GoGetAJob — Open Source Contribution Workflow

Find GitHub issues, implement fixes, submit PRs, and track everything.

Prerequisites

Required

• - FlowForge skill (workflow engine): INLINECODE0
• gh CLI (authenticated): INLINECODE2
• git configured with your identity
• claude CLI (Claude Code): INLINECODE5

Optional

• - GoGetAJob CLI for stats/sync: INLINECODE6

- Verify: gogetajob --help - Not required for the core work loop — FlowForge handles that

Architecture

• - Main session = dispatch + bookkeeping (scan, pick, submit, sync, stats)
• Sub-agents = actual code work (implement, fix CI, address reviews)
• Code changes = always via Claude Code (acpx --approve-all claude exec)

Never do implementation work in the main session. Always delegate to sub-agents.

Quick Commands

Command	What it does
INLINECODE9	Discover open issues from a repo
INLINECODE10

Scan all tracked repos | | gogetajob feed | Browse available jobs | | gogetajob check <ref> | Deep-inspect an issue before taking it | | gogetajob start <ref> | Take a job — fork/clone/branch | | gogetajob submit <ref> --tokens N | Push + create PR + record | | gogetajob followup <ref> --tokens N | Record additional effort on existing work | | gogetajob sync | Check all PR statuses, flag problems | | gogetajob watch | Set up automatic sync via cron | | gogetajob stats | View overall performance and ROI | | gogetajob history | View work log | | gogetajob import <repo> | Backfill work_log from GitHub PR history |

The Work Loop

The full contribution cycle runs as a FlowForge workflow (workloop). See references/workloop-overview.md for the complete node-by-node breakdown.

Summary:

CODEBLOCK0

To start: INLINECODE22

Core Rules

1. Code via Claude Code, not hand-written

Sub-agents delegate all code changes to Claude Code:

CODEBLOCK1

Task descriptions must include: issue context, reviewer feedback, architecture notes, maintainer preferences from knowledge-base, and a verification suffix:

"Before committing: 1) grep for all test files that import/mock the interfaces you changed, update their mocks. 2) Run the project's test/lint commands. 3) git diff --stat to confirm no files were missed."

Exception: one-line trivial fixes can be done manually.

2. Dogfood everything

After each work session, check: did gogetajob, flowforge, or any tool have bugs or friction? If yes:

• - File an issue on the tool's repo
• Or fix it yourself and submit a PR
• Every round should be smoother than the last — this is compounding returns

3. Max 3 open PRs per repo

Before submitting a new PR, check: INLINECODE23

If ≥ 3 open PRs exist, stop. Wait for existing PRs to be reviewed/merged before adding more. Flooding maintainers kills goodwill.

4. Accurate token tracking

Always pass real token counts from sub-agent session_status:

CODEBLOCK2

Never estimate. Never guess. No number → don't fill it in.

5. Pre-PR checklist (all must pass)

Before creating any PR:

1. 1. Does this PR solve exactly one problem?
2. No existing fix or competing PR upstream?
3. Read CONTRIBUTING.md and recent merge patterns?
4. Can verify the fix locally (tests pass)?
5. Open PRs for this repo ≤ 3?

6. Knowledge accumulation

• - Before working on a repo: read knowledge-base/projects/<repo>.md (field notes)
• After finishing: update field notes with lessons, maintainer preferences, CI quirks
• Cross-project insights → memex cards
• Behavioral patterns → beliefs-candidates.md

Sync & Follow-up

Run gogetajob sync regularly (or use gogetajob watch for automatic cron).

When sync flags issues:

Signal	Priority	Action
Human review comment	High	Spawn sub-agent to address, then INLINECODE28
CI failure

Medium | Spawn sub-agent to fix, then followup |
| Bot review (CodeRabbit etc.) | Low | Address if substantive, ignore nitpicks |
| PR closed | — | Read why. If someone else's fix was better, study it |

Issue Selection Strategy

When picking issues from gogetajob feed:

• - Priority: real bugs > test coverage > docs > features
• Prefer repos with existing field notes (knowledge compounds)
• High-star repos: check for competing PRs first
• Security/infra issues: look for related issues to batch-fix
• Always verify: git log --oneline -20 -- <relevant files> to check if already fixed
• Check maintainer activity: repos that only merge internal PRs are low-ROI for external contributors