Starting a New Project

First time using AIWG? Begin with Install, Connect, and Verify. This guide assumes

AIWG is connected to the target project and your provider session can read the deployed context.

You have an idea. You want to build something. AIWG runs a structured intake conversation, generates the foundation documents your project needs, then assigns AI agents to carry the work forward.

The first useful output is a project intake you can inspect and correct: problem statement, users, constraints, risks, and next action.

Step 1 — Create your project folder

mkdir my-project && cd my-project
git init

If AIWG is not connected to this new folder yet, complete Install, Connect, and Verify here. Continue after the agent reports the project root, provider, deployed context, and one next action.

Step 2 — Start intake

Tell the provider session what you're building:

I want to build a REST API for a task management app. Users can create tasks,
assign them to teammates, and get notifications when tasks are due.

Or use the explicit intake command:

/intake-wizard "task management API with team assignments and notifications"

The AI will ask clarifying questions, then generate:

Intake form — problem statement, users, goals, constraints
Use cases — what the system does, who it does it for
Architecture sketch — components, tech stack recommendations
Risk register — what could go wrong early

These go into `.aiwg/` in your project. You can read them, edit them, and they guide everything that comes next.

Success means the generated intake artifacts exist under `.aiwg/`, the agent can summarize them back to you, and you have corrected any wrong assumptions.

Step 3 — Start building

Once intake is complete, the AI knows your project. You can now use natural language to drive development:

Create the user model based on the requirements

Write unit tests for the task assignment feature

Run a security review on the authentication flow

What phase are we in and what's next?

The AI will answer in context — it knows your architecture, your requirements, and what decisions have already been made.

What the `.aiwg/` folder contains

Everything generated during the project lives here:

.aiwg/
├── intake/         ← Your project definition
├── requirements/   ← Use cases and user stories
├── architecture/   ← Architecture decisions (ADRs)
├── testing/        ← Test strategy and plans
├── security/       ← Threat model
├── planning/       ← Phase plans, iteration notes
└── reports/        ← Status and audit reports

You can commit this folder. It becomes part of your project history. New team members can read it to understand the project, and new AI sessions can load it to pick up context.

Moving through phases

AIWG uses a structured lifecycle: Inception → Elaboration → Construction → Transition.

To move between phases, just say so:

Let's move to elaboration

Transition to construction — we're done with design

The AI will run a gate check, verify what needs to be done, and orchestrate the transition.

If you already have some code

Run `/intake-from-codebase` instead of `/intake-wizard` — it scans what you have and fills in the intake from the code rather than asking you from scratch. See Existing Project.