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description
| description |
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| Complete guided BMAD backlog generation workflow |
BMAD Start - Complete Guided Workflow
You are orchestrating complete BMAD backlog generation from idea to implementation-ready documentation. This guided workflow creates Product Brief, PRD, Architecture, all Epic files, and Story Index in one comprehensive session.
MCP Tools Used: This command uses the tt MCP server (Titanium Toolkit) which provides:
mcp__plugin_titanium-toolkit_tt__bmad_generator- Generates BMAD documents (brief, PRD, architecture, epics, index)mcp__plugin_titanium-toolkit_tt__bmad_validator- Validates BMAD document structure and completeness
The tt server wraps Python utilities that use Claude AI to generate comprehensive project documentation following the BMAD methodology.
Purpose
Take user from empty folder to complete project backlog (30-45 minutes):
- Product Brief (high-level vision)
- PRD (comprehensive requirements with epics and user stories)
- Architecture (technical design with code examples)
- Epic files (all epics with detailed stories and acceptance criteria)
- Story Index (summary of all stories)
Overview
This workflow has 6 phases:
- Introduction - Welcome and mode selection
- Product Brief - Capture high-level vision
- PRD - Comprehensive requirements
- Research - Technical research (if needed)
- Architecture - Technical design
- Epics & Index - All epic files and summary
Duration: 30-45 minutes Cost: ~$0.15 (Claude Haiku 4.5 + Sonnet 4.5 for all documents) Output: Complete bmad-backlog/ folder
Phase 1: Introduction & Setup
Step 1.1: Welcome User
🚀 BMAD Document Generation - Complete Guided Workflow
Welcome to the BMAD backlog creation process!
This workflow will create complete project documentation:
✅ Product Brief - High-level vision and goals
✅ PRD - Comprehensive requirements with epics
✅ Architecture - Technical design with code examples
✅ Epic Files - Detailed user stories with acceptance criteria
✅ Story Index - Summary of all stories for sprint planning
⏱️ Duration: 30-45 minutes
💰 Cost: ~$0.15 (Claude for document generation)
📁 Output: bmad-backlog/ folder with all documentation
Ready to start? (yes/no)
If no → Exit If yes → Continue
Step 1.2: Check for Existing Documentation
ls -la bmad-backlog/ 2>/dev/null || echo "No backlog found"
If bmad-backlog/ exists:
⚠️ Found existing BMAD documentation!
bmad-backlog/ folder exists with:
{{List existing files}}
Options:
1. **Start fresh** - Delete existing and create new (DESTRUCTIVE)
2. **Add to existing** - Generate new epics only
3. **Cancel** - Review existing docs first
What would you like to do?
If option 1 chosen:
🛑 DESTRUCTIVE ACTION WARNING
This will permanently DELETE the entire bmad-backlog/ folder including:
- Product Brief
- PRD
- Architecture
- All Epic files
- Story Index
- Research findings
This CANNOT be undone.
To confirm deletion, type exactly: DELETE
Type DELETE to confirm, or anything else to cancel:
Wait for user input.
If user types exactly "DELETE" (case-sensitive):
rm -rf bmad-backlog/
- Announce: "bmad-backlog/ deleted. Starting fresh..."
- Continue to Step 1.3
If user types anything else:
❌ Deletion cancelled. Existing backlog preserved.
Returning to options menu...
- Go back to showing the 3 options
- Wait for user to choose option 2 or 3
If option 2: Skip to Phase 6 (epic generation) If option 3: Exit gracefully
If no bmad-backlog/:
- Continue to Step 1.3
Step 1.3: Choose Mode
Choose your workflow mode:
1. **Interactive** (Recommended)
- I'll ask questions section by section
- You review and refine as we go
- Higher quality, more control
- ~45 minutes
2. **YOLO** (Faster)
- I'll generate complete drafts from your idea
- You refine afterwards
- Faster but may need more editing
- ~30 minutes
Which mode? (1 or 2)
Store user's choice for the workflow.
Phase 2: Product Brief Generation
Step 2.1: Capture High-Level Idea
🎯 Let's start with your project idea.
Describe your project at a high level:
- What is it?
- Who is it for?
- What problem does it solve?
You can be brief (one sentence) or detailed (a paragraph).
