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01 getting started quick start guide
Welcome! This guide will have you productive with APM in just 5 minutes.
Before starting, ensure you have:
- Claude Code (Cursor, Windsurf, or similar AI IDE)
- The
.apm/directory in your project (created by installer) - This documentation (you're reading it!)
Check that APM is properly installed:
# List the Coherence directory structure
ls -la .apm/
# You should see:
# - agents/ (persona definitions and tasks)
# - documentation/ (this documentation)
# - session_notes/ (work tracking)
# - rules/ (operational guidelines)The Coherence Orchestrator is your central command center. Activate it:
/coherenceWhat happens:
- The Orchestrator initializes the Coherence system
- Loads all 11 agent personas
- Prepares parallel execution capabilities
- You'll hear a voice notification (if TTS is enabled)
Expected response:
✓ Coherence Orchestrator initialized with comprehensive APM system knowledge
Welcome to the Agentic Persona Mapping Framework v4.2.0!
I'm your Coherence Orchestrator, ready to coordinate your development workflow.
Let's activate the Analyst to explore an idea:
/analystTry this prompt:
Help me brainstorm ideas for a task management application
The Analyst will:
- Guide you through structured brainstorming
- Ask clarifying questions
- Document ideas systematically
- Prepare findings for other agents
See the power of parallel commands:
/planning-brainstormingThis runs multiple analysis tasks simultaneously:
- Market research
- User needs analysis
- Technical feasibility
- Competitive analysis
Result:
See what else you can do:
/helpKey commands to try next:
-
/pm- Create a Product Requirements Document -
/architect- Design system architecture -
/planning-stories- Generate user stories in batch -
/qa- Activate quality assurance
You've successfully:
- ✅ Verified your APM installation
- ✅ Activated the central Orchestrator
- ✅ Used your first specialized agent
- ✅ Experienced parallel execution
- ✅ Discovered available slash commands
Agents are specialized AI personas, each expert in their domain:
- Analyst - Research and discovery
- PM - Product management
- Architect - System design
- Developer - Code implementation
- And 6 more specialists!
- Enhanced Development Speed - Efficient parallel execution
- Higher Quality - Specialized expertise
- Better Organization - Structured workflows
- Reduced Errors - AI-powered validation
Idea → Analyst → PM → Architect → Developer → QA → Deployment
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
Research PRD Design Code Test
Let's build something real - a simple todo application:
# Activate the Analyst
/analyst
# Prompt:
"Help me plan a modern todo application with these features:
- Task creation and editing
- Categories and tags
- Due dates and reminders
- Simple and clean UI"# Switch to Product Manager
/pm
# Prompt:
"Based on our todo app discussion, create a comprehensive PRD"# Switch to Architect
/architect
# Prompt:
"Design the system architecture for our todo application"# Use parallel story generation
/planning-stories
# The system will create multiple user stories simultaneously# Activate Developer
/dev
# Prompt:
"Let's implement the first user story for task creation"Total Time: ~25 minutes from idea to code!
Each agent specializes in specific tasks:
-
Confused about requirements? → Use
/analyst -
Need a PRD? → Use
/pm -
Designing the system? → Use
/architect -
Writing code? → Use
/dev
Parallel commands provide enhanced efficiency:
-
/planning-prdinstead of/pmfor faster PRD -
/planning-architecturefor rapid design -
/qa-frameworkfor comprehensive testing
APM maintains context between agents:
- Agents share session notes
- Work transfers seamlessly
- No need to repeat information
Follow the Coherence systemM workflow:
- Research with Analyst
- Plan with PM
- Design with Architect
- Build with Developer
- Test with QA
Voice announcements help track progress:
# Check settings.json for TTS configuration
# Set "audioEnabled": trueConfigure parallel task limits:
# In settings.json
"parallelTasks": 4 # Adjust based on your systemAPM tracks your work automatically:
- Session notes in
.apm/session_notes/ - Automatic context preservation
- Seamless agent handoffs
- APM Parallel: 4-8 tasks simultaneously
- Result:
- Without APM: Generic AI responses
- With APM: Specialized expert guidance
- Result: Professional-grade outputs
Solution: Make sure you're using the exact command:
- ✅
/analyst(correct) - ❌
analyst(missing slash)
Solution: Ensure proper activation:
- First use
/coherenceslash command to initialize - Then use agent commands
Solution: Check your configuration:
- Verify parallel execution is enabled
- Adjust parallelTasks in settings
Now that you're up and running:
- Read understanding-apm - Deep dive into concepts
- Try first-project-tutorial - Complete walkthrough
- Explore persona-selection-guide - Choose the right agent
- Master parallel-development - Maximum speed
-
ap- Start Coherence Orchestrator -
/analyst- Research & requirements -
/pm- Product management -
/architect- System design -
/dev- Development -
/qa- Quality assurance
-
/planning-brainstorming- Enhanced ideation process -
/planning-prd- Comprehensive PRD creation -
/planning-architecture- Structured design process -
/planning-stories- Batch story creation
-
/handoff [agent]- Switch agents -
/status- Current progress -
/wrap- End session
-
Quick Help: Type
/helpor/help [topic] - Documentation: You're in it! Browse Home for more
- Troubleshooting: See common-issues
You're now ready to use APM for accelerated development. Remember:
- Begin with
/coherenceslash command to initialize - Use the right agent for each task
- Leverage parallel commands for speed
- Follow the workflow for best results
Happy building with APM!
Next: understanding-apm - Learn the core concepts behind APM