Agent skill

Kickoff Branch

by danielvm-git in danielvm-git/bigpowers

Create an isolated Git worktree/branch or Jujutsu workspace, then verify a clean test baseline before code.

MITAuto-check passedDevelopment

Install Kickoff Branch

skills CLI

$ npx skills add danielvm-git/bigpowers --skill kickoff-branch -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install danielvm-git/bigpowers kickoff-branch --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/kickoff-branch .claude/skills/kickoff-branch && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Paste into Claude Code

Install the "kickoff-branch" agent skill from https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers/tree/main/skills/kickoff-branch into .claude/skills/kickoff-branch/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "kickoff-branch", then confirm the skill loads.

Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

$skill-installer

$skill-installer install https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers/tree/main/skills/kickoff-branch

Type this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add danielvm-git/bigpowers --skill kickoff-branch -a codex

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install danielvm-git/bigpowers kickoff-branch --agent codex

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/kickoff-branch .agents/skills/kickoff-branch && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.

Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/

Paste into Codex

Install the "kickoff-branch" agent skill from https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers/tree/main/skills/kickoff-branch into .agents/skills/kickoff-branch/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "kickoff-branch", then confirm the skill loads.

Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add danielvm-git/bigpowers --skill kickoff-branch -a cursor

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install danielvm-git/bigpowers kickoff-branch --agent cursor

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/kickoff-branch .cursor/skills/kickoff-branch && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.

Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/

Paste into Cursor

Install the "kickoff-branch" agent skill from https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers/tree/main/skills/kickoff-branch into .cursor/skills/kickoff-branch/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "kickoff-branch", then confirm the skill loads.

Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

gemini skills install

$ gemini skills install https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers.git --path skills/kickoff-branch

--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add danielvm-git/bigpowers --skill kickoff-branch -a gemini-cli

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install danielvm-git/bigpowers kickoff-branch --agent gemini-cli

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/kickoff-branch .gemini/skills/kickoff-branch && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.

Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into Gemini CLI

Install the "kickoff-branch" agent skill from https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers/tree/main/skills/kickoff-branch into .gemini/skills/kickoff-branch/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "kickoff-branch", then confirm the skill loads.

Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install danielvm-git/bigpowers kickoff-branch

Installs for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

skills CLI

$ npx skills add danielvm-git/bigpowers --skill kickoff-branch -a github-copilot

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/kickoff-branch .github/skills/kickoff-branch && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.

GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into GitHub Copilot

Install the "kickoff-branch" agent skill from https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers/tree/main/skills/kickoff-branch into .github/skills/kickoff-branch/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "kickoff-branch", then confirm the skill loads.

GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add danielvm-git/bigpowers --skill kickoff-branch -a opencode

OpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install danielvm-git/bigpowers kickoff-branch --agent opencode

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/kickoff-branch .opencode/skills/kickoff-branch && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.

OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into OpenCode

Install the "kickoff-branch" agent skill from https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers/tree/main/skills/kickoff-branch into .opencode/skills/kickoff-branch/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "kickoff-branch", then confirm the skill loads.

OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

Facts

Skill name: kickoff-branch
GitHub stars: 256
Token cost: ~1.4k tokens
SKILL.md length: 480 words
Files: 1
Skills in repo: 39
Repo updated: Sep 21, 2026
First seen: Oct 7, 2026
Licence: MIT

At a glance

Create an isolated Git worktree/branch or Jujutsu workspace, then verify a clean test baseline before code.

Works in 6 steps: Confirm task name → Select the VCS procedure → Git pre-flight & conflict resolution → …
Starting a feature
SKILL.md covers Process and Handoff
Calls git, npm and bash

What it does

Kickoff Branch is an agent skill from danielvm-git/bigpowers. Create an isolated Git worktree/branch or Jujutsu workspace, then verify a clean test baseline before code. Use when starting a feature or task.

Its SKILL.md is about 1.4k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.

It sits in Development, covering Git worktrees. It works with Git. The repository describes itself as: Agent skills synthesizing years of software engineering discipline into a prescriptive methodology for solo developers. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

Starting a feature
Tasks that involve Git worktrees

Example prompts

“/kickoff-branch”

Requirements

Python 3

Workflow steps

6 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.

Confirm task name
Select the VCS procedure
Git pre-flight & conflict resolution
Create Git worktree + branch
Verify clean baseline
Confirm readiness

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 812d57a. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

Tool permissions
Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.
From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Runs code
Shell commands in SKILL.md call:
- git
- npm
- bash
- python3
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
No URLs in SKILL.md. Its commands use git and npm, which can reach the network depending on how they are called.
From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.
Credentials
Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.
From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Kickoff Branch loads about 1.4k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 40 tokens; SKILL.md has 480 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it: ~40
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches: ~1.4k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from danielvm-git/bigpowers at commit 812d57a, republished under its MIT licence (© danielvm-git). 480 words, ~1,440 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/kickoff-branch/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).

name: kickoff-branch
description: Create an isolated Git worktree/branch or Jujutsu workspace, then verify a clean test baseline before code. Use when starting a feature or task.
model: haiku
effort: standard

story: e51s03

story: e20s03

story: e82s02

Kickoff Branch

HARD GATE — Direct Git work on main/master or reuse of an unrelated Jujutsu change is prohibited. Create a feature branch/worktree or Jujutsu workspace/change.