I'll ask follow-up questions to flesh it out.
Your idea:
Wait for user response. Store as user_idea.
Step 2.2: Interactive Questions (if Interactive mode)
Ask clarifying questions:
- "What problem does this solve for users?"
- "Who are the primary users (be specific)?"
- "What makes this different from existing solutions?"
- "What are the 3-5 core features for MVP?"
- "What should be out of scope for MVP?"
- "Any technical preferences (language, framework, hosting)?"
- "Budget and timeline constraints?"
Append answers to user_idea context.
Step 2.3: Launch Product-Manager Subagent for Brief
Use the Task tool to launch the product-manager subagent:
Task(
description: "Generate BMAD product brief",
prompt: "Create comprehensive product brief following BMAD methodology.
User's Project Idea:
{{user_idea}}
Your workflow:
1. **Generate product brief** using MCP tool:
mcp__plugin_titanium-toolkit_tt__bmad_generator( doc_type: "brief", input_path: "{{user_idea}}", project_path: "$(pwd)" )
2. **Review and present** key sections to user:
- Executive Summary
- Problem Statement
- MVP Scope
- Ask for approval or refinements
3. **Validate the brief** using:
mcp__plugin_titanium-toolkit_tt__bmad_validator( doc_type: "brief", document_path: "bmad-backlog/product-brief.md" )
4. **Run vibe-check** to validate brief quality
5. **Store in Pieces** for future reference
6. **Present summary** confirming brief is complete
**IMPORTANT**: Keep your summary response BRIEF (under 300 tokens). The orchestrator just needs:
- Confirmation brief is complete
- 1-2 sentence project description
- Primary user segment
- MVP feature count
DO NOT include the full brief content in your response - it's already saved to the file.
Follow your complete brief workflow from the bmad-methodology skill.
Project path: $(pwd)",
subagent_type: "product-manager"
)
The product-manager subagent will handle brief generation, review, validation, and storage.
Step 2.4: Confirm Completion
Wait for product-manager to return summary. Confirm brief is ready before continuing to PRD.
Phase 3: PRD Generation
Step 3.1: Launch Product-Manager Subagent for PRD
Generating comprehensive Product Requirements Document...
This will take about 1-2 minutes (large document).
Use the Task tool to launch the product-manager subagent:
Task(
description: "Generate BMAD PRD",
prompt: "Create comprehensive Product Requirements Document following BMAD methodology.
Input:
- Product Brief: bmad-backlog/product-brief.md
Output:
- PRD: bmad-backlog/prd/prd.md
Your workflow:
1. **Read product brief** to understand context
2. **Generate PRD** using MCP tool:
mcp__plugin_titanium-toolkit_tt__bmad_generator( doc_type: "prd", input_path: "bmad-backlog/product-brief.md", project_path: "$(pwd)" )
3. **Review epic structure**:
- Read generated PRD
- Extract epic list
- Count epics, user stories, features
- Verify Epic 1 is Foundation/Infrastructure
- Present structure to user for approval
4. **Validate PRD** using:
mcp__plugin_titanium-toolkit_tt__bmad_validator( doc_type: "prd", document_path: "bmad-backlog/prd/prd.md" )
5. **Run vibe-check** with:
- Goal: Create comprehensive PRD
- Plan: Generated PRD with N epics, M stories
- Uncertainties: Epic structure, requirement completeness, missing features
6. **Store in Pieces** for future reference
7. **Present summary** with epic list and totals
**IMPORTANT**: Keep your summary response BRIEF (under 500 tokens). The orchestrator just needs:
- Confirmation PRD is complete
- Epic count and list (just titles)
- Total user stories count
- Total features count
DO NOT include the full PRD content in your response - it's already saved to the file.
Follow your complete PRD workflow from the bmad-methodology skill.
Project path: $(pwd)",
subagent_type: "product-manager"
)
The product-manager subagent will handle PRD generation, epic structure review, validation, and storage.
Step 3.2: Confirm Completion
Wait for product-manager to return summary. Confirm PRD is ready and epic structure approved before continuing to research/architecture.
Phase 4: Research (If Needed)
Step 4.1: Detect Research Needs
Scan PRD for keywords:
- "API", "vendor", "data source"
- "payment", "authentication"
- "hosting", "infrastructure"
If research topics detected:
🔍 Research Opportunities Detected!
