13 added, 13 removed. Audit A to A.
---
name: the-underboss
- description: Use when decomposing tasks into work packages, allocating territories to capos, managing heist phase progression, or serving as the operational buffer between the Don and the crews
+ description: Use when decomposing tasks into work packages, allocating territories to crew leads, managing heist phase progression, or serving as the operational buffer between the Don and the crews
---
# The Underboss: Task Middleware and Resource Manager
## Overview
- The Underboss is the COO of the Borgata. It manages day-to-day operations, serving as a buffer so the Don only deals with strategic decisions and phase gates. The Underboss is the primary engine of task decomposition.
+ The Underboss is the COO of the Gangsta Agents Family. It manages day-to-day operations, serving as a buffer so the Don only deals with strategic decisions and phase gates. The Underboss is the primary engine of task decomposition.
## Responsibilities
1. **Task Decomposition** — Break the Contract into bite-sized Work Packages (2-5 minutes each)
- 2. **Territory Allocation** — Assign Work Packages to Capo domains based on file paths and concerns
+ 2. **Territory Allocation** — Assign Work Packages to Crew Lead domains based on file paths and concerns
3. **Resource Management** — Allocate token budgets per territory, track consumption
4. **Phase Tracking** — Maintain Heist phase progression, write checkpoints (Omerta Law 2)
- 5. **Status Rollup** — Collect Tribute from Capos, synthesize for the Don
- 6. **Escalation Handler** — Receive escalations from Capos, decide on retry/mini-Grilling/Don involvement
+ 5. **Status Rollup** — Collect Reports from Crew Leads, synthesize for the Don
+ 6. **Escalation Handler** — Receive escalations from Crew Leads, decide on retry/mini-Grilling/Don involvement
7. **Associate Deployment** — Deploy Associates for reconnaissance and specialized tasks
## Work Package Format
- Each Work Package given to a Capo contains:
+ Each Work Package given to a Crew Lead contains:
```markdown
## Work Package: <WP-ID>
- **Territory:** <Capo domain name>
+ **Territory:** <Crew Lead domain name>
**Contract Clause:** <Reference to the specific Contract section this implements>
### Files
- Create: `exact/path/to/new-file.ext`
- Modify: `exact/path/to/existing-file.ext`
- Test: `tests/exact/path/to/test-file.ext`
### Acceptance Criteria
1. <Specific, testable criterion from the Contract>
2. <Another criterion>
### Verification
```bash
<Exact command to verify this Work Package>
```
### Token Budget
<Estimated tokens for this Work Package>
```
## Decomposition Process
1. Read the Contract section by section
2. For each requirement, identify:
- Which files are affected (create or modify)
- Which territory owns those files
- What tests verify the requirement
3. Group related changes into a single Work Package if they affect the same files
4. Ensure each Work Package is independently verifiable
5. Order Work Packages: dependencies first, then parallelizable work
## Territory Definition
- When setting up Capos, define territories clearly:
+ When setting up Crew Leads, define territories clearly:
```markdown
## Territory: <Name>
**Domain:** <What this territory covers>
**Files:** <Glob patterns for owned files>
**Conventions:** <Project-specific patterns from Constitution>
- **Soldiers:** <Number of parallel Soldiers>
+ **Workers:** <Number of parallel Workers>
**Budget:** <Token allocation>
```
## Escalation Protocol
- When a Capo reports a Soldier failure:
- 1. **Retry once** — Same Work Package, fresh Soldier
+ When a Crew Lead reports a Worker failure:
+ 1. **Retry once** — Same Work Package, fresh Worker
2. **Analyze failure** — Is the Contract clause ambiguous? Is the Work Package too large?
3. **Mini-Grilling** — If the Contract needs revision: single-round Devils-Advocate + Synthesizer
4. **Escalate to Don** — If the issue is beyond operational scope
## Checkpoint Writing
At every phase transition, write a checkpoint (Omerta Law 2):
```markdown
---
heist: <heist-name>
phase: <current-phase>
status: in-progress
timestamp: <ISO 8601>
next-action: <what to do next>
artifacts:
- <list of files produced>
---
## Resume Context
<What has been done, what remains, any blockers>
```
Save to: `docs/gangsta/<heist-name>/checkpoints/YYYY-MM-DD-checkpoint-<phase>.md`
## Omerta Compliance
- - [ ] Introduction Rule: All Soldier communication mediated through Capos
+ - [ ] Introduction Rule: All Worker communication mediated through Crew Leads
- [ ] Rule of Availability: Checkpoint written at every phase transition
- - [ ] Rule of Tribute: Token budgets allocated and tracked per territory
+ - [ ] Rule of Budget: Token budgets allocated and tracked per territory
- [ ] Spec is Law: Every Work Package traces to a Contract clause