HARD GATE — Do NOT proceed with development until Preflight passes on the default branch. Red Preflight blocks branch creation and all forward work — invoke quick-fix or fix-bug per CONVENTIONS § Discovered Defects.

Create an isolated Git worktree or Jujutsu workspace before code. Preflight must be green first — solo-default owns the whole tree.

Process

1. Confirm task name

Ask if not already known: "What's the name of this feature or task?" Use it as the branch name slug (kebab-case, max 40 chars).

2. Select the VCS procedure

Read state.yaml vcs.kind. For jj, do not run the Git blocks below: verify with jj status and jj log -r '::@' -n 5, create isolation with jj workspace add ../<task-slug> -r @, then run jj -R ../<task-slug> describe -m "feat: <task>". Record the new stable change ID. For git, continue below.

2a. Anchor Git on the default branch (main or master)

HARD GATE — Git kickoff MUST start from an updated, clean default branch in the primary repository root (not a linked worktree).

bash

# Detect default branch
DEFAULT=$(git symbolic-ref refs/remotes/origin/HEAD 2>/dev/null | sed 's@^refs/remotes/origin/@@' || echo main)

git checkout "$DEFAULT"
git pull --ff-only origin "$DEFAULT"   # skip if no remote
git status                             # working tree MUST be clean
git log --oneline -5

Spec-only pre-kickoff — before enforcing the clean-tree gate, check whether dirty files are spec artifacts:

bash

DIRTY=$(git status --porcelain | awk '{print $2}')
NON_SPEC=$(echo "$DIRTY" | grep -v '^specs/' || true)

if [ -z "$DIRTY" ]; then
  : # clean — proceed
elif [ -z "$NON_SPEC" ]; then
  # spec-only dirty tree — offer auto-commit
  echo "Dirty spec artifacts: $(echo $DIRTY | tr '\n' ' ')"
  read -p "Commit spec artifacts before kickoff? [Y/n]: " CONFIRM
  CONFIRM=${CONFIRM:-Y}
  if [[ "$CONFIRM" =~ ^[Yy] ]]; then
    git add specs/
    git commit -m "chore(state): checkpoint before kickoff"
  fi
else
  echo "Dirty tree: $NON_SPEC (not a spec artifact). Stash or commit before proceeding."
  exit 1
fi

Spec artifacts match specs/ — state.yaml, epics YAMLs, execution-status.yaml, etc.
Non-spec dirty files (src/, scripts/, SKILL.md, …) still enforce the full clean-tree gate.
If not on $DEFAULT after checkout, stop and fix before continuing.

Show full SKILL.md (238 more words)Show less

3. Git pre-flight & conflict resolution

Before creating the worktree, verify the target environment is clean:

bash

# 1. Check for existing directory
ls -d ../<task-slug> 2>/dev/null

# 2. Check for existing branch
git branch --list <task-slug>

# 3. Check for "ghost" worktrees (metadata exists but directory is gone)
git worktree list | grep "<task-slug>"

Handling Conflicts:

Directory exists: If ../<task-slug> already exists, ask the user if they want to use it or delete it.
Branch exists: If the branch exists but no worktree is attached, ask to use the existing branch (git worktree add ../<task-slug> <task-slug>) or delete it.
Ghost worktree: If git worktree list shows the path but the directory is missing, run git worktree prune to clear the stale metadata. bash scripts/cleanup-worktrees.sh does this plus reports any worktree whose branch is already merged or deleted — advisory only, it prints the git worktree remove/git branch -d commands rather than running them, so review before acting.

4. Create Git worktree + branch

bash

# From the main repo root (not another worktree)
git worktree add ../<task-slug> -b <task-slug>
cd ../<task-slug>

If the user prefers a branch without a worktree:

bash

git checkout -b <task-slug>

4. Verify clean baseline

HARD GATE (e39s02): Acquire story lock in specs/agent-locks.yaml before running tests.

bash

LOCK="specs/agent-locks.yaml"; STORY="<story-id>"
if [ -f "$LOCK" ]; then
  python3 -c "
import yaml,sys,datetime
d=yaml.safe_load(open('$LOCK'))or{'locks':[]}
for l in d['locks']:
  if l['story_id']=='$STORY':print(f'LOCKED by {l[\"locked_by\"]} at {l[\"locked_at\"]}');sys.exit(1)
d['locks'].append({'story_id':'$STORY','locked_by':'agent: build-epic','locked_at':datetime.datetime.utcnow().strftime('%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ'),'files_touched':[]})
yaml.dump(d,open('$LOCK','w'),default_flow_style=False)
print(f'LOCK ACQUIRED: $STORY')
"
fi

If locked: abort. If unlocked: entry added, proceed.

