Add Multi-Channel Customer Service and Autonomous PM use cases

2026-02-23 19:25:11 +00:00 · 2026-02-11 00:01:06 +01:00
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+# Autonomous Project Management with Subagents
+
+Managing complex projects with multiple parallel workstreams is exhausting. You end up context-switching constantly, tracking status across tools, and manually coordinating handoffs.
+
+This use case implements a decentralized project management pattern where subagents work autonomously on tasks, coordinating through shared state files rather than a central orchestrator.
+
+## Pain Point
+
+Traditional orchestrator patterns create bottlenecks—the main agent becomes a traffic cop. For complex projects (multi-repo refactors, research sprints, content pipelines), you need agents that can work in parallel without constant supervision.
+
+## What It Does
+
+- **Decentralized coordination**: Agents read/write to a shared `STATE.yaml` file
+- **Parallel execution**: Multiple subagents work on independent tasks simultaneously
+- **No orchestrator overhead**: Main session stays thin (CEO pattern—strategy only)
+- **Self-documenting**: All task state persists in version-controlled files
+
+## Core Pattern: STATE.yaml
+
+Each project maintains a `STATE.yaml` file that serves as the single source of truth:
+
+```yaml
+# STATE.yaml - Project coordination file
+project: website-redesign
+updated: 2026-02-10T14:30:00Z
+
+tasks:
+  - id: homepage-hero
+    status: in_progress
+    owner: pm-frontend
+    started: 2026-02-10T12:00:00Z
+    notes: "Working on responsive layout"
+    
+  - id: api-auth
+    status: done
+    owner: pm-backend
+    completed: 2026-02-10T14:00:00Z
+    output: "src/api/auth.ts"
+    
+  - id: content-migration
+    status: blocked
+    owner: pm-content
+    blocked_by: api-auth
+    notes: "Waiting for new endpoint schema"
+
+next_actions:
+  - "pm-content: Resume migration now that api-auth is done"
+  - "pm-frontend: Review hero with design team"
+```
+
+## How It Works
+
+1. **Main agent receives task** → spawns subagent with specific scope
+2. **Subagent reads STATE.yaml** → finds its assigned tasks
+3. **Subagent works autonomously** → updates STATE.yaml on progress
+4. **Other agents poll STATE.yaml** → pick up unblocked work
+5. **Main agent checks in periodically** → reviews state, adjusts priorities
+
+## Skills You Need
+
+- `sessions_spawn` / `sessions_send` for subagent management
+- File system access for STATE.yaml
+- Git for state versioning (optional but recommended)
+
+## Setup: AGENTS.md Configuration
+
+```text
+## PM Delegation Pattern
+
+Main session = coordinator ONLY. All execution goes to subagents.
+
+Workflow:
+1. New task arrives
+2. Check PROJECT_REGISTRY.md for existing PM
+3. If PM exists → sessions_send(label="pm-xxx", message="[task]")
+4. If new project → sessions_spawn(label="pm-xxx", task="[task]")
+5. PM executes, updates STATE.yaml, reports back
+6. Main agent summarizes to user
+
+Rules:
+- Main session: 0-2 tool calls max (spawn/send only)
+- PMs own their STATE.yaml files
+- PMs can spawn sub-subagents for parallel subtasks
+- All state changes committed to git
+```
+
+## Example: Spawning a PM
+
+```text
+User: "Refactor the auth module and update the docs"
+
+Main agent:
+1. Checks registry → no active pm-auth
+2. Spawns: sessions_spawn(
+     label="pm-auth-refactor",
+     task="Refactor auth module, update docs. Track in STATE.yaml"
+   )
+3. Responds: "Spawned pm-auth-refactor. I'll report back when done."
+
+PM subagent:
+1. Creates STATE.yaml with task breakdown
+2. Works through tasks, updating status
+3. Commits changes
+4. Reports completion to main
+```
+
+## Key Insights
+
+- **STATE.yaml > orchestrator**: File-based coordination scales better than message-passing
+- **Git as audit log**: Commit STATE.yaml changes for full history
+- **Label conventions matter**: Use `pm-{project}-{scope}` for easy tracking
+- **Thin main session**: The less the main agent does, the faster it responds
+
+## Based On
+
+This pattern is inspired by [Nicholas Carlini's approach](https://nicholas.carlini.com/) to autonomous coding agents—let agents self-organize rather than micromanaging them.
+
+## Related Links
+
+- [OpenClaw Subagent Docs](https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw)
+- [Anthropic: Building Effective Agents](https://www.anthropic.com/research/building-effective-agents)