Gem Team
Turn AI coding into an orchestrated loop: plan, build, review, debug.
Spec-driven multi-agent orchestration for software development, verification, debugging, and reusable project knowledge.
TL;DR: Gem Team installs a coordinated set of specialist AI agents for planning, implementation, review, debugging, testing, documentation, design, DevOps, and skill extraction. It is designed for structured software delivery: clarify the goal, discover existing patterns, plan the work, execute in controlled waves, verify results, and persist useful learnings.
Quick Start
Install APM first:
# macOS / Linux
curl -sSL https://aka.ms/apm-unix | sh
# Windows PowerShell
irm https://aka.ms/apm-windows | iex
# Verify
apm --version
Install Gem Team into your current project:
apm install mubaidr/gem-team --target copilot,claude,cursor,opencode,codex,gemini,windsurf
Or install for one target only:
apm install mubaidr/gem-team --target copilot
After the first install, commit the generated APM files that belong to your repo, especially apm.yml, apm.lock.yaml, and the generated harness directories such as .github/, .claude/, .cursor/, .opencode/, .codex/, .gemini/, or .windsurf/. Do not commit apm_modules/.
APM can auto-detect targets from existing harness directories, but explicit
--targetis recommended for predictable installs and fresh repositories.
Contents
- Why Gem Team?
- Comparison
- Core Concepts
- Workflow
- The Agent Team
- Installation
- Compatible Tools
- Configuration
- Operational Notes
- Contributing
- License
- Support
Why Gem Team?
Better delivery flow
- Spec-driven execution — turns goals into scoped plans, tasks, checks, and evidence.
- Wave-based execution — runs independent work in parallel while serializing true dependencies.
- Verification loops — uses reviewers, testers, critics, and debuggers before final output.
- Resumable plans — plan IDs, task artifacts, and context files make long tasks easier to pause, inspect, and continue.
Better code quality
- Specialist agents — planning, implementation, debugging, review, testing, documentation, design, and DevOps are handled by focused roles.
- Pattern reuse — researchers inspect the codebase first so agents follow existing architecture instead of inventing new patterns.
- Contract-first mindset — encourages requirements, API contracts, tests, and acceptance criteria before implementation.
- Security-aware reviews — reviewer and DevOps roles check for common security, secrets, PII, and deployment risks.
Better context management
- Context envelope — stores the active project summary, constraints, architecture notes, task registry, prior decisions, and reusable findings.
- File-based knowledge — important outputs are written to durable files instead of being trapped in a single chat turn.
- Skill extraction — high-confidence repeated workflows can become reusable
SKILL.mdplaybooks. - Memory discipline — durable learnings are persisted only when useful and sufficiently reliable.
Better cost control
- Model routing — routine agents can use a fast cost-efficient model while planner, debugger, critic, and reviewer roles can use stronger reasoning models.
- Reduced redundant reading — the context envelope and research digest prevent repeated source reads.
- Concise agent outputs — agents are instructed to return actionable artifacts rather than verbose commentary.
Comparison
gem-team is not trying to replace Copilot, Cursor, Claude Code, Cline, or Roo Code.
It focuses on the missing workflow layer:
- planning
- subagent delegation first policy for parallel work
- context envelope for avoiding repeated source reads
- reviewer/debugger loops
- specialist agents
- repeatable execution artifacts
Use gem-team when you want AI coding to follow an engineering process instead of a single chat prompt.
Vibe with confident, structured delivery and durable knowledge instead of ad-hoc one-off outputs.
Core Concepts
System-IQ multiplier
Gem Team wraps your chosen model with a disciplined delivery system: task classification, planning, delegation, verification, debugging, and learning. The goal is to improve the reliability of agentic software work without depending on a single long prompt.
Knowledge layers
| Layer | Location | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| PRD | docs/PRD.yaml |
Product requirements and approved decisions. |
| AGENTS.md | AGENTS.md |
Stable project conventions, rules, and agent instructions. |
| Plan artifacts | docs/plan/{plan_id}/ |
Per-task plans, context envelopes, task registries, evidence, and results. |
| Memory | Memory tool / configured backend | Durable facts, decisions, gotchas, patterns, and failure modes. |
| Skills | docs/skills/ |
Reusable procedures extracted from successful repeated workflows. |
| Derived docs | docs/knowledge/ |
Reference notes, external docs, summaries, and research outputs. |
Workflow
Architecture Flow
Execution Model
Gem Team adapts workflow depth to task complexity:
- TRIVIAL: direct execution with a tiny checklist.
- LOW: lightweight in-memory planning and execution.
- MEDIUM/HIGH: durable planning, context envelope, validation, wave execution, and integration review.