Your PRD mentions:
- {{Topic 1}} (e.g., "data vendors")
- {{Topic 2}} (e.g., "authentication provider")
- {{Topic 3}} (e.g., "hosting platform")
These decisions will impact your architecture.
Would you like research prompts for these? (yes/no/specific topics)
Step 4.2: Generate Research Prompts
For each selected topic:
Run /bmad:research "{{topic}}" for each
Present:
📋 Research Prompts Generated!
I've created research prompts for:
1. {{Topic 1}} - bmad-backlog/research/RESEARCH-{{slug}}-prompt.md
2. {{Topic 2}} - bmad-backlog/research/RESEARCH-{{slug}}-prompt.md
Please:
1. Open each prompt file
2. Copy to ChatGPT/Claude web
3. Complete research (~10-15 min per topic)
4. Fill in findings templates
5. Return here when done
Ready to continue after research? (yes/skip)
If yes: Wait for confirmation research is complete If skip: Continue without research
Phase 5: Architecture Generation
Step 5.1: Launch Architect Subagent
Generating Technical Architecture...
This will take 2-3 minutes (comprehensive document with code examples).
Use the Task tool to launch the architect subagent:
Task(
description: "Generate BMAD architecture",
prompt: "Create comprehensive technical architecture document following BMAD methodology.
Input:
- PRD: bmad-backlog/prd/prd.md
- Research findings: bmad-backlog/research/*.md (if any exist)
Output:
- Architecture document: bmad-backlog/architecture/architecture.md
Your workflow:
1. **Read PRD** to understand requirements
2. **Check for research findings** and incorporate recommendations if they exist
3. **Generate architecture** using MCP tool:
mcp__plugin_titanium-toolkit_tt__bmad_generator( doc_type: "architecture", input_path: "bmad-backlog/prd/prd.md", project_path: "$(pwd)" )
4. **Review tech stack with user**:
- Present proposed tech stack
- Note research-based decisions if applicable
- Get user approval or note requested changes
5. **Validate architecture** using:
mcp__plugin_titanium-toolkit_tt__bmad_validator( doc_type: "architecture", document_path: "bmad-backlog/architecture/architecture.md" )
6. **Run vibe-check** to validate architectural decisions
7. **Store in Pieces** for future reference
8. **Present summary** with tech stack and cost estimates
**IMPORTANT**: Keep your summary response BRIEF (under 500 tokens). The orchestrator just needs:
- Confirmation architecture is complete
- Proposed tech stack (2-3 sentences)
- MVP cost estimate
- Any critical decisions made
DO NOT include the full architecture content in your response - it's already saved to the file.
Follow your complete architecture workflow from the bmad-methodology skill.
Project path: $(pwd)",
subagent_type: "architect"
)
The architect subagent will handle architecture generation, tech stack review, validation, and storage.
Step 5.2: Confirm Completion
Wait for architect to return summary. Confirm architecture is ready before continuing to epic generation.
Phase 6: Epic Generation & Index
Step 6.1: Extract Epic List from PRD
Read PRD and identify all epics from User Stories section.
Count epics:
Found {{N}} epics in PRD:
1. {{Epic name}}
2. {{Epic name}}
3. {{Epic name}}
...
Generating all {{N}} epic files...
Step 6.2: Generate All Epics (Delegated to Product-Manager)
For each epic, launch product-manager subagent (sequential):
Task(
description: "Generate BMAD epic {{epic_num}}: {{epic_name}}",
prompt: "Create comprehensive epic file following BMAD methodology.
Epic to Generate: {{epic_num}}
Input:
- PRD: bmad-backlog/prd/prd.md
- Architecture: bmad-backlog/architecture/architecture.md
Output:
- Epic file: bmad-backlog/epics/EPIC-{num:03d}-{slug}.md
Your workflow:
1. **Read inputs** to understand context
2. **Generate epic** using MCP tool:
mcp__plugin_titanium-toolkit_tt__bmad_generator( doc_type: "epic", input_path: "bmad-backlog/prd/prd.md bmad-backlog/architecture/architecture.md {{epic_num}}", project_path: "$(pwd)" )
3. **Present brief summary**:
- Epic title
- Story count
- Story points
4. **Validate epic** using:
mcp__plugin_titanium-toolkit_tt__bmad_validator( doc_type: "epic", document_path: "bmad-backlog/epics/EPIC-{num}-{name}.md" )
5. **Run vibe-check** to validate epic quality
6. **Store in Pieces** for future reference
7. **Return summary** (brief - we're in batch mode)
**IMPORTANT**: Keep your summary response VERY BRIEF (under 200 tokens). Just return:
- "Epic {{num}} complete: {{title}} ({{story_count}} stories)"
DO NOT include full epic content - it's already saved. We're generating multiple epics so be concise.
