A structured development workflow for AI coding agents that brings memory, consistency, and reduced hallucination (only humans should) to AI-assisted development. TRIP helps you enter flow state and eat features like buttered noodles.
It is also the acronym (reversed) of the 4-phases development cycle: Plan, Implement, Review, Test.
Made for Claude Code, but works with any agentic coding tool (Codex, Gemini CLI, Open Code, etc.).
There are tons of AI coding workflows out there - GSD, Superpowers, BMAD, and countless others. They might be powerful, but overwhelming for many of us dumb asses.
Even the "simple" ones come with:
- 47 different commands to memorize
- Sub-agents swarm for God-knows-what
- Certification courses (seriously)
TRIP is different. It's deliberately minimal:
| That's it | Just these |
|---|---|
/1-Plan |
Think before you code |
/2-Implement |
Write the code |
/3-Review |
Check the code |
/4-Test |
Test the code |
Four commands. One architecture file. Zero PhD required.
The onboarding is: copy the folders, run init, start coding. If you can count to 4, you can TRIP.
It was kept stupid simple because the goal is to ship features, not to master a workflow. The workflow should disappear into the background, not become a project of its own.
- Copy the folders to your repo's
.claude/commands/or whatever - Run
/TRIP:0-Init [YourProjectName] - Follow the interactive prompts
- Review and approve the generated ARCHI.md
Et voila. Start using the commands like /TRIP:1-Plan auth for this webapp, /TRIP:2-Implement @auth-plan.md, etc.
The ARCHI.md file is the central nervous system of this workflow. It serves as the AI agent's long-term memory of your codebase.
1. Persistent Context Across Sessions
AI agents have no memory between sessions. Every new conversation starts from zero. ARCHI.md solves this by providing a comprehensive, always-up-to-date snapshot of your architecture that the agent reads at the start of each task.
2. Massive Token Savings
Without ARCHI.md, your agent must explore your codebase every time:
- Glob for file patterns
- Grep for code structures
- Read multiple files to understand relationships
- Piece together the architecture from scratch
This exploration consumes thousands of tokens and wastes time. With ARCHI.md, the agent gets the full picture in one read.
3. Drastically Reduced Hallucination
Hallucination often comes from the agent guessing about your codebase:
- "There's probably a utils folder..."
- "This project likely uses Redux..."
- "The API endpoint is probably at..."
ARCHI.md eliminates guessing. The agent knows exactly what folders exist and their purposes, which patterns your project uses and how components interact.
4. Balanced Detail vs Token Usage
ARCHI.md is designed to be:
- Detailed enough to provide meaningful context
- Concise enough to not waste tokens
- Structured for quick navigation
- Updated after every architectural change
It's not a dump of your entire codebase - it's a curated architectural guide.
The 0-Init.md command is a script written in human language that programmatically bootstraps the TRIP workflow in any repository.
- Creates the docs structure - Folders for plans, changelogs, reviews, tests, memos
- Explores your codebase - Identifies languages, frameworks, patterns, conventions
- Classifies your project - Web frontend? CLI tool? Embedded firmware? Library?
- Generates ARCHI.md - Tailored to your specific project type
- Customizes the commands - Replaces placeholders with your project's specifics
The generic TRIP commands contain placeholders like:
[PROJECT_NAME]- Your project's name[VERSION_FILE]- Where your version is stored (package.json, Cargo.toml, etc.)[TEST_COMMAND_*]- Your actual test commands[ADAPT_TO_PROJECT: ...]- Sections to customize
Init walks you through questions and replaces these placeholders based on your answers, creating a workflow tailored to your project.
Streamlined workflow for production emergencies. Bypasses full TRIP for genuine crises (or lazy debugging).
Exploratory investigation with defined compute level. For feasibility studies and technology evaluation. Produces documented findings, not production code.
As a rule of thumb, ARCHI.md should not exceed ~20k tokens (~10% of context window for Claude).
Run this command to compact ARCHI.md size while preserving relevance, accuracy, and coverage through summarization and restructuring.
This workflow is a starting point, not a rigid framework.
You MUST adapt it to your actual needs:
- Add what's missing - Special compliance requirements? Add them.
- Adjust the checklists - They should reflect your quality criteria.
- Modify the templates - Make them match your conventions.
The provided examples (Web Frontend, Embedded, CLI, etc.) are just templates. Use your brain to customize.
Remember that this is all experimental. The intersection of AI-assisted development and structured workflows is new territory.
You are highly encouraged to:
- Tinker with everything
- Break things and fix them
- Add new commands
- Modify existing ones
- Share what works
- Report what doesn't
The best version of this workflow is the one you create by adapting it to your reality.
Happy tripping 🍄