The system batches independent work, serializes only true dependencies, and persists high-confidence learnings for future runs.
User Input
↓
Phase 0: Init & Clarify
• Read provided context
• Load config and relevant memory
• Detect intent and plan state
• Classify complexity
• Ask only for blocking clarification
↓
Phase 1: Route
• Continue existing plan
• Revise existing plan
• Start new task
↓
Phase 2: Plan
• TRIVIAL → tiny checklist
• LOW → lightweight in-memory plan
• MEDIUM/HIGH → durable planner-generated plan
• Validate higher-risk plans before execution
↓
Phase 3: Execute
• Prepare context based on complexity
• Run unblocked work in waves
• Delegate tasks to suitable agents
• Respect dependencies and conflicts
• Review/integrate higher-risk waves
↓
Learn & Persist
• Save reusable decisions, patterns, gotchas, and skills
• Update memory, docs, PRD, AGENTS.md, or skills as appropriate
↓
Loop / Replan
• Continue next wave
• Replan if scope changes
• Escalate if blocked
↓
Phase 4: Output
• Present final status using configured output format
The Agent Team
Recommended model routing
Use a fast cost-efficient model as the default and reserve stronger reasoning models for tasks that need deeper analysis.
| Role | Example model | Recommended use |
|---|---|---|
| Default agents | mimoi-2.5/deepseek-v4-flash |
Routine implementation, documentation, research summaries, and simple checks. |
| Planner, Debugger, Critic, Reviewer | mimoi-2.5-pro/deepseek-v4-pro |
Planning, root-cause analysis, compliance checks, critical review, and high-risk verification. |
Replace these with equivalent models from your own provider if needed.
Core agents
| Agent | Description |
|---|---|
| ORCHESTRATOR | Coordinates the workflow, delegates work, tracks plans, and enforces verification gates. |
| RESEARCHER | Explores the codebase, dependencies, architecture, existing patterns, and relevant docs. |
| PLANNER | Creates DAG-based execution plans, task waves, risk notes, and acceptance criteria. |
| IMPLEMENTER | Implements features, fixes, refactors, and tests according to the approved plan. |
Quality and review
| Agent | Description |
|---|---|
| REVIEWER | Reviews implementation quality, security, maintainability, contracts, and test coverage. |
| CRITIC | Challenges assumptions, finds edge cases, and flags over-engineering or missed constraints. |
| DEBUGGER | Performs root-cause analysis, regression tracing, and targeted fix planning. |
| BROWSER TESTER | Runs browser/E2E checks, validates UI behavior, and captures visual evidence. |
| CODE SIMPLIFIER | Removes dead code, reduces complexity, and improves maintainability. |
Specialized agents
| Agent | Description |
|---|---|
| DEVOPS | Handles deployment, CI/CD, infrastructure, containers, health checks, and rollback planning. |
| DOCUMENTATION | Writes technical docs, READMEs, API docs, diagrams, and plan artifacts. |
| DESIGNER | Produces UI/UX guidance, layouts, interaction notes, visual polish, and accessibility checks. |
| IMPLEMENTER-MOBILE | Implements native mobile work for React Native, Expo, Flutter, iOS, or Android. |
| DESIGNER-MOBILE | Reviews mobile UX using platform conventions, safe areas, and accessibility requirements. |
| MOBILE TESTER | Runs mobile E2E and device testing workflows such as Detox, Maestro, iOS, or Android checks. |
| SKILL CREATOR | Extracts reusable SKILL.md files from repeated high-confidence workflows. |
Installation
1. Install APM
# macOS / Linux
curl -sSL https://aka.ms/apm-unix | sh
# Windows PowerShell
irm https://aka.ms/apm-windows | iex
# Verify
apm --version
2. Install Gem Team
Project-scoped install, recommended for teams:
apm install mubaidr/gem-team --target copilot,claude,cursor,opencode,codex,gemini,windsurf
Global user-scoped install, useful for personal use:
apm install -g mubaidr/gem-team
Pin a release for reproducible installs:
apm install mubaidr/gem-team#v1.20.0 --target copilot
3. Verify the install
apm list
apm view mubaidr/gem-team
apm audit
Tool-specific checks:
copilot plugin list # GitHub Copilot CLI, if used
/plugin list # Claude Code, inside Claude Code
Useful APM flags
# Preview without writing files
apm install mubaidr/gem-team --target copilot --dry-run
# Install only selected targets
apm install mubaidr/gem-team --target claude,cursor
# Install all supported harness targets
apm install mubaidr/gem-team --target all
# Exclude one target from auto-detection
apm install mubaidr/gem-team --exclude codex
# Reinstall from the existing apm.yml manifest
apm install
Compatible Tools
APM writes different files depending on the selected target and the primitives included in the package.
