Comparison

KaidoPlan vs. HANDOFF.md for coding-agent projects

Choose when to use a Markdown handoff, a computed project plan, or both.

Use a handoff note for context

A HANDOFF.md file is easy to review in Git. Use it for what changed, why a decision was made, what still needs attention and which tests another agent should run. If the project has only a few loosely coupled tasks, the note may be enough on its own.

Use a plan for schedule questions

Add a KaidoPlan file when you need to answer which tasks drive the release date, what is blocked by an upstream change or whether a hard deadline is feasible. The sample shows the difference: an install guide can proceed while signing and clean-install checks still determine when the release can ship. The file gives the scheduler explicit dependencies and durations to work with.

Combine them with one source for each fact

In the note, link to the plan and explain where it lives. Keep scheduling assumptions, task dependencies and target dates in the plan. Keep architectural decisions and test evidence in the note or link to their own documents. When the next coding-agent session starts, have it read both. Try this with the sample: look at the task list, then run the violation report and write a two-sentence handoff explaining what the release owner needs to decide.