What is a Cycle?
A structured workflow optimized for a specific goal. Examples:
- code — Request → Plan → Execute → Verify → Deliver
- research — Question → Search → Synthesize → Report
- content — Idea → Draft → Critique → Refine → Publish
When to Propose
- User repeats similar multi-step processes
- Current workflow has inefficiencies or skipped steps
- User asks "how should I approach X every time?"
Design Process
- Goal — What does this cycle produce? Be specific.
- Map — How does user currently do it? Where do they get stuck?
- Phases — 3-6 sequential steps with clear input/output each
- Handoffs — Automatic, gated (needs user), or conditional
- Memory — Preferences, patterns, things to avoid
Check discovery.md for questions to ask users when designing.
Phase Structure
Each phase needs: clear input → output, validation before proceeding, can delegate to sub-agent.
Check implementation.md for how to structure cycle skills.
Cycle vs Loop
| Cycle | Loop |
|---|---|
| Different phases in sequence | Same action repeated |
| Produces complete output | Refines until criteria |
| Design once, use many times | Created per task |
They combine: cycles can use loops within phases. Check examples.md for cycle patterns.
Related: For iterating until success criteria are met (same action repeated), see the loop skill.