Why LumenFlow?

LumenFlow is not another project management tool. It is a delivery methodology designed for AI-augmented software teams, where both humans and AI agents collaborate on the same codebase.

The Problem with Traditional Methodologies

Most software teams use methodologies designed for human-only workflows:

Method	Assumes	Breaks When
Scrum	2-week sprints, ceremonies, velocity	AI can ship 10x faster, sprints feel slow
Kanban	Visual board, WIP limits, flow	AI agents overwhelm boards with parallel work
Shape Up	6-week cycles, appetite, betting	AI makes “betting” obsolete, cycles too long

These methodologies were designed when humans were the only workers. They assume:

• Work takes days or weeks
• Context is held in human heads
• Progress is measured in story points or cycle time

AI agents change all of this.

How LumenFlow Is Different

1. Work Units, Not Stories or Tickets

Traditional tickets are vague: “Add user authentication”

LumenFlow Work Units are executable specifications:

id: WU-042
title: Add JWT authentication
lane: 'Framework: Core'
type: feature
acceptance:
  - Users can authenticate with email/password
  - JWT tokens issued with 1-hour expiry
  - Refresh tokens stored in httpOnly cookies
code_paths:
  - src/auth/
test_paths:
  unit:
    - src/auth/__tests__/

An AI agent can read this spec and implement it autonomously. A human can verify completion by checking the acceptance criteria.

2. Lanes, Not Sprints

Scrum batches work into time-boxed sprints. LumenFlow flows work through parallel lanes.

Lane: Framework: Core     [WU-042 in_progress] [WU-043 ready] [WU-044 ready]
Lane: Experience: UI      [WU-045 in_progress] [WU-046 blocked]
Lane: Operations: Infra   [WU-047 done] [WU-048 ready]

Each lane has a WIP limit (typically 1 for solo work, 3 for teams). Work flows continuously instead of waiting for sprint boundaries.

3. Gates, Not Reviews

Code review is a bottleneck. Reviewers are busy. PRs sit for days.

LumenFlow replaces manual review with automated gates:

pnpm gates
# Format check... pass
# Lint check... pass
# Type check... pass
# Tests... pass
# All gates passed!

If gates pass, work is done. No waiting. No negotiation. No “LGTM” comments.

Note

Gates don’t eliminate human oversight. Critical changes (auth, payments, PHI) can require human approval via escalation triggers in the WU spec.

4. Memory, Not Standups

Daily standups exist because humans forget context overnight. AI agents need explicit context recovery.

LumenFlow’s memory layer:

# Before stopping work
pnpm mem:checkpoint --wu WU-042

# Next session (human or AI)
pnpm mem:ready --wu WU-042
# Shows: last state, pending work, blockers

No need to ask “what was I working on?” or “where did I leave off?“

5. Stamps, Not Done Columns

Kanban boards have “Done” columns. Items move there when someone decides they’re done.

LumenFlow creates immutable stamps:

.lumenflow/stamps/WU-042.done

A stamp is created only when:

• All acceptance criteria pass
• All gates pass
• Work is merged to main

No ambiguity. No “is this really done?” debates.

Comparison Table

Aspect	Scrum	Kanban	Shape Up	LumenFlow
Time unit	2-week sprints	Continuous	6-week cycles	Continuous
Work item	User story	Card	Pitch	Work Unit (WU)
Progress	Story points	Cycle time	Hill charts	Gates + stamps
Parallelism	Team velocity	WIP limits	Team per pitch	Lane-based WIP
Reviews	Sprint review + PR	PR review	Demo	Automated gates
AI-ready	No	Partially	No	Yes
Context	Human memory	Board state	Write-up	Memory layer

When to Use LumenFlow

LumenFlow is ideal when:

• You use AI coding assistants (Claude, Cursor, GitHub Copilot)
• You want faster feedback than code review provides
• You need multiple streams of work in parallel
• You value evidence (tests, gates) over process (ceremonies, meetings)

LumenFlow may not fit when:

• Your team relies on manual code review for knowledge sharing
• You need sprint-based planning for stakeholder communication
• You prefer visual Kanban boards for work visibility

Tip

LumenFlow can complement existing methodologies. Use Scrum for planning and stakeholder communication, but execute the actual work with LumenFlow’s WU/gates/stamps flow.

Philosophy

LumenFlow is built on four beliefs:

1. Backlog is law - If a WU is approved, it can be executed autonomously
2. Evidence over claims - Tests and artifacts prove work is done
3. Flow over batching - Continuous delivery beats sprint cycles
4. AI as collaborator - Agents are first-class team members

Getting Started

Ready to try LumenFlow?

• Agent Quickstart - Share this link with your AI agent
• Manual Quickstart (Humans) - Run setup yourself
• Work Units - Deep dive on WUs
• Gates - How automated quality works