A field manual for agentic work
Six commands.
One source of truth.
Orient turns an idea into verified, reviewable work through explicit specifications, tested commits, and clean-context handoffs.
Clear the context. Keep the evidence.
$ /orient-new-project
Outcome, requirements, roadmap.
✓ PROJECT.md
✓ REQUIREMENTS.md
✓ ROADMAP.md
✓ STATE.md
Next: /clear
Then: /orient-phase 1
The whole project, in sequence.
One command per boundary. Durable files carry the work forward across cleared contexts.
- 01 / DEFINE
/orient-new-projectPROJECT.md - 02 / SPECIFY
/orient-phase 1SPEC.md + PLAN.md - 03 / BUILD
/orient-build 1SUMMARY.md - 04 / PROVE
/orient-verify 1VERIFICATION.md - 05 / SHIP
/orient-ship 1SHIP.md - 06 / LOCATE
/orient-statusSTATE.md
No command maze.
Six visible actions. Explicit inputs, artifacts, and gates. Nothing runs ahead of approval.
01/orient-new-project
Capture the outcome, stable requirements, and a sequential roadmap. Existing repositories are inspected before decisions are proposed.
- Writes
- PROJECT.md, REQUIREMENTS.md, ROADMAP.md, STATE.md
- Gate
- You approve requirements and roadmap.
- Next
- /clear, then /orient-phase 1
02/orient-phase 1
Resolve consequential decisions, research only real unknowns, and write one executable phase plan.
- Writes
- SPEC.md and PLAN.md
- Gate
- You approve the specification and test-first plan.
- Next
- /clear, then /orient-build 1
03/orient-build 1
Execute the approved plan with failing tests first, minimal implementation, and focused local commits.
- Writes
- Tested code and SUMMARY.md
- Gate
- Every task has real command evidence; unrelated changes stay untouched.
- Next
- /clear, then /orient-verify 1
04/orient-verify 1
Trace every requirement to code and observed behavior. Failures produce a narrow fix plan, never a hidden pass.
- Writes
- VERIFICATION.md; FIX.md on failure
- Gate
- Automated evidence plus human acceptance.
- Next
- PASS: /orient-ship 1. FAIL: /orient-build 1.
05/orient-ship 1
Review the complete diff, record the release evidence, and prepare a pull request. Orient never merges.
- Writes
- SHIP.md and, with approval, a GitHub PR
- Gate
- Explicit approval immediately before push or PR creation.
- Next
- If shipped: /clear, then the next phase or /orient-status. If blocked: resume /orient-ship 1.
06/orient-status
Locate the current phase, validate the artifact chain, and print the exact recovery or next action.
- Writes
- Nothing
- Gate
- Read-only; no automatic advancement.
- Next
- The action derived from STATE.md
State you can inspect.
No database. No hidden session memory. Every decision and verdict survives a cleared context.
.orient/
├── PROJECT.md
├── REQUIREMENTS.md
├── ROADMAP.md
├── STATE.md
└── phases/
└── 01-foundation/
├── SPEC.md
├── PLAN.md
├── SUMMARY.md
├── VERIFICATION.md
└── SHIP.md- Intent
REQ-001 - Sequence
Phase 1 - Work
PLAN.md - Change
commit 64048fe - Proof
VERIFICATION.md
Native to your runtime.
One shared workflow, installed through each tool's native skill or command surface.
| Runtime | Start | Phase commands | Reset |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Code | /orient-new-project | /orient-phase 1 | /clear |
| Hermes Agent | /orient-new-project | /orient-phase 1 | /clear |
| OpenCode | /orient-new-project | /orient-phase 1 | /clear |
| Codex | $orient-new-project | $orient-phase 1 | /clear or /new |
Start with a clean slate.
Node.js 20+ and Git. GitHub CLI only when you choose to open a PR.
The npm release is pending. After it ships, use npx orient-sdd install claude hermes codex opencode. Until then, install from a checkout:
npm install && node bin/install.js install claude hermes codex opencode