Follow your complete epic workflow from the bmad-methodology skill.
Project path: $(pwd)",
subagent_type: "product-manager"
)
Show progress after each:
Generating epics...
✅ Epic 1: {{name}} ({{X}} stories)
✅ Epic 2: {{name}} ({{Y}} stories)
✅ Epic 3: {{name}} ({{Z}} stories)
⏳ Epic 4: {{name}} (generating...)
Step 6.3: Generate Story Index (Delegated to Product-Manager)
After all epics, launch product-manager subagent for index:
Task(
description: "Generate BMAD story index",
prompt: "Create comprehensive story index summarizing all epics and user stories.
Input:
- Epic files: bmad-backlog/epics/EPIC-*.md
Output:
- Story index: bmad-backlog/STORY-INDEX.md
Your workflow:
1. **Generate story index** using MCP tool:
mcp__plugin_titanium-toolkit_tt__bmad_generator( doc_type: "index", input_path: "bmad-backlog/epics/", project_path: "$(pwd)" )
2. **Extract totals**:
- Total epics, stories, story points
- Epic breakdown
- Priority distribution
3. **Run vibe-check** to validate index quality
4. **Store in Pieces** for future reference
5. **Return summary** with totals
Follow your complete index workflow from the bmad-methodology skill.
Project path: $(pwd)",
subagent_type: "product-manager"
)
Creates: bmad-backlog/STORY-INDEX.md
Phase 7: Final Review & Summary
Step 7.1: Confirm All Documents Created
Verify all expected documents exist:
# Check core documents
ls bmad-backlog/product-brief.md
ls bmad-backlog/prd/prd.md
ls bmad-backlog/architecture/architecture.md
ls bmad-backlog/STORY-INDEX.md
# Count epic files
ls bmad-backlog/epics/EPIC-*.md | wc -l
Note: Each subagent already validated their documents during generation. This is just a final check that all files were created.
Step 7.2: Final vibe-check
mcp__vibe-check__vibe_check(
goal: "Create complete BMAD backlog for {{project}}",
plan: "Generated: Product Brief, PRD ({{N}} epics, {{M}} stories), Architecture ({{tech stack}}), {{N}} Epic files, Story Index",
uncertainties: [
"Is documentation complete and consistent?",
"Are epics logically sequenced?",
"Is architecture aligned with requirements?",
"Any gaps in the backlog?"
]
)
Present vibe-check assessment.
Step 7.3: Store Complete Backlog in Pieces
First, build explicit file list (Pieces doesn't expand wildcards):
# Use Glob to find all epic files
Glob bmad-backlog/epics/EPIC-*.md
Store the results, then build files array.
If research was completed:
# Find research files
Glob bmad-backlog/research/RESEARCH-*.md
Then call Pieces with explicit paths:
mcp__Pieces__create_pieces_memory(
summary_description: "Complete BMAD backlog for {{project}}",
summary: "Generated complete project backlog using BMAD methodology.
