Multi-agent orchestration for building production apps with Claude Code
You describe what you want to build. Shipwright orchestrates 15 specialized AI agents through a 12-phase pipeline, from requirements to deployed and QA-tested.
- Claude Code (Max plan recommended for higher rate limits)
- acpx - deterministic graph execution engine
npm ci -g acpx@latestgh repo create my-app --template aster2709/shipwright --clone --private
cd my-app
npm ci
npm startThat's it. The CLI walks you through everything: pick build or feature, describe what you want, and the pipeline runs.
claude --dangerously-skip-permissions
# Then: /build a SaaS invoice platform with Stripe integrationQ&A (5 rounds) → PRD → Research → Architecture → Design → Skeleton
[interactive] [review] [review]
Implementation Plan → Backend + Frontend (parallel) → Testing
[review]
Review → Audit → Deploy → QA → Learnings
Three interactive review gates where each document is rendered in your terminal and you can approve or suggest changes. The agent revises and re-presents until you're satisfied.
Dynamic requirements gathering with 5 rounds of adaptive questions. Each question is generated by the LLM based on your previous answers, covering users, auth, data model, deployment, and design.
Parallel implementation with separate backend and frontend sessions running concurrently via fork/join.
Shipwright pairs a deterministic graph engine (acpx fork) with Claude Code as the agent runtime. The graph handles scheduling, retries, and branching. The LLM handles reasoning and coding.
| Agent | Role |
|---|---|
| team-lead | Orchestrates pipeline, enforces completion, never idles |
| requirements-analyst | Clarifying questions, PRD with budget/deployment constraints |
| researcher | Best practices, cost analysis, technology recommendations |
| architect | System design, API contracts, data model, cost estimates |
| ui-designer | Design system, shadcn/ui + Magic UI scaffolding via 21st.dev |
| skeleton-builder | Repo structure, configs, empty modules that compile |
| implementation-planner | Task breakdown with dependencies and file ownership |
| backend-implementer | API routes, database, integrations, business logic |
| frontend-implementer | Pages, components, styling per DESIGN.md spec |
| test-engineer | Unit, integration, component tests |
| reviewer | Security, performance, correctness review |
| auditor | PRD coverage verification, gap analysis |
| deployer | Platform deployment, env config, cost-aware |
| monitor | Post-deploy health checks, CI/CD verification |
| qa-tester | Deep code audit, traces flows end-to-end, finds what breaks |
| Mode | Engine | Completion | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
npm start | Interactive CLI + acpx graph engine | Guaranteed | Recommended for all users |
/build skill | LLM orchestrator (Agent Teams) | Best-effort | Exploratory work, flexibility |
/feature skill | LLM orchestrator (Agent Teams) | Best-effort | Quick feature additions |
| Skill | When |
|---|---|
/build | New app from scratch — full 12-phase pipeline |
/feature | Add features to an existing codebase — 8 phases |
/audit | Gap check against PRD anytime |
- Direct messaging — teammates talk to each other for questions and handoffs
- Shared task list — work items with dependencies and status tracking
- docs/ folder — formal outputs that become the project's source of truth
The team lead is the heartbeat — actively checks progress, spawns next phases immediately, never waits passively.
Agents produce these artifacts in docs/:
| File | Producer | Contents |
|---|---|---|
| PRD.md | requirements-analyst | Product requirements, user stories, constraints |
| RESEARCH.md | researcher | Technology recommendations with cost analysis |
| ARCHITECTURE.md | architect | System design, API contracts, deployment plan |
| DESIGN.md | ui-designer | Visual design system, component library choices |
| IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md | implementation-planner | Tasks with dependencies and file ownership |
| QA-REPORT.md | qa-tester | Browser test results with screenshots |
cmux / tmux (observe agents in split panes)
└── acpx (deterministic graph engine — schedules phases)
└── Claude Code (agent runtime — executes each node)
├── 15 agent definitions (each owns one phase)
├── docs/ (inter-agent communication via artifacts)
└── .claude/skills/learnings/ (reusable patterns from past builds)
After successful builds, reusable patterns are saved to .claude/skills/learnings/. Future builds reference these to avoid rediscovering the same solutions. The more you build, the better it gets.
- cmux or tmux - split-pane agent visibility
- 21st.dev Magic components - UI design inspiration
MIT