Handoff

Write a handoff document that lets a fresh agent continue this work cold. The reader has zero context from this conversation — the handoff is their entire briefing.

Process

1. Gather state. Run these in parallel:

   • git log --oneline -20 (recent commits)
   • git status (working tree)
   • git branch --show-current (active branch)
   • Check for .jira/CURRENT (active sprint)
   • Check for .project/PROJECT.md (project context)
   • Check for .workspacerc (studio workspace)

2. Determine the output path.

   • If .workspacerc exists: read the workspace path, write to <workspace>/handoff.md
   • If .jira/ exists: write to .jira/sprints/<active-slug>/HANDOFF.md
   • Otherwise: write to the OS temp directory ($TMPDIR or /tmp)

3. Write the handoff using the structure below. If the user passed arguments, treat them as a description of what the next session will focus on and tailor accordingly.

4. Don't duplicate. Reference existing artifacts (CONTEXT.md, PLAN.md, RESEARCH.md, PRDs, issues) by path or URL. The handoff points to them — it doesn't restate them.

5. Redact secrets. Strip API keys, passwords, tokens, PII. If a secret is relevant context, note its purpose without the value.

Handoff structure

# Handoff — <date> — <one-line mission>

## Repo state
- **Branch:** <branch>
- **Clean:** yes/no (if dirty: what's uncommitted and why)
- **Active sprint:** <slug> or none
- **Last meaningful commit:** <hash> <subject>

## Your role
<ORCHESTRATOR or IMPLEMENTER — and what that means for this session>

## Mission
<2-3 sentences: what you're trying to accomplish and why it matters>

## Scope
<Numbered list of scope items. Each item: what it is, rough effort, status (done/in-progress/not-started)>

## Locked decisions
<Decisions already made that the next session must not revisit. Reference D-XX from CONTEXT.md if available.>

## Open gates
<Decisions still pending that the next session needs to resolve before proceeding.>

## Dispatch sequence
<If orchestrating: recommended wave/agent breakdown. Which items can parallelize, which are sequential.>

## Operational practices
<Branch naming, commit conventions, PR process, testing expectations — anything non-obvious about how this repo works.>

## Pickup checklist
1. Read this handoff
2. <specific first action>
3. <specific second action>
...

## Not your problem
<Explicit scope boundaries: what's out of scope and should not be touched.>

## Suggested skills
<Skills the next session should invoke, e.g. /grill, /jira:plan, /spawn>

Adaptation

Scale sections to their relevance. A simple handoff (one task, no orchestration) might skip Dispatch sequence and Locked decisions entirely. A complex handoff (multi-wave sprint, multiple agents) needs all sections. Don't pad short handoffs with ceremony.

Hard rules

• Never auto-push or auto-merge. The handoff is a local artifact.
• One commit if committing: chore: write session handoff
• Don't modify any sprint state. The handoff describes state; it doesn't change it.
• Sensitive information: redact, don't omit. Note what the secret does so the next session knows to look it up.