Strategy

Strategy determines how the AI assistant treats the project's existing rules and architecture.

Two Strategies

Strategy	Description	Activation
follow	Follow project rules	Default
create	Can explore new approaches	-c

follow Strategy (Default)

Behavior

• Reads rule files configured in context
• Treats these rules as constraints
• Must align with existing architecture
• Matches existing file structure and patterns

Use Cases

• Regular feature development
• Bug fixes
• Iterative improvements
• Integration with existing code

Example

superspec create add-search-feature

AI will:

• Reference existing component structure
• Use the project's existing state management approach
• Follow existing naming conventions

create Strategy

Behavior

• Reads rule files configured in context
• Treats these rules as references (not constraints)
• Can propose new architectural approaches
• Can introduce new patterns

Use Cases

• Major refactoring
• Exploring new architecture
• Introducing new technologies
• Innovative feature design

Example

superspec create redesign-state-management -c

AI may:

• Suggest migrating from Redux to Zustand
• Propose new file organization structures
• Introduce new design patterns

Configuring Context Files

Configure project rule files in superspec.config.json:

{
  "context": [
    ".cursor/rules/coding-style.mdc",
    "AGENTS.md",
    "docs/architecture.md",
    "docs/conventions.md"
  ]
}

These files are read by AI in the following situations:

• follow strategy: As mandatory rules to follow
• create strategy: As background reference for understanding the project

Strategy Selection Guide

Requirement type?
    │
    ├─ Regular feature/fix ──→ follow
    │
    ├─ Small refactor ──→ follow
    │
    ├─ Major refactor ──→ create
    │
    ├─ New module ──→ Evaluate then choose
    │
    └─ Technical exploration ──→ create

When to Use follow

• You want code consistent with existing style
• Project has strict architectural standards
• Team has clear technology choices
• Change scope is small

When to Use create

• Existing approach has obvious issues
• Tech stack upgrade needed
• Exploring better implementation approaches
• Redesigning a module

Strategy and Mode Combinations

Standard mode + follow  → Regular development
Standard mode + create  → Lightweight exploration
Boost mode + follow     → Complex feature development
Boost mode + create     → Major architecture changes

Example Scenarios

Scenario 1: Adding a New Page

Use follow to ensure the new page matches existing page structure.

superspec create add-settings-page

Scenario 2: Refactoring Authentication System

Use create to allow exploring better authentication approaches.

superspec create redesign-auth-system -b -c

Scenario 3: Performance Optimization

Use follow to optimize within existing architecture.

superspec create optimize-list-rendering

Scenario 4: Introducing New State Management

Use create to evaluate different approaches.

superspec create evaluate-state-management -c

How It Works

The -c mode has no standalone runtime code. The entire chain passes the strategy value through each step:

User -c
  → CLI converts to strategy='create' (log output only, not persisted)
  → AI parses -c flag from user input
  → Writes to proposal.md frontmatter: strategy: create + input: original input
  → Subsequent commands (/ss-tasks, /ss-apply, /ss-resume) read frontmatter
  → Behavior branches: follow (obey conventions) / create (explore freely)

Strategy priority (highest to lowest):

1. -c/--creative/creative flag in user input
2. strategy default in superspec.config.json

Persisted in: proposal.md frontmatter

---
name: redesign-auth
strategy: create
depends_on: []
input: "-c redesign auth system"
---

The input field records the user's original input, helping subsequent conversations (e.g., /ss-resume) restore context and intent.