Getting Started
Install & configure effectum
effectum takes about 2 minutes to install. Once set up, write a spec and Claude builds it — with tests, quality gates, and guardrails.
Prerequisites
- Claude Code installed and configured
- Node.js 18+ and npx available
- A project directory (new or existing)
Installation
The recommended way to install effectum is the interactive installer. It walks you through selecting a stack preset and scope.
npx @aslomon/effectumInstallation options
Installs to ~/.claude/ — available in all projects. Ideal if you use Claude Code across many repositories.
npx @aslomon/effectum --globalInstalls to ./.claude/ — committed with your repo so everyone shares the same workflow and guardrails.
npx @aslomon/effectum --localSkips all prompts. Uses Claude Code runtime defaults. Good for scripted setups and CI pipelines.
npx @aslomon/effectum --global --claudeClone the repo and use /setup to configure manually. Best when you want to inspect every file before applying.
git clone https://github.com/aslomon/effectum.git
cd effectum && claude
/setup ~/my-projectWhat gets installed
10 workflow commands
Slash commands for the entire lifecycle — planning, TDD, verification, code review, autonomous building
PRD Workshop
8 knowledge files + 12 commands for guided specification writing with adaptive questioning
Quality gates
8 automated checks — build, types, lint, tests, security, debug logs, type safety, file size
Stack preset
Pre-configured CLAUDE.md, settings.json, and guardrails tuned for your technology stack
Guardrails
Safety rules that prevent common mistakes — protected files, blocked destructive commands, architecture rules
4 MCP servers
Context7 (docs), Playwright (E2E), Sequential Thinking, Filesystem — pre-configured and ready
Your first feature
Once installed, the typical workflow is four steps. You write a spec, Claude builds it.
# Open your project in Claude Code
cd ~/my-project && claude
# Write a specification (guided mode)
/prd:new
# Review the plan before building
/plan docs/prds/001-my-feature.md
# → Claude creates implementation plan
# → You approve or adjust
# Build with test-driven development
/tdd
# Verify all quality gates pass
/verifyFor well-defined features, use /prd:express for a one-shot spec. Use /prd:new for guided discovery when the idea is still vague.
Autonomous overnight builds
For complex features with a thorough spec, use the Ralph Loop. Claude iterates autonomously — writing code, running tests, fixing errors — until every quality gate passes.
/ralph-loop "Build the auth system per PRD"
--max-iterations 30
--completion-promise "All tests pass, build succeeds, 0 lint errors"The completion promise is only output when it is 100% true. Claude cannot lie to exit the loop. At 80% of max iterations, it writes a status report of what is done and what remains.
Choosing your autonomy level
Configure how much Claude decides independently during /setup. Change anytime in .claude/settings.json.
| Level | Asks before | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Most changes | Teams, learning |
| Standard | Ambiguous specs | Daily development |
| Full Autonomy | Almost nothing | Overnight builds |