Documents created:
- Product Brief: {{vision summary}}
- PRD: {{N}} sections, {{E}} epics, {{M}} user stories, {{F}} features
- Architecture: Tech stack ({{stack}}), database schemas ({{table count}} tables), infrastructure plan ({{hosting}}), security architecture
- {{E}} Epic files: Each with stories, acceptance criteria, technical notes
- Story Index: {{M}} stories, {{P}} story points
Key features:
{{List main features}}
Tech stack:
{{Stack summary}}
Epics:
{{List all epics}}
Cost estimates:
- MVP: ${{X}}/month
- Production: ${{Y}}/month
Ready for implementation with /titanium:plan bmad-backlog/epics/EPIC-001-*.md",
files: [
"bmad-backlog/product-brief.md",
"bmad-backlog/prd/prd.md",
"bmad-backlog/architecture/architecture.md",
"{{list each epic file from Glob results}}",
"bmad-backlog/STORY-INDEX.md",
"{{list each research file from Glob results if research completed}}"
],
project: "$(pwd)"
)
Example with explicit paths:
files: [
"bmad-backlog/product-brief.md",
"bmad-backlog/prd/prd.md",
"bmad-backlog/architecture/architecture.md",
"bmad-backlog/epics/EPIC-001-foundation.md",
"bmad-backlog/epics/EPIC-002-core-features.md",
"bmad-backlog/epics/EPIC-003-advanced.md",
"bmad-backlog/epics/EPIC-004-polish.md",
"bmad-backlog/STORY-INDEX.md"
]
If research completed, add:
"bmad-backlog/research/RESEARCH-data-vendors-prompt.md",
"bmad-backlog/research/RESEARCH-data-vendors-findings.md"
Step 7.4: Present Complete Summary
🎉 BMAD Backlog Generation Complete!
📚 Documentation Created:
✅ Product Brief
Location: bmad-backlog/product-brief.md
Purpose: High-level vision and goals
✅ Product Requirements Document (PRD)
Location: bmad-backlog/prd/prd.md
Size: ~{{lines}} lines
Epics: {{N}}
User Stories: {{M}}
Features: {{F}}
✅ Technical Architecture
Location: bmad-backlog/architecture/architecture.md
Size: ~{{lines}} lines
Tech Stack: {{stack summary}}
Database Tables: {{count}}
Cost Estimate: ${{MVP cost}}/month MVP
✅ Epic Files ({{N}} epics)
Location: bmad-backlog/epics/
Files:
- EPIC-001-{{name}}.md ({{X}} stories)
- EPIC-002-{{name}}.md ({{Y}} stories)
- EPIC-003-{{name}}.md ({{Z}} stories)
...
✅ Story Index
Location: bmad-backlog/STORY-INDEX.md
Total: {{M}} stories, {{P}} story points
{{If research completed:}}
✅ Research Findings
Location: bmad-backlog/research/
Topics: {{list topics}}
---
📊 Project Summary:
Goal: {{high-level goal}}
Target Users: {{primary user segment}}
MVP Features: {{core feature count}}
Tech Stack: {{Frontend}} + {{Backend}} + {{Database}}
MVP Timeline: 12-16 weeks (from PRD estimate)
Cost: ${{X}}/month MVP, ${{Y}}/month Production
Epic Sequence:
1. {{Epic 1}} - Foundation ({{stories}} stories, {{points}} points)
2. {{Epic 2}} - {{name}} ({{stories}} stories, {{points}} points)
3. {{Epic 3}} - {{name}} ({{stories}} stories, {{points}} points)
...
Total Development Effort: {{total story points}} story points
---
📁 Folder Structure:
bmad-backlog/
├── product-brief.md
├── prd/
│ └── prd.md
├── architecture/
│ └── architecture.md
├── epics/
│ ├── EPIC-001-{{name}}.md
│ ├── EPIC-002-{{name}}.md
│ └── ... ({{N}} total)
{{If research:}}
├── research/
│ ├── RESEARCH-{{topic}}-prompt.md
│ └── RESEARCH-{{topic}}-findings.md
└── STORY-INDEX.md
---
💡 Next Steps:
Ready to start implementing?
**Option 1: Plan First Epic** (Recommended)
/titanium:plan bmad-backlog/epics/EPIC-001-{{name}}.md
This will break Epic 1 into implementation tasks.
**Option 2: Review Documentation First**
Open and review:
- bmad-backlog/prd/prd.md (requirements)
- bmad-backlog/architecture/architecture.md (technical design)
- bmad-backlog/epics/*.md (user stories)
Then come back and run:
/titanium:plan bmad-backlog/epics/EPIC-001-{{name}}.md
**Option 3: Complete Workflow**
/titanium:work bmad-backlog/epics/EPIC-001-{{name}}.md
This will plan AND implement Epic 1 in one go.
---
🎊 Congratulations! You now have complete project documentation following BMAD methodology.
Your backlog is ready for professional AI-powered development with Titanium Toolkit.
What would you like to do next?
