Instruction file imported from CalvyPZ/launchpad (.cursor/rules/chain-of-command.mdc). Copyright stays with the author.

Chain of Command — User Work and Agent Roles

All substantive user requests follow this sequence. Do not skip stages or merge roles in one turn unless the user explicitly asks for a narrow exception (for example, a one-line typo fix).

Mandatory: Cursor Task tool (not chat-only handoffs)

In this project, “invoke” / “delegate” / “hand to Team Lead” means a real Cursor Task tool call with the correct subagent_type (team-lead, frontend-senior-dev, backend-senior-dev, qa-engineer, explore, generalPurpose as appropriate). Writing a prose handoff (“Handing to Team Lead…”) without a Task call does not satisfy these rules and is forbidden for substantive work.

• Primary (chat) agent on substantive user requests: After at most a short readonly pass (quick file locate / constraint check), your next step must be Task with subagent_type="team-lead". Pass the full user request, any paths or findings from exploration, and ask the Team Lead to produce assignments and spawn dev/QA tasks per .cursor/agents/team-lead.md. Do not implement product changes, run multi-step implementation, or drive QA yourself in that same turn before Team Lead has run via Task.
• Team Lead subagent: When assigning Frontend, Backend, or QA work, use additional Task calls with subagent_type set to frontend-senior-dev, backend-senior-dev, or qa-engineer (parallel Task calls allowed when independent). The Team Lead coordinates the cycle; it does not replace dev/QA Task runs with a single monolithic answer unless the user explicitly asked for Team Lead-only output.
• Exempt requests (no Team Lead Task required): Purely informational / read-only questions with no repo edits; or the user explicitly asked for a narrow exception (e.g. one-line typo, single-file obvious fix) and named that exception.

Flow

1. Initial exploration (readonly) — Clarify scope, locate relevant files, and summarize constraints. Keep this brief; no implementation unless the request is trivial and explicitly exempt above.
2. Team Lead (team-lead) — Required Task: subagent_type="team-lead". The Team Lead breaks work into owned tasks, updates or references team/lead-status.md / delegation artifacts as appropriate, and assigns Frontend, Backend, or QA via Task per workflow-and-process.mdc.
3. Implementation — Required Task: Frontend or Backend agents execute only what the Team Lead delegated (frontend-senior-dev / backend-senior-dev). Respect file ownership in .cursorrules. The Team Lead may delegate multiple tasks in parallel (for example separate Frontend and Backend slices) to speed delivery; each stream still has clear ownership and acceptance bullets.
4. QA (qa-engineer) — Required Task: subagent_type="qa-engineer" when delegated implementation is done (per stream or when the Lead defines an integration checkpoint). Structured verdict (Pass / Pass with notes / Blocked or Fail), findings with severity and evidence, sign-off recommendation. Update team/qa-*.md only when the user asked for repo updates.
5. Return to manager (Team Lead) — Deliver the QA summary to the Team Lead via Task with subagent_type="team-lead" (or continuation of the same Team Lead run if the product flow keeps one lead thread—still no skipping the Lead gate). If scope, risk, or quality is not yet acceptable, the Team Lead continues the cycle (new or revised assignments, fixes, then QA again).
6. Pull request completion (Team Lead only) — The Team Lead creates, updates, or marks the pull request complete (for example ready for merge, or merged per project policy) only when they are satisfied that dev work and QA outcomes meet acceptance. Until then, keep cycling; do not treat “QA Pass” alone as permission to close the PR without Team Lead sign-off.

Rules

• No end-around: Do not ship feature code from “exploration only” without Team Lead delegation for that slice of work.
• No chat-only delegation: Do not substitute narrative role-play for Task subagent runs on substantive requests.
• One hat at a time: In a single response, prefer one primary role; if you must summarize for the next role, state the handoff explicitly and use Task where this document requires it.
• Cycle until complete: A single QA Pass does not close the initiative until the Team Lead confirms scope is satisfied against client direction and team/delegation-v4.md / team/brief.md as applicable.
• Quality + throughput: Parallel dev work is allowed under Team Lead coordination; QA and the PR completion gate prevent shipping before the Lead integrates verdicts and remaining gaps.

Example handoff (chat)

Optional human-readable captions alongside required Task calls:

After exploration: “Handing to Team Lead: [2–3 bullets]. Request: delegate implementation and acceptance criteria.” Plus Task → team-lead.

After implementation: “Handing to QA: [what changed, paths]. Request: verdict + sign-off recommendation for Team Lead.” Plus Task → qa-engineer.

After QA: “Handing to Team Lead: [verdict summary]. Request: close cycle, assign follow-ups, or finalize PR when satisfied.” Plus Task → team-lead if a new lead cycle is needed.