Mode / 03
Active
/man
Playoff
discipline
discipline
01Scout
02Execute
03Risk review
AI coding agent workflow harness
Ship clean code. Not AI bloat.
The right level of engineering discipline for every task. Reuse what exists, match the project, and go playoff mode only when the stakes demand it.
01 / The problem
Keep the speed. Lose the sprawl.
AI writes fast.
It should also know
when to stop.
+ src/components/LogoutButton.tsx
+ src/styles/logout-button.css
+ src/theme/logout-tokens.ts
+ src/services/auth-controller.ts
+ src/hooks/useLogoutFlow.ts
<Button variant="default"
onClick={handleLogout}>
Logout
</Button>
Reuse-first ladder
- 01 Existing code
- 02 Standard library
- 03 Native feature
- 04 Installed dependency
- 05 Smallest new implementation
02 / Five gears
Match the workflow to the stakes.
Every task
is not game seven.
Start light. Add process only when risk earns it. mancode lets the same coding agent move from daily practice to production-grade review without changing tools. Ordinary Solo stays lightweight; governed tasks retain their original gates, with review depth guided by risk and new evidence.
Intensity / 01Default
solo
Move fast.
Stay on system.
For everyday changes that need context, not ceremony—even with newer models that already self-review.
- Lightweight hooks
- Check the actual diff
- Independent review when needed
PracticePlayoffs
Intensity / 03Evidence first
/manba
Reproduce.
Diagnose. Verify.
For defects that need a root cause and a real regression check.
- Reproduce the failure
- Drive real user paths
- Verify the fix in runtime
PracticePlayoffs
Intensity / 05Plan first
/man
Plan every
possession.
Align requirements, compare options, and approve a durable plan before choosing delivery depth.
- Guided requirement alignment
- Solo handoff with inherited gates
- Optional full nine-step governance
PracticePlayoffs
Intensity / 04Team memory
/manteam
Five on floor.
One memory.
For teams that need shared decisions to survive across agent sessions.
- Shared project memory
- Decision records
- Conventional commits
PracticePlayoffs
Intensity / 02Health check
/manps
Find the rust
before tipoff.
For maintenance passes that surface debt without rewriting the project.
- Stale TODO detection
- Dependency checks
- Markdown + JSON reports
PracticePlayoffs
03 / Plan, then choose
Solo delivery or full playoffs governance.
/man workflow
From scout report
to final buzzer.
Every planning run leaves a readable trail under
.mancode/<namespace>/workflows/<ULID>/. After approval, assign delivery to solo or continue the Man workflow. Both paths retain the approved plan, scope, review, and acceptance gates.
- 01Scout reportMap code, risks, unknowns
- 02ClarifyResolve the real requirement
- 03PlanCreate verifiable steps
- 04Plan gateSolo, full governance, plan-only, or revise
- 05ImplementHead Coach runs the play
- 06VerifyBuild, lint, test, smoke
- 07Targeted reviewEvidence-backed quality findings
- 08Risk defenseSecurity review only when risk requires it
- 09Close outResolve blockers, reverify, complete
Scout
Plan
Run
Review
04 / Project awareness
Your codebase already has a playbook.
Read the room
before writing.
mancode detects the project shape, available validation commands, existing components, CSS variables, and design signals. UI guidance only activates when the project actually has a UI.
RuntimeSource layoutValidationComponentsCSS variablesTeam state
your-project/
├── .mancode/
│ ├── shared/context/project.json
│ ├── local/cache/style-tokens.json
│ ├── local/workflows/<ULID>/
│ └── shared/team/
├── .claude/
├── .cursor/rules/
├── .agents/skills/
└── AGENTS.md
✓ context stays with the code
✓ no telemetry sent
05 / Design policy
Direction before decoration.
New in 0.5.0
Choose the look.
Then make it real.
A new UI or visual redesign no longer starts from one silent default. When the direction is open, mancode asks the agent for 2–3 product-appropriate routes, the tradeoffs, and a recommendation. You choose. Then it builds one coherent system. Emoji remain valid in user-authored content, but never stand in for interface icons.
Configure the policy
Before implementation
Present
2–3 routes.
2–3 routes.
Distinct visual logic. Clear tradeoffs. One recommendation. No code until the direction is yours.
- 01Editorial precisionQuiet / typographic
- 02Technical theatreBold / kinetic
- 03Product clarityDense / functional
Preset / 01Safest
preserve
Keep the hierarchy, components, layout, and interaction patterns. Change only what the task requires.
Preset / 02Recommended
refine
Improve type, spacing, hierarchy, states, and responsive behavior without changing the product structure.
Preset / 03Explicit opt-in
experimental
Allow one stronger composition and purposeful motion—after confirmation, inside the existing product scope.
01 Existing system first
02 No product-scope expansion
03 No surprise dependencies
04 Browser validation when available
06 / Adapters
Keep your agent. Add the discipline.
One playbook.
Your tools.
mancode is a workflow layer, not another coding agent. Claude Code gets the richest native integration; other tools receive durable rules, skills, or instruction files.
PlatformAdapterLevel
Claude CodeHooks · skills · subagentsFull integration
CursorProject rules · commandsAdapter
CodexAGENTS.md · project skillsAdapter
GitHub CopilotRepository instructions · promptsAdapter
ZCodeAGENTS.md · project skillsPreview adapter
Kimi CodeAGENTS.md · project skillsPreview adapter
QoderAGENTS.md · project commandsPreview adapter
DeepSeek HarnessAGENTS.md · isolated project skillsPreview adapter
07 / Cross-session continuity
Change windows without losing the task.
One task.
Another session.
mancode keeps goals, requirements, plans, validation results, and handoff notes under a stable TaskRef. A new chat or CLI session can resume that task, load bounded references, and read the required bodies by version without keeping the previous window open.
StepWhat mancode keepsBoundary
KeepA stable TaskRef connects requirements, plans, results, and handoffs.Durable context
Resume
mancode context resume <TaskRef> --session <id> --client <client>Explicit identity
LoadA bounded index points to the task state and versioned bodies needed now.Less noise
SeparateRaw chat history is not copied, and client sessions remain isolated.Clear boundary
Project progress / v0.6.10See the task. Understand the decision.
Every project.
One clear view.
A task board, module overview, decisions, timeline, and lessons learned share the same registered project facts. Completions, blockers, and acceptance changes update the page. Rendering and idle refresh make no model calls.
Index first. Read on demand.
Start with bounded references and read required bodies by version. A growing project does not put every document into every conversation.
Keep reasons and applicability.
Distinguish current, partially valid, and historical records. Follow sources to understand replacements and revocations.
Move work by status.
Not started, in progress, in review, and blocked columns. Plan-only work stays marked; completed tasks are collapsed.
Open locally. Preview on demand.
New projects generate HTML during initialization. Existing projects run mancode progress init. Offline files need no server.
08 / Quick start
One install. One init. Keep coding.
Ready at the buzzer
Put mancode
in the rotation.
No account, dashboard, API key, or new editor. Initialize it inside the project you already use—Windows CMD, PowerShell, Git Bash, macOS, and Linux are supported.
Read the docs ↗
01 / Install
npm install -g mancode
02 / Enter project
cd your-project
03 / Initialize
mancode init
solo mode ready00:03
Less ceremony for the easy work.
More discipline for the work that matters.