| APM target | Tool / harness | Typical output |
|---|---|---|
copilot |
VS Code Copilot / GitHub Copilot CLI | .github/agents/, .github/instructions/, .github/prompts/, and VS Code MCP config when applicable. |
claude |
Claude Code | .claude/agents/, .claude/rules/, commands, skills, hooks, and MCP config when applicable. |
cursor |
Cursor | .cursor/agents/, .cursor/rules/, skills, commands, hooks, and MCP config when applicable. |
opencode |
OpenCode | .opencode/agents/, commands, skills, MCP, and compiled instructions. |
codex |
Codex CLI | .codex/agents/, AGENTS.md, and Codex config when applicable. |
gemini |
Gemini CLI | GEMINI.md, skills/instructions where supported, and Gemini config when applicable. |
windsurf |
Windsurf / Cascade | .windsurf/rules/, skills, commands, hooks, and MCP config where supported. |
Some harnesses do not support every primitive. For example, not every tool has native agents, hooks, or project-scoped MCP. APM compiles or skips unsupported primitives according to the target.
Marketplace Installation
APM is the recommended installation path. Direct marketplace installs are optional and require this repository to publish the correct marketplace metadata for the target tool.
GitHub Copilot CLI
copilot plugin marketplace add mubaidr/gem-team
copilot plugin marketplace browse gem-team
copilot plugin install gem-team@gem-team
GitHub Copilot CLI also includes default marketplaces such as awesome-copilot; if Gem Team is published there, install it with:
copilot plugin install gem-team@awesome-copilot
Claude Code
/plugin marketplace add mubaidr/gem-team
/plugin
/plugin install gem-team@gem-team
/reload-plugins
Local Development
Clone the repository and install it into a test project:
git clone https://github.com/mubaidr/gem-team.git
cd gem-team
apm install . --target claude,cursor --dry-run
Then run a real install from the local path:
apm install /absolute/path/to/gem-team --target claude,cursor
For package authoring and release validation:
apm audit
apm compile --target copilot,claude,cursor --validate
apm pack
Configuration
Gem Team can be configured with .gem-team.yaml in your project root.
orchestrator:
max_concurrent_agents: 2
default_complexity_threshold: auto # auto | TRIVIAL | LOW | MEDIUM | HIGH
planning:
enable_critic_for: [HIGH]
quality:
visual_regression_enabled: true
visual_diff_threshold: 0.95
a11y_audit_level: basic # none | basic | full
devops:
approval_required_for: [production]
auto_rollback_on_failure: false
testing:
screenshot_on_failure: true
Settings reference
Orchestrator
| Setting | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
orchestrator.max_concurrent_agents |
number | 2 |
Maximum parallel agent executions. |
orchestrator.default_complexity_threshold |
enum | auto |
Force complexity routing: auto, TRIVIAL, LOW, MEDIUM, or HIGH. |
Planning
| Setting | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
planning.enable_critic_for |
enum[] | [HIGH] |
Complexity levels that require critic validation. |
Quality
| Setting | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
quality.visual_regression_enabled |
boolean | true |
Enable screenshot comparison checks. |
quality.visual_diff_threshold |
number | 0.95 |
Visual comparison threshold from 0.0 to 1.0. |
quality.a11y_audit_level |
enum | basic |
Accessibility audit depth: none, basic, or full. |
DevOps
| Setting | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
devops.approval_required_for |
enum[] | [production] |
Environments that require explicit approval. |
devops.auto_rollback_on_failure |
boolean | false |
Attempt rollback after deployment failure. |
Testing
| Setting | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
testing.screenshot_on_failure |
boolean | true |
Capture screenshots when browser/UI tests fail. |
A fully commented default file is available at .gem-team.yaml.
Operational Notes
- Prefer project-scoped installs for teams so
apm.ymlandapm.lock.yamlmake the setup reproducible. - Keep
apm_modules/out of git; it is an install cache. - Pin releases with
#vX.Y.Zfor stable CI and team onboarding. - Run
apm auditbefore release and in CI. - Review generated files before committing large updates.
- Treat DevOps, production deployment, data migration, and destructive operations as approval-gated tasks.
- Keep project rules in
AGENTS.md; keep task-specific context indocs/plan/{plan_id}/.
Contributing
Contributions are welcome. Please read CONTRIBUTING.md before opening a pull request.
Recommended contribution flow:
- Open or pick an issue.
- Create a focused branch.
- Keep changes small and reviewable.
- Add or update tests/docs where relevant.
- Run validation before opening the PR.
License
Gem Team is licensed under the Apache License 2.0.
Support
If you encounter a bug or have a feature request, please open an issue.