ask-matt

To choose the right software development workflow, evaluate your starting point: use discovery for new ideas, planning for implementation, prototyping for validation, and triage for bug reports. The workflow selection depends on whether you have an idea, codebase, or bug report.

The best way to route an engineering task with a new product idea is to start with idea discovery, then create a PRD, move into prototyping, or transition directly into implementation planning based on your specific validation needs.

You need to use a prototyping workflow instead of implementation when you must validate concepts before committing to full-scale development, whereas implementation planning is suited for scenarios where the engineering path is already clearly defined.

Yes, you can use skill routing for multi-session development and documentation tasks. It guides you to appropriate workflows for handoff, maintenance, and documentation whenever you are managing extended software development scenarios.

Yes, this workflow selection tool works for triaging bug reports in an existing codebase. It routes you directly to the triage workflow when you are unsure which process matches your current software development situation.