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Quick Start

Get started with H·AI·K·U in 5 minutes

Get H·AI·K·U running in your project and complete your first feature.

Installation

/plugin marketplace add thebushidocollective/ai-dlc
/plugin install haiku --scope project

The Two Commands You Need

H·AI·K·U uses just two main commands:

CommandWhat it does
/haiku:newDefine what you're building and how you'll know it's done
/haiku:runStart the autonomous execution loop through the stage pipeline

Your First Feature

Step 1: Create an Intent

/haiku:new

The AI guides you through:

  1. What you want to build
  2. Success criteria - how you'll know it's done
  3. Units - how to break down the work (for complex features)

Example session:

User: /haiku:new
AI: What do you want to build?
User: Add user authentication with email/password
AI: [Asks clarifying questions via interactive prompts]
AI: Here are the success criteria I captured...
AI: Intent created! Run /haiku:run to start.

Step 2: Run

/haiku:run

The AI now works autonomously through the stage pipeline:

  • Creates a feature branch
  • Plans the implementation
  • Builds to meet your criteria
  • Reviews its own work
  • Continues until all criteria are satisfied

You can watch, intervene if needed, or let it run.

Step 3: Continue After Context Resets

If the session runs long, the AI will suggest clearing context:

AI: "Context getting full. Run /clear to continue."
User: /clear
User: /haiku:run

Your progress is preserved - the AI picks up where it left off.

Other Commands

CommandPurpose
/haiku:reviewPre-delivery code review -- catches issues before external CI/bots
/haiku:resume [slug]Resume an existing intent after a break
/haiku:resetAbandon current work and start fresh
/methodology [question]Ask questions about H·AI·K·U

Example: Complete Workflow

User: /haiku:new
AI: What do you want to build?
User: Add a dark mode toggle to the settings page
AI: [Guides through requirements and criteria]
AI: Intent created!

User: /haiku:run
AI: [Works autonomously through planner → builder → reviewer]
AI: Intent complete! All criteria satisfied.

User: Great, let's create a PR
AI: [Creates PR with summary of changes]

After Construction

Once your intent is complete, manage ongoing operational tasks with /haiku:operate. Define scheduled jobs, reactive handlers, and human review processes as spec files in .haiku/{intent}/operations/. See the Operations Guide for details.

Next Steps