Run Preflight (from CLAUDE.md Commands table, or BP_PREFLIGHT from bash scripts/bp-read-agents.sh) and confirm green before writing any code:

bash

# Preflight — project's full local verification stack
# bigpowers example:
npm run compliance && bash scripts/run-verification-gates.sh

# Or project-specific from CLAUDE.md / AGENTS.md

Preflight passes (all chained gates green)
No type errors (npm run typecheck or equivalent, if not in Preflight)
No lint errors (npm run lint or equivalent, if not in Preflight)

If Preflight is red, stop — route to quick-fix or fix-bug. Fix before kickoff continues.

5. Confirm readiness

Report: ✓ Preflight green + branch + worktree. Suggest next: develop-tdd or execute-plan.

Handoff

Gate: READY -> next: develop-tdd Writes: state.yaml handoff.next_skill = develop-tdd

Files

Just SKILL.md in skills/kickoff-branch of danielvm-git/bigpowers.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 812d57a

Compare with similar skills

Kickoff Branch next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Kickoff Branch compared with similar skills
Skill	Stars	Used in	Tokens	Auto-check	Licence	Repo updated
Kickoff Branch this skilldanielvm-git/bigpowers	256	—	~1.4k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	16 days ago
Git Worktree IsolationjnMetaCode/superpowers-zh	8.3k	1 repos	~982	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	3 days ago
WorktreeAgentsMesh/AgentsMesh	2.4k	—	~553	Automated safety check: Notes	Custom licence	14 days ago
Cursor Composer Task DelegateChachamaru127/claude-code-harness	3.2k	—	~4.4k	Automated safety check: Notes	MIT	3 days ago
Git Worktree Setupk8zdev/k8z	155	—	~930	Automated safety check: Pass	None	3 mo ago
New Featuremichaelshimeles/skills	1.3k	1 repos	~699	Automated safety check: Pass	None	4 days ago

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Git Worktree Isolation
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DevelopmentAuto-check passed
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Questions about Kickoff Branch

What does Kickoff Branch do?

Create an isolated Git worktree/branch or Jujutsu workspace, then verify a clean test baseline before code. Kickoff Branch is an agent skill from danielvm-git/bigpowers. Create an isolated Git worktree/branch or Jujutsu workspace, then verify a clean test baseline before code.

When should I use Kickoff Branch?

Kickoff Branch fits situations like: starting a feature; tasks that involve Git worktrees.

How do I install Kickoff Branch in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add danielvm-git/bigpowers --skill kickoff-branch -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/kickoff-branch in danielvm-git/bigpowers) into .claude/skills/kickoff-branch in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Kickoff Branch in Codex?

Run `npx skills add danielvm-git/bigpowers --skill kickoff-branch -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/kickoff-branch in danielvm-git/bigpowers) into .agents/skills/kickoff-branch in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Kickoff Branch in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add danielvm-git/bigpowers --skill kickoff-branch -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/kickoff-branch, .gemini/skills/kickoff-branch, .github/skills/kickoff-branch and .opencode/skills/kickoff-branch in your project.

What does Kickoff Branch need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Kickoff Branch needs the command-line tools its instructions call (git, npm, bash and python3). Our summary lists: Python 3.

Does Kickoff Branch access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Its commands use git and npm, which can reach the network depending on how they are called. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Kickoff Branch safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Kickoff Branch use?

Kickoff Branch is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Kickoff Branch use?

About 1.4k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 5.8k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Kickoff Branch?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Kickoff Branch: Git Worktree Isolation (jnMetaCode/superpowers-zh, 8.3k stars), Worktree (AgentsMesh/AgentsMesh, 2.4k stars), Cursor Composer Task Delegate (Chachamaru127/claude-code-harness, 3.2k stars) and Git Worktree Setup (k8zdev/k8z, 155 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Kickoff Branch?

danielvm-git (a GitHub user) maintains it in danielvm-git/bigpowers, which has 256 GitHub stars. The repository holds 39 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on September 21, 2026.

Source: danielvm-git/bigpowers on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.

Install Kickoff Branch

Facts

At a glance

What it does

When your agent uses it

Example prompts

Requirements

Workflow steps

What it can do on your machine

Tool permissions

Runs code

Network

Credentials

Context cost

Safety

SKILL.md

story: e51s03

story: e20s03

story: e82s02

Kickoff Branch

Process

1. Confirm task name

2. Select the VCS procedure

2a. Anchor Git on the default branch (main or master)

3. Git pre-flight & conflict resolution

4. Create Git worktree + branch

4. Verify clean baseline

5. Confirm readiness

Handoff

Files

Compare with similar skills

Similar skills

More from danielvm-git/bigpowers

Related

Questions about Kickoff Branch