Add parallel agent support to epic planning workflow
Author: JeffallanCreated Feb 5, 2026Updated Feb 5, 2026
Labelsenhancementworkflow
Problem
Epic planning workflows currently execute sequentially: fetch epic → get child tickets → read design docs → scan codebase → generate document. Usage analytics show sessions frequently timeout or end mid-process (68 partially achieved, 57 not achieved outcomes).
Proposal
Modify create-epic-plan to launch parallel agents for independent information gathering:
| Agent | Task | Blocks On |
|---|---|---|
| Agent 1 | Fetch epic + child tickets from ticketing system | Nothing |
| Agent 2 | Scan codebase for affected modules | Nothing |
| Agent 3 | Read linked design documents | Nothing |
| Agent 4 | Analyze test patterns and coverage | Nothing |
| Synthesis | Merge results into planning document | All above |
Benefits
- Reduces wall-clock time for epic planning
- Sessions less likely to timeout mid-workflow
- Each agent can retry independently on failure
Implementation Notes
- Use Task tool with
run_in_background: truefor parallel execution - Add synchronization checkpoint before synthesis phase
- Relates to #50 (Context Persistence) and #52 (Error Recovery)
Context
From usage report: 4,147 hours logged, with epic planning being the most common workflow (92 sessions). Parallelization could significantly improve completion rates.
Source: Jeffallan/claude-skills