Lytos Learn — Build a Todo API with Lytos

Learn the Lytos method hands-on. Clone this repo, follow the steps, build features — guided by your AI.

What is Lytos? · Install the CLI · Lire en français

What you'll learn

This is a small todo API project pre-configured with Lytos. Issues are ready in the board. Some are done, some are in progress, some are waiting. Your job: pick up where the project left off and build features using the Lytos workflow.

By the end, you'll know how to:

• See the board — lyt board
• Inspect an issue — lyt show ISS-0006
• Start an issue — lyt start ISS-0002
• Close an issue — lyt close ISS-0002
• Validate the project — lyt lint and lyt doctor
• Create new issues with your AI

Prerequisites

• Node.js 20+ installed
• An AI tool — Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, or any LLM
• 5 minutes — that's all it takes

Step 0 — Setup

# Install the CLI
npm install -g lytos-cli

# Clone this project
git clone https://github.com/getlytos/lytos-learn.git
cd lytos-learn

# Verify it works
npm start
# → Todo API running on http://localhost:3000

Test the API:

curl http://localhost:3000/todos

Stop the server (Ctrl+C) and move on.

Step 1 — See the board

lyt board

This is your project dashboard. You'll see issues in every status — icebox, backlog, sprint, in progress, review, done. This is how Lytos tracks work.

Notice the dependency arrows: ISS-0009 depends on ISS-0004, which depends on ISS-0002. You can't start ISS-0009 before ISS-0002 is done.

Step 2 — Inspect an issue in progress

lyt show ISS-0006

ISS-0006 is in progress with 2 out of 4 checklist items done. The progress bar shows 50%. This is how you track where you are on any issue.

Try also:

lyt show

This shows all in-progress issues with their progress. In a real project with a team, this is how you see what everyone is working on.

Step 3 — Start your first issue

Pick ISS-0002 (toggle a todo done/undone) — it's simple and has no dependencies:

lyt start ISS-0002

Watch what happens:

• The issue moves from 1-backlog/ to 3-in-progress/
• A git branch feat/ISS-0002-toggle-todo is created
• The board is regenerated

Run lyt board again to see the change.

Step 4 — Build the feature with your AI

Open your AI tool (Claude Code, Cursor, Codex) and say:

"Read .lytos/manifest.md and the issue in .lytos/issue-board/3-in-progress/ISS-0002-toggle-todo.md. Then implement it."

The AI will:

1. Read the project manifest (understands the project)
2. Read the issue (knows what to build)
3. Read the rules (knows the quality criteria)
4. Implement the feature following the checklist

When it's done, verify:

npm test
lyt show ISS-0002

Step 5 — Close the issue

When all checklist items are done and tests pass:

lyt close ISS-0002

The issue moves to 5-done/, the board updates, and you're ready for the next one.

Run lyt board to see your progress.

Step 6 — Check project health

lyt lint
lyt doctor

lyt lint validates the .lytos/ structure. lyt doctor goes deeper — checks for broken links, stale memory, missing skills, and gives you a health score.

Step 7 — Create your own issue

This is the real test. Say to your AI:

"I want to add [your idea] to the todo API. Create an issue for it."

The AI should create a properly formatted issue file with frontmatter, a checklist, and a definition of done. Review it, start it with lyt start, build it, close it with lyt close.

ISS-0005 in the backlog has some ideas if you need inspiration.

What's next?

You've just experienced the full Lytos workflow. To use it on your own project:

cd your-project
lyt init

• Full documentation — the method in detail
• The method — the 5 pillars, 9 skills, rules
• The CLI — all commands

Project structure

lytos-learn/
├── src/
│   ├── server.js          # The todo API
│   └── server.test.js     # Tests
├── .lytos/
│   ├── manifest.md        # Project constitution
│   ├── memory/            # Accumulated knowledge
│   ├── rules/             # Quality criteria
│   └── issue-board/       # Kanban board with real issues
│       ├── BOARD.md
│       ├── 0-icebox/      # Ideas for later
│       ├── 1-backlog/     # Ready to start
│       ├── 2-sprint/      # Committed for this sprint
│       ├── 3-in-progress/ # Being worked on
│       ├── 4-review/      # Under review
│       └── 5-done/        # Completed
└── package.json

"The best way to learn a method is to use it on a real project."