------|------------|------|------|--------|
| CB-AGENT-HEAD-001 | Head Cook | head-cook.agent.md | Orchestrator | active |
| CB-AGENT-CODE-001 | Code Chef | code-chef.agent.md | Coding | active |  <!-- NEW -->

Step 5: Log Creation

Add buildlog entry:

| HH:MM | #micro-decision | Created Code Chef agent for dedicated coding tasks | CB-AGENT-CODE-001 |

Step 6: Verify

• Agent file has complete preamble
• All placeholders replaced
• Codebook ID is unique
• Registered in index
• Referenced skills exist
• Handoff protocols are clear

---

=== PROCEDURE: RETIRE AGENT ===

When an agent is no longer needed:

Step 1: Assess

• Is agent still being used?
• Would other agents cover this role?
• Is project complexity decreasing?

Step 2: Mark Deprecated

Update agent's preamble:

status: "deprecated"

Step 3: Update Index

In _agent-index.md, change status:

| CB-AGENT-XXX-001 | Agent Name | file.md | Role | deprecated |

Step 4: Archive (Optional)

Move to agentdocs/archive/ if keeping for reference.

Step 5: Log

| HH:MM | #micro-decision | Retired Agent Name - no longer needed | CB-AGENT-XXX-001 |

---

=== CODEBOOK ID ASSIGNMENT ===

Format

CB-AGENT-{NAME}-{SEQUENCE}

Examples:
- CB-AGENT-HEAD-001    : Head Cook
- CB-AGENT-CODE-001    : Code Chef
- CB-AGENT-REVIEW-001  : Review Chef
- CB-AGENT-DOC-001     : Doc Chef
- CB-AGENT-TEST-001    : Test Chef
- CB-AGENT-CUSTOM-001  : Custom agent

Rules

1. Use descriptive NAME (CODE, REVIEW, DOC, etc.)
2. Start SEQUENCE at 001
3. Never reuse a retired agent's ID
4. Document in both agent file and index

---

=== COMMON ISSUES ===

Too Many Agents

Issue: Created agents prematurely, now overwhelming Fix: Retire unused agents; consolidate similar roles

Missing Skills

Issue: Agent references skills that don't exist Fix: Create required skills first, or adjust agent capabilities

Unclear Boundaries

Issue: Agents stepping on each other's responsibilities Fix: Review and clarify boundaries; update both agents

Orphaned Agents

Issue: Agent exists but is never used Fix: Either integrate into workflow or retire

---

=== RELATED DOCUMENTS ===

Document	Codebook ID	Relationship
_agent-index.md	CB-AGENT-INDEX	Registration
head-cook.agent.md	CB-AGENT-HEAD-001	Only user of this skill
templates/*.md	-	Source templates