The problem
You're running multiple Claude Code sessions across separate terminal tabs. Codex in another window. Maybe Qwen Code for a side project. Each agent is doing great work — but you've lost track of which one finished, which one errored, and which project still needs a review.
"I've often been running several claude code sessions across separate terminal tabs."
— HN user
The leap from typing code to agent-assisted development was huge. The leap from one agent to managed agents across all your projects is the next inflection. You don't need another agent. You need a way to manage the ones you already have.
How Chief helps
One dashboard for everything
See every agent, every project, every status — in one place. No more terminal archaeology to find out what happened while you were asleep. Morning check-in shows progress on all projects at a glance.
Chief proposes next tasks
Set project-level goals and Chief proposes concrete next tasks with acceptance criteria. Agents stay productive while you sleep, commute, or work on something else — instead of sitting idle between manual prompts. Your job shifts from writing prompts to approving plans.
Usage tracking
See exactly what each agent is doing across every provider, in real time. Track usage per agent, per session, and per project — no more guessing about what happened while you were away.
Persistent context across agents
Pick up where you left off. Chief maintains project-level context shared across agents, so your agents remember what happened yesterday — even when you switch between providers. No more re-explaining your codebase every session.
Mobile-first management
Review agent output, approve milestones, and dispatch new work from your phone. Your agents work while you're away from your desk. No more rushing back to your laptop to unblock an idle agent.
BYOA — Bring Your Own Agent
Chief works with the Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, Qwen Code, OpenCode, and other subscriptions you already pay for. No new credit system to learn, no new pricing anxiety. No credit card required.
"I chalk it up to VC subsidized pricing. I use my monthly Cursor quota, then switch to Claude Code when I run out."
— lherron, HN
Multi-tool juggling is already happening. Chief makes it intentional instead of reactive.
No lock-in
Chief works with your existing repos and tools. No migration, no proprietary formats. Walk away anytime with zero data loss. Your code and workflow stay yours.
A day with Chief
Scenario: You're managing a SaaS app, a mobile app, and a CLI tool — all active projects.
Morning check-in (2 minutes, from phone). Open Chief. Three projects with overnight status. The SaaS backend PR from yesterday's Claude Code session is ready for review. The mobile app has a suggested next milestone: "Add push notification settings screen." The CLI tool has two passing tests from a Codex session that finished at 2 AM.
Approve and dispatch. Approve the mobile app task — Chief dispatches it to Codex. Merge the SaaS PR directly from the dashboard. Set a new goal for the CLI tool: "Add JSON output format for all commands."
Mid-day context switch (30 seconds). Glance at the dashboard. Mobile app task is 60% complete. CLI tool agent is running tests. No action needed.
Afternoon review. CLI tool JSON output is done — review the diff, approve. Mobile app push notification screen is ready for review. The SaaS app's next suggested task is "Add Stripe webhook handler for subscription changes" — approve and dispatch to Claude Code.
End of day. Three projects advanced meaningfully. Total hands-on-keyboard time: under 20 minutes. The rest was building.
When to use Chief
- You're juggling 2+ projects with AI agents and spending more time switching between terminal tabs than actually reviewing code.
- You're already paying for multiple agent subscriptions (Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, Qwen Code, OpenCode) and want a single control plane instead of context-switching between them.
- You want agents to stay productive between your prompts instead of sitting idle until you manually queue the next task.
- You work from multiple devices and need to check on agent progress from your phone, tablet, or a different computer.
- You're a solo dev who ships like a team and need the coordination layer that makes that sustainable.
Building with monorepos? See Chief for Monorepo Development.
FAQ
Is Chief free for solo developers?
Yes — Chief is free to start with no credit card required. You bring your own AI agent subscriptions. Chief manages them without adding another bill. When you're ready for advanced features like priority scheduling and expanded agent orchestration, paid plans are available to grow with you.
What AI coding agents does Chief support?
Chief works with Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, Qwen Code, OpenCode, and any agent that runs in a terminal. Use one or all of them — Chief manages them through a single dashboard.
Do I need to change my existing workflow to use Chief?
No. Chief wraps around your existing agents and repos. Point it at your GitHub repos and start managing — zero migration, zero switching cost if you ever want to stop.
Can I manage agents from my phone?
Yes. Chief's mobile interface lets you review output, approve milestones, dispatch new tasks, and check agent progress from anywhere.
How does Chief handle usage tracking across different agent subscriptions?
Chief tracks activity per agent, per session, and per project across all your providers. You see exactly what each project is doing — no more checking three different dashboards.
What's the difference between Chief and just running multiple terminal tabs?
Terminal tabs give you parallel agents with zero coordination. You're the one tracking status, switching context, and deciding what each agent should do next. Chief automates the management layer — unified status, proactive task proposals, persistent context, cost tracking, and mobile access. If avoiding flipping between two agents is useful, one view across all of them is transformative.
Does Chief work with my existing repos?
Yes. Chief connects to your existing repos. No migration, no proprietary formats. Stop using Chief anytime — your code and workflow stay yours.
Can Chief suggest what to work on next?
Yes. Set project-level goals and Chief proposes concrete next tasks with acceptance criteria. Approve, redirect, or set your own tasks — agents execute while Chief manages the coordination.