Team Setup & Init Mode

Try this to initialize for a specific stack:

Set up a team for a React + Node.js API with PostgreSQL

Try this to expand capabilities:

Add a security specialist to the team

Try this to view the roster:

Show me the current team roster

Squad analyzes your project and proposes a team roster with 3-7 members tailored to your stack. You can accept as-is, customize during setup, or modify the team anytime after.

How Init Works

When you first run Squad in a repository, it doesn’t impose a team — it proposes one. The init flow analyzes your project, suggests roles and members, waits for your confirmation, then creates the .ai-team/ directory structure and installs the crew.

How Init Works

  1. Discovery — Squad scans your repository: language distribution, file structure, test frameworks, dependencies, existing workflows.
  2. Proposal — Based on what it finds, Squad proposes a team roster with 3-7 members and their roles.
  3. Confirmation — You review the proposal and can accept as-is, add members, remove members, or change roles.
  4. Creation — Squad writes .ai-team/team.md, creates agent directories under .ai-team/agents/{member}/, and sets up the coordinator.

File Structure Created

.ai-team/
├── team.md                         # Team roster
├── routing.md                      # Work routing rules
├── decisions.md                    # Team memory (directives)
├── decisions/inbox/                # Pending decision writes
├── agents/
│   ├── {member1}/
│   │   ├── charter.md              # Role, skills, voice
│   │   └── context.md              # Agent-specific notes
│   ├── {member2}/
│   │   └── charter.md
│   └── ...
├── skills/
│   ├── {skill1}.md                 # Skill definitions
│   └── ...
├── log/                            # Execution logs
├── orchestration-log/              # Coordinator state
└── casting/                        # Universe assignments

Customizing During Init

What you say What happens
“Accept” / “Looks good” Creates team as proposed
“Add a designer” Adds a designer role to the roster
“Remove the tester” Drops tester from the team
“Change backend to Rust specialist” Adjusts role focus for that member
“Make Fenster the frontend lead” Assigns specific name to role

Customizing After Init

You can modify .ai-team/team.md directly or ask the coordinator:

“Add a security specialist to the team”

The coordinator will:

  1. Cast a new member from the universe
  2. Create their agent directory and charter
  3. Update team.md and routing.md

“Remove McManus from the team”

The coordinator will:

  1. Remove the member from team.md
  2. Archive their agent directory (moves to .ai-team/agents/.archived/{member}/)
  3. Update routing rules

Default Team Composition

For most projects, Squad proposes:

Role When Included
Lead Always — triages, reviews, unblocks
Core Dev Always — main implementation
Tester If tests exist or package.json/pyproject.toml has test deps
DevRel If README exists or docs/ present
Frontend If React/Vue/Svelte/Angular detected
Backend If API routes, database code, or server framework detected
Scribe Always — decision logger

Upgrade vs. Init

Command When to Use
init First-time setup in a new repository
upgrade Existing .ai-team/ — updates templates, adds new members, migrates config

Running init on an existing Squad repository prompts for upgrade mode automatically.

Sample Prompts

Start a new Squad team for this project

Triggers init mode. Squad analyzes the repository and proposes a team.

Add a database specialist to the team

Adds a new member post-init. Coordinator casts from universe, creates charter, updates routing.

Remove the designer role — we don't need it

Removes a team member. Archives their directory and updates team.md.

Show me the current team roster

Displays team.md with all members, roles, and capabilities.

Change the tester to focus on integration tests instead of unit tests

Updates the tester’s charter to adjust their focus area and expertise.