Vision: use Superpowers as the golden path for plugin-native workflows

[Q00]

Vision

ourocode should use the superpowers UserLevel plugin as the first golden-path compatibility target for plugin-native Ouroboros workflows.

Issue #2 defines the missing bridge: installed Ouroboros UserLevel plugins should be invokable from inside ourocode through direct ooo <plugin> ... prompts and natural language. PR #3 documents that boundary and uses superpowers as the motivating example. The next step is to make that example operationally useful: a stable reference workflow that proves the product direction works end to end.

The goal is not to special-case Superpowers forever. The goal is to choose one real plugin with realistic command shapes, trust requirements, long-running output, generated handoffs, and Seed artifacts, then use it to keep the generic plugin orchestration layer honest.

Product principle

A plugin-native workflow is ready only when a real user can complete the loop without leaving ourocode:

1. discover or reference an installed plugin,
2. invoke a known plugin command,
3. see execution progress in the TUI,
4. receive generated artifacts as session state,
5. review the suggested continuation, and
6. continue into ooo run only when policy and user intent allow it.

Superpowers is a good first proving ground because it includes both read-only inspection commands and handoff-producing commands such as test-driven-development and systematic-debugging.

Reference journeys

Read-only inspection

ooo superpowers list

Expected behavior:

• ourocode resolves superpowers as an installed UserLevel plugin.
• The command dispatches through the Ouroboros plugin trust/firewall boundary.
• Output renders inside the TUI without forcing the user into a shell.
• No continuation is suggested unless the plugin output explicitly declares one.

Handoff generation

ooo superpowers test-driven-development --goal "Add retry behavior"

Expected behavior:

• ourocode routes the command through the same generic plugin dispatch path.
• The run directory under stable plugin artifact reference is captured.
• Generated files such as handoff.md, seed.md, and provenance records are detected when present.
• The generated Seed is shown as a next-step artifact with a command such as:

ooo run seed_path=stable plugin artifact reference.md

Natural-language continuation

Use Superpowers test-driven-development to add retry behavior, then run the generated handoff.

Expected behavior:

• ourocode resolves the plugin and command with enough confidence to build a workflow plan.
• Trust, arguments, expected artifacts, and continuation policy are visible before side effects happen.
• The generated Seed continuation runs only when the original prompt and policy explicitly allow it.

Proposed scope

1. Define a Superpowers golden-path fixture or integration harness that can run in a controlled test environment.
2. Cover at least one read-only command and one handoff-producing command.
3. Assert that dispatch uses the generic UserLevel plugin bridge, not a Superpowers-specific shell shortcut.
4. Assert artifact detection for stable plugin artifact reference.md` and related handoff files.
5. Assert trust-blocked behavior with exact, non-destructive remediation guidance.
6. Record routing, dispatch, artifact, and continuation decisions in session or journal state so regressions are easy to diagnose.
7. Use failures in this golden path to drive generic plugin contract improvements rather than one-off exceptions.

Acceptance criteria

• There is a documented Superpowers golden-path scenario linked from the plugin dispatch work.
• The scenario proves direct command dispatch, natural-language routing, trust-blocked handling, artifact capture, and continuation policy.
• The implementation remains generic enough that another UserLevel plugin can be added as a second compatibility target without rewriting the dispatch path.
• Tests or fixtures make it clear when ourocode regresses into shell-only behavior, loses artifact provenance, or auto-runs a continuation without policy approval.
• The golden path can be used as a release checklist for plugin-native workflow support.

Non-goals

• Hardcoding Superpowers behavior into the terminal event loop.
• Requiring every plugin to copy Superpowers file layouts.
• Auto-installing or auto-trusting Superpowers.
• Blocking the generic dispatch bridge until every Superpowers command is supported.

Related

• Builds on Support natural-language dispatch for installed Ouroboros UserLevel plugins #2.
• Informed by PR docs: rescope userlevel plugin dispatch around SSOT #25 (PR 1/5) #3.
• Complements the broader vision issues around capability contracts, workflow plans, artifact lifecycle, auditability, and policy-driven orchestration.