Core Workflow Guide

8 min read • Step-by-step walkthrough of Devplan's intelligent workflow

Devplan transforms how product and engineering teams collaborate by maintaining context throughout the entire development lifecycle. This guide walks you through the complete workflow with practical examples and real CLI interactions.

Overview: From Idea to Code

Step 1: Input and Context Processing

Starting Points

Devplan accepts various input formats to begin the planning process:

📝 Text Inputs:

• Quick feature ideas or requests
• Customer feedback and bug reports
• Existing specifications or documentation
• User stories or epics from other tools

🎨 Visual Inputs:

• UX mockups and design files
• User flow diagrams
• Architecture sketches

📊 Data Inputs:

• Analytics insights
• Customer interview notes
• Market research findings

Context Engine Processing

Behind the scenes, Devplan's Context Engine analyzes:

What Gets Analyzed:

• Codebase Architecture: Existing patterns, frameworks, and technical decisions
• Product Context: Current features, user flows, and business logic
• Team Standards: Coding conventions, review processes, and documentation styles
• Historical Decisions: Past project learnings and architectural choices

Step 2: Agent-Guided Discovery

Intelligent Questioning

Devplan's Planning Agent doesn't just accept your input—it actively helps you think through the requirements by asking targeted questions based on your codebase analysis and project context.

What Makes This Different

Context-Aware Questions: Unlike generic planning tools, Devplan knows your tech stack, existing patterns, and architectural decisions, so it asks relevant questions that matter for your specific implementation.

Why This Works

This collaborative process typically uncovers 3-5 critical requirements that would otherwise be discovered during implementation, preventing costly rework.

Step 3: PRD Generation

Intelligent Document Creation

Based on the discovery session, Devplan generates a comprehensive Product Requirements Document (PRD) that includes:

📋 Standard PRD Sections:

• Executive summary and goals
• User stories and acceptance criteria
• Success metrics and KPIs
• Technical requirements and constraints

🔍 Context-Enhanced Content:

• Integration points with existing systems
• Code architecture recommendations
• Specific implementation considerations
• Risk assessment and mitigation strategies

AI Review Process

Devplan's Review Agent acts as your personal Chief Product Officer, analyzing the generated PRD for:

• Completeness: Are all aspects of the feature covered?
• Clarity: Can engineers implement this without additional clarification?
• Feasibility: Are the requirements technically achievable?
• Alignment: Does this fit with existing product strategy and architecture?

Step 4: Technical Design & Architecture

Code-Aware Planning

Unlike generic planning tools, Devplan understands your technical stack and generates implementation guidance that considers:

🏗️ Architecture Integration:

• How new code fits into existing modules
• Database schema changes required
• API endpoints that need modification
• Dependencies and service interactions

⚙️ Technical Specifications:

• Component structure and hierarchy
• State management requirements
• Testing strategy and coverage
• Performance considerations

Step 5: User Stories & Task Breakdown

Automated Story Generation

Devplan breaks down features into implementation-ready user stories with context-aware estimates based on your actual codebase complexity.

Agentic Score

Devplan calculates Agentic Score (how likely AI IDE agent is to succeed with this user story) and size for each user story based on its complexity and ambiguity:

Step 6: Integration with Project Management

Seamless Sync to Your Tools

Linear Integration Results:

When Devplan syncs with Linear, it creates a complete project structure:

• Epic Creation: Main feature becomes a Linear epic with full context
• Story Breakdown: Individual user stories become properly formatted tickets
• Time Estimates: Each ticket includes time estimates and complexity ratings
• Context Links: Every ticket links back to original requirements and technical specs
• Technical Details: Implementation notes and file references included
• Acceptance Criteria: Detailed acceptance criteria for each story

Jira Integration Results:

For Jira workspaces, Devplan creates a structured hierarchy:

• Epic Management: Complex features become properly structured epics
• Story Points: Automatic story point assignment based on complexity
• Sprint Assignment: Stories assigned to sprints based on team capacity
• Label Application: Automatic tagging with relevant labels (frontend, backend, etc.)
• Custom Fields: Devplan data maps to your existing Jira custom fields
• Workflow Integration: Stories follow your established Jira workflows

Context Preservation

Smart Linking: Every ticket maintains a link back to:

• Original feature requirements
• Technical design decisions
• AI-generated implementation prompts
• Related tickets and dependencies

This ensures developers always have full context, even weeks later.