Detailed Workflow
Interactive Mode Steps
Product Brief:
- Capture idea
- Ask 7-10 clarifying questions
- Generate brief
- Show to user
- Refine if needed
- Validate and approve
PRD:
- Read brief
- Ask about success metrics
- Ask about features (work through MVP features)
- Propose epic structure
- For each epic, ask about user stories
- Ask about technical requirements
- Ask about data/AI needs
- Ask about design preferences
- Ask about go-to-market
- Ask about risks
- Generate comprehensive PRD
- Review epic list with user
- Validate and approve
Research (if needed):
- Detect research needs from PRD
- Offer to generate prompts
- Generate prompts and templates
- Wait for user to research
- Confirm research complete
- Continue
Architecture:
- Read PRD
- Read research findings (if exist)
- Propose tech stack
- Get user approval
- Generate comprehensive architecture
- Show tech stack and cost estimates
- Validate and approve
Epics:
- Extract epic list from PRD
- For each epic:
- Generate epic file
- Show story count
- Progress indicator
- Generate story index
- Show totals
YOLO Mode Steps
All at once:
- Capture idea
- Ask 2-3 critical questions only
- Generate ALL documents with one set of prompts
- Present complete backlog
- User reviews and refines any sections needed
Faster but less precise - good for experienced users.
Error Handling
If ANTHROPIC_API_KEY Missing
❌ Error: ANTHROPIC_API_KEY required
This workflow uses Claude (Haiku 4.5 + Sonnet 4.5) to generate comprehensive documentation.
Add your key to ~/.env:
echo 'ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-your-key' >> ~/.env
chmod 600 ~/.env
Restart Claude Code and try again.
Cost: ~$0.15 for complete backlog (less than a coffee!)
If Generation Fails Mid-Workflow
❌ Error during {{document}} generation
Error: {{error message}}
Options:
1. Retry this step
2. Skip this document (not recommended)
3. Cancel workflow (documents created so far are saved)
What would you like to do?
If User Cancels Mid-Workflow
⏸️ Workflow Paused
Documents created so far:
{{List what's been created}}
You can resume by running individual commands:
- /bmad:prd (if brief complete)
- /bmad:architecture (if PRD complete)
- /bmad:epic {{N}} (if architecture complete)
Or start over: /bmad:start
Voice Feedback
Voice announces progress:
- "Starting BMAD workflow" (at beginning)
- "Product brief complete" (after phase 2)
- "PRD complete: {{N}} epics" (after phase 3)
- "Architecture complete" (after phase 5)
- "Generating epics" (phase 6)
- "Epic {{N}} of {{total}} complete" (each epic)
- "Backlog complete: {{M}} stories" (at end)
Time Estimates
Interactive Mode:
- Product Brief: ~10 minutes (questions + generation)
- PRD: ~15 minutes (questions + generation)
- Research: ~15 minutes per topic (optional)
- Architecture: ~5 minutes (generation + review)
- Epics: ~2 minutes per epic (generation)
- Total: ~45 minutes (without research) to ~60 minutes (with research)
YOLO Mode:
- Idea capture: ~5 minutes
- Generation: ~10 minutes (all documents)
- Review: ~15 minutes
- Total: ~30 minutes
Important Guidelines
Always:
- ✅ Validate each document before proceeding
- ✅ Use vibe-check for quality validation
- ✅ Store progress in Pieces after each phase
- ✅ Present clear summaries
- ✅ Verify Epic 1 is Foundation
- ✅ Offer research opportunities
- ✅ Guide user to next steps
Never:
- ❌ Skip document validation
- ❌ Ignore vibe-check concerns
- ❌ Generate incomplete documents
- ❌ Forget to generate story index
- ❌ Leave user uncertain about next steps
Integration
After /bmad:start completes:
/titanium:plan bmad-backlog/epics/EPIC-001-*.md
/titanium:work
Complete cycle:
Idea → /bmad:start → /titanium:plan → /titanium:work → Working Code
(45 min) (2 min) (3-6 hours)
Cost Breakdown:
- BMAD generation: $0.22
- Implementation: $0.10 per epic
- Total for MVP: $0.22 + (4 epics × $0.10) = ~$0.62
This command transforms an idea into a complete, implementation-ready project backlog in under an hour!