Methodology
A systematic approach to AI enablement
Philosophy
Systematic Over Ad-Hoc
Most organizations adopt Claude Code organically. Individual developers discover useful patterns, share them informally, and hope good practices spread. This approach works for small teams, but it doesn't scale.
My methodology is built on a different premise: AI tools amplify the systems they're embedded in. If your development practices are well-structured, AI accelerates good outcomes. If they're chaotic, AI multiplies the chaos.
That's why I focus on architecture first—building the structures that make good outcomes repeatable and measurable.
Core Beliefs
- Capture before optimize. You can't improve what you haven't documented.
- Enable over restrict. Good guardrails create freedom.
- Build for evolution. Systems need room to grow.
Discovery Process
Every engagement begins with understanding how your team actually works—not how you think they should work, or how org charts suggest they work.
Usage Mapping
Who's using Claude Code? For what tasks? How frequently? Where are the friction points? I shadow developers, review session logs (with permission), and identify the gap between tool capability and actual usage.
Pattern Identification
What's already working? Which developers have discovered effective techniques? What institutional knowledge exists in Slack threads, wikis, or individuals' heads? The best plugin systems codify existing good practices.
Gap Analysis
Where are the inconsistencies? What tasks produce wildly different outputs from different people? Where is context lost between conversations? Where are the security blind spots?
Constraint Mapping
What are the real constraints? Security requirements, compliance needs, existing tooling, team culture. Good architecture works within constraints, not despite them.
Architecture Design
With discovery complete, I design a plugin architecture tailored to your specific context. This isn't a template—it's a custom system designed for your team's workflows, constraints, and goals.
Plugin Library Structure
How skills are organized, versioned, and discovered. Repository structure, naming conventions, categorization schemes. The goal: any developer can find what they need in under 30 seconds.
Template System
Standardized prompt patterns that encode your team's best practices. Context injection points for codebase-specific information. Variable systems for customization without chaos.
Integration Points
How the plugin system connects to your existing tools. Git hooks, CI/CD integration, IDE extensions, MCP servers for internal systems. The system should feel native, not bolted on.
Governance Layer
Visibility, policy, and enforcement. Audit logging, secret scanning, access controls, compliance mapping. Security that enables rather than restricts.
Implementation
Implementation follows a phased approach. Each phase delivers working value while building toward the complete system.
Foundation
Set up the core infrastructure: repository structure, initial plugin library, basic distribution mechanism. Get something working that developers can actually use.
Migration
Migrate existing good practices into the new system. Convert informal knowledge into versioned plugins. This is where discovery insights become code.
Integration
Connect the plugin system to your existing tools. CI/CD pipelines, code review workflows, documentation systems. Make the new system feel like part of the existing workflow.
Rollout
Training, documentation, and team enablement. Not just "how to use the tool" but "how to contribute back." Build the feedback loops that drive improvement.
Continuous Improvement
A plugin system isn't a project with an end date—it's an ongoing capability that evolves with your team and with Claude Code's capabilities.
Measure
Track usage patterns, output quality, developer satisfaction.
Analyze
Review metrics monthly. Identify underused plugins, common errors.
Improve
Iterate on plugins, add capabilities, deprecate what doesn't work.
Enable
Train teams on new capabilities. Make contribution easy.
Ready to Build Your System?
Whether you're exploring options or ready to implement, I'm happy to discuss how this methodology applies to your specific situation.