Step 7: AI Coding Prompts

Context-Rich Prompt Generation

This is where Devplan's context engine really shines. Instead of generic prompts, you get:

🎯 Specific Implementation Guidance:

• Exact file paths and component names
• Integration points with existing code
• Code patterns and conventions to follow
• Error handling and edge case considerations

Step 8: CLI Integration

Direct IDE Integration

Devplan's CLI tool integrates project management with local AI-powered IDEs. You can copy one-liner CLI commands directly from the prompt popover and execute them in your terminal.

🔧 IDE Integration:

• Automatic context file generation for AI assistants
• Support for multiple IDE platforms
• Repository and feature context preservation
• Seamless workflow integration

What Your AI Assistant Now Knows:

# Auto-generated context for Cursor AI

## Project Context
- Next.js 14 app with App Router
- PostgreSQL + Prisma ORM
- Tailwind CSS + Shadcn UI
- TypeScript throughout

## Current Task
Implement user authentication (login/register)
with email/password and session management.

## Code Patterns to Follow
- Server Actions for form handling
- Zod for validation schemas
- React Hook Form for form state
- Shadcn components for UI

## Files to Reference
- /src/components/ui/* (existing UI components)
- /src/lib/validations.ts (validation patterns)
- /prisma/schema.prisma (database schema)

Pro Tip

With this rich context, your AI assistant can now generate code that actually fits your project instead of generic examples!

Step 9: Status Reporting & Monitoring

Automated Progress Tracking

Devplan monitors development progress and provides real-time updates:

📊 Progress Metrics:

• Story completion rates
• Time to completion vs. estimates
• Code quality indicators
• Integration success rates

🚨 Risk Detection:

• Scope creep identification
• Timeline deviation alerts
• Dependency blocking issues
• Quality regression warnings

Best Practices for Success

👩‍💼 For Product Managers

During Discovery:

• ✅ Provide Rich Context: Include user research, analytics, and business goals
• ✅ Embrace AI Questions: Let the agent help you think through edge cases
• ✅ Review Generated PRDs: Use the AI review process to catch gaps
• ✅ Link Related Features: Connect to existing user flows and features

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

• ❌ Rushing through discovery phase
• ❌ Skipping technical collaboration
• ❌ Not updating requirements when scope changes

👨‍💻 For Engineers

During Implementation:

• ✅ Trust the Context: AI prompts include architectural decisions and patterns
• ✅ Update Estimates: Provide feedback when actual time differs from estimates
• ✅ Use CLI Workflow: devplan focus saves 15-30 minutes per feature
• ✅ Document Learnings: Share discoveries that could improve future estimates

🤝 For Teams

Workflow Integration:

• Sprint Planning: Use Devplan estimates as starting point for capacity planning
• Daily Standups: Reference ticket links for quick context sharing
• Retrospectives: Review estimate accuracy and process improvements
• Knowledge Sharing: Update coding standards and patterns in Devplan

Success Metrics to Track:

Metric	Target	How to Measure
Planning Time	80% reduction	Compare pre/post Devplan planning sessions
Estimate Accuracy	±20% of actual	Track story completion times vs estimates
Rework Rate	<10%	Measure tickets that need significant changes
Context Clarity	>90%	Survey: "Did you have enough context to implement?"

Get Help

Having issues?

• 📧 Email: info@devplan.com
• 💬 Slack: [Community Slack]
• 📖 Docs: /troubleshooting (detailed guide)

Next Steps

🚀 Ready to Try This Workflow?

For New Users:

1. Set up your account - 15 minute setup process
2. Connect your first repository - Start with a small project
3. Create your first feature - Follow this exact workflow
4. Experience the difference - See context-driven development in action

For Teams:

1. Start with a pilot project - Pick one feature to test the workflow
2. Include both PM and engineering - Collaborative approach works best
3. Measure the results - Track time savings and quality improvements
4. Scale gradually - Expand to more projects as team adopts workflow

📚 Learn More

• Getting Started Guide - Complete setup instructions
• Architecture Overview - Technical deep dive
• Value Proposition - Business case and ROI

Questions? Join our community or contact support at info@devplan.com