odd

ODD - Outcomes-Driven Development Plugin for Claude Code

A Claude Code plugin that provides governance tools for human-AI collaboration based on the Outcomes-Driven Development (ODD) framework.

What is ODD?

Outcomes-Driven Development is a governance framework that prioritizes real-world results over artifacts. The core thesis:

Development is about defining outcomes, enforcing constraints, and verifying reality—not writing code. AI accelerates execution; governance preserves trust.

The 7 Pillars

1. Prompt over Code - Intent guides generation; code is ephemeral
2. KISS - Simplicity is non-negotiable
3. DRY with Isolation - Reuse without brittle coupling
4. Consistency - Behavioral predictability matters
5. Maintainability - Systems must survive creator turnover
6. Antifragile - Recovery paths preferred over prevention
7. Scalable - Growth bounded in cost, complexity, and attention

Installation

Prerequisites

• Claude Code version 1.0.33 or later

From GitHub

# Step 1: Add the marketplace
/plugin marketplace add unfoldingWord/odd-claude-plugin

# Step 2: Install the plugin
/plugin install odd-claude-plugin@unfoldingWord

For project-wide installation (shared with collaborators via .claude/settings.json):

/plugin install odd-claude-plugin@unfoldingWord --scope project

Local Development

# Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/unfoldingWord/odd-claude-plugin.git

# Add as local marketplace
/plugin marketplace add ./odd-claude-plugin

# Install (use the plugin name from plugin.json)
/plugin install odd@odd-claude-plugin

Verify Installation

Run /plugin and check the "Installed" tab to confirm the plugin is active.

Available Commands

/odd-init

Initialize ODD governance in your project. Provides guidance on:

• The ODD framework and 7 pillars
• Core terminology (Outcome, Evidence, Artifact, Canon, Attempt, Lane)
• Document tiers (Tier 0-3 epistemic obligation levels)
• Project maturity levels (PoC → Pilot → Production)
• Recommended folder structure

/self-audit

Run through the 9-area self-audit checklist before declaring work complete:

1. Intended Outcome
2. Constraints Applied
3. Decision Rules Followed
4. Verification Performed
5. Evidence Produced
6. UX & Behavior Check
7. Tradeoffs & Risks
8. Maintainability Check
9. Confidence Level

/dod

Check if work meets the ODD Definition of Done requirements:

1. Change Description - What changed, where, and why
2. Verification Performed - What was run or checked
3. Observed Behavior - What actually happened
4. Evidence Produced - Proof of behavior
5. Self-Audit Completed - Reflection against constraints

/create-prd

Interactive PRD (Product Requirements Document) creation with:

• PRD Type Classification (PoC, Feature, Fix, Product slice, Refactor)
• Asset Intake (inventory existing docs, media, links)
• 7-Stage Elicitation:
  1. Outcome Discovery
  2. Success Criteria
  3. Non-Goals and Scope
  4. Constraints
  5. Definition of Done
  6. Risks and Tradeoffs
  7. Draft Assembly

/constraints

Review and apply the 10 ODD constraints:

1. Offline-First (Default)
2. Long Timelines & Changing Ownership
3. Maintainability Over Cleverness
4. Interoperability Over Feature Completeness
5. Stateless or Low-State by Default
6. AI as Accelerator, Not Authority
7. Evidence Over Assertion
8. UX Is Contextual, Not Universal
9. Ephemeral Artifacts Are Acceptable
10. Explicit Tradeoffs

/decision-rules

Get guidance from the 14 ODD decision heuristics when facing choices:

• Outcomes Before Implementation
• Borrow → Bend → Break → Build
• Simplicity Wins (KISS)
• DRY with Isolation
• And 10 more...

Agents

PRD Guide Agent

A dedicated PRD elicitation agent for thorough, multi-turn PRD creation. Key principle: "You extract. You do not invent."

Features:

• PRD type classification and asset intake
• Terminology precision enforcement
• Probing questions at each stage
• Push-back on vague or untestable statements
• Comprehensive PRD assembly

Progressive Governance

ODD applies different levels of rigor based on project maturity:

Level	Stage	Governance
0	PoC / Exploration	Bias toward speed; over-governance prohibited
1	Pilot / Product	Evidence required; tradeoffs explicit
2	Production	Outcomes measurable; security mandatory

Key Concepts

Evidence Over Assertion

Work is not complete unless it is verified with evidence. Assertions like "this should work" do not count.

Restartability Over Salvage

Clean restarts with better constraints are progress. Restarting is not failure.

Memory Is the Bottleneck

In AI-accelerated development, durable intent is scarce—not computation.

Core Terminology

ODD uses precise vocabulary: