I don’t use plan mode, I do this instead

Practical guide to planning agent-driven features: a structured workflow that pairs conversational iterations with an agent, then formalizes decisions into Markdown plan files. The creator uses a mobile companion app for an agentic platform to illustrate trade-offs, tech stack choices, and phased roadmaps, arguing that careful planning yields closer-first-builds and smoother handoffs.

– Method: Iterative conversation with the agent to define scope and trade-offs, then entering plan mode to generate a dedicated MD plan file for reproducibility.
– Example: Planning a Pluto mobile companion focusing on inbox/chat, approvals, push notifications and proving streaming, push, and native feel early in the roadmap.
– Trade-offs: Native (SwiftUI) offers highest fidelity but doubles work; Expo can reach native feel if designed from day one, with careful handling of chat streaming and virtualization.
– Artifacts & handoff: Roadmap, tech-diagram, phasing and TODOs saved as Markdown—usable by agents or engineers to continue parallel work without losing context.

Quotes:

I get it to create an MD file in a plan folder — those MD files are for me to remember what’s going on.

The companion app is the agent inbox remote control, not the cockpit. Don’t try to shrink the dashboard.

A lazy Expo app still feels like a web view. Native feels deliberate.