MCP Servers by Persona - Comprehensive Guide

Version: 2.3.0 Date: 2025-10-04 Purpose: Role-optimized MCP server configurations for each persona

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🎯 Philosophy

Different engineering roles have different workflows and tools. This document defines persona-specific MCP server bundles that match each role's daily tasks and responsibilities.

Key Principle: Install only what you need, optimized for your role.

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📊 MCP Server Matrix

MCP Server	Engineer	QA	PM	EM	UX	Purpose
Serena	✅ P1	⚪	⚪	⚪	⚪	LSP-based semantic code navigation
GitHub	✅ P1	✅ P1	✅ P1	✅ P1	⚪	Issues, PRs, project boards
Filesystem	✅ P1	✅ P1	⚪	⚪	✅ P1	File operations, large file handling
Memory	✅ P1	✅ P1	✅ P2	✅ P2	✅ P2	Persistent context across sessions
Sequential-thinking	✅ P2	✅ P2	⚪	⚪	⚪	Multi-phase planning, architecture
Playwright	✅ P2	✅ P1	⚪	⚪	✅ P1	Browser automation, E2E testing
PostgreSQL	✅ P2	✅ P2	⚪	✅ P2	⚪	Database querying, test data
A11y MCP	⚪	✅ P1	⚪	⚪	✅ P1	Accessibility testing, WCAG compliance
Linear	⚪	⚪	✅ P1	✅ P1	⚪	Issue tracking, sprint planning
Jira	⚪	⚪	✅ P2	✅ P2	⚪	Enterprise project management
PostHog	⚪	⚪	✅ P1	✅ P1	⚪	Product analytics, feature flags
Figma	⚪	⚪	✅ P1	⚪	✅ P1	Design context, Code Connect
Slack	⚪	⚪	✅ P2	✅ P1	✅ P2	Team communication, notifications

Legend: ✅ = Included | P1 = Priority 1 (Essential) | P2 = Priority 2 (Recommended) | ⚪ = Not included

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👨‍💻 Software Engineer Bundle

Servers Included (7 total)

Priority 1: Essential

1. Serena - Semantic code understanding via LSP
2. GitHub - Issues, PRs, code reviews
3. Filesystem - Advanced file operations

Priority 2: Recommended

4. Memory - Context persistence across sessions
5. Sequential-thinking - Architectural planning
6. Playwright - E2E testing and browser automation
7. PostgreSQL - Database schema and queries

Common Workflows Enabled

Daily Development:

• Navigate large codebases with Serena's LSP-based semantic search
• Create PRs and manage issues via GitHub
• Read/write files with advanced filesystem operations
• Persist project context with Memory

Architecture & Planning:

• Use Sequential-thinking for multi-phase architectural design
• Query database schemas with PostgreSQL
• Set up E2E tests with Playwright

Example Usage:

# Navigate codebase semantically
"Find all implementations of the PaymentProcessor interface"

# Create PR with context
"Create a PR for the authentication refactor we discussed"

# Query database
"Show me the schema for the users and orders tables"

Installation

./install-scripts/install-mcp-engineer.sh
# Or
./install-scripts/install-mcp-servers.sh --persona engineer

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🧪 QA Engineer Bundle

Servers Included (7 total)

Priority 1: Essential

1. Playwright - E2E browser automation
2. GitHub - Test automation CI/CD
3. Filesystem - Test file management
4. A11y MCP - Accessibility testing

Priority 2: Recommended

5. Memory - Test case persistence
6. Sequential-thinking - Test strategy planning
7. PostgreSQL - Test data setup and validation

Common Workflows Enabled

Test Automation:

• Create and run E2E tests with Playwright
• Automate accessibility audits with A11y MCP (Axe-core integration)
• Manage test files and fixtures with Filesystem
• Persist test scenarios with Memory

Quality Assurance:

• Run WCAG compliance checks
• Set up test databases with PostgreSQL
• Plan comprehensive test strategies with Sequential-thinking
• Integrate tests into GitHub Actions CI/CD

Example Usage:

# Create E2E test
"Create a Playwright test for the checkout flow"

# Run accessibility audit
"Audit the product page for WCAG 2.1 AA compliance"

# Set up test data
"Create test data in the staging database for user registration flow"

# Plan test strategy
"Create a test strategy for the new payment integration"

Installation

./install-scripts/install-mcp-qa.sh
# Or
./install-scripts/install-mcp-servers.sh --persona qa

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📋 Product Manager Bundle

Servers Included (7 total)

Priority 1: Essential

1. GitHub - Issues and project boards
2. Linear - Issue tracking and sprint planning
3. PostHog - Product analytics
4. Figma - Design context for PRDs

Priority 2: Recommended

5. Memory - Requirements persistence
6. Jira - Enterprise project management (if org uses Jira)
7. Slack - Team communication

Common Workflows Enabled

Product Planning:

• Create and prioritize issues in Linear/GitHub
• Analyze product usage with PostHog
• Reference designs from Figma in PRDs
• Track sprint progress across tools

Requirements Management:

• Generate user stories with acceptance criteria
• Create PRDs from Figma designs
• Track feature rollout with PostHog feature flags
• Communicate with team via Slack

Example Usage:

# Analyze feature performance
"Show PostHog analytics for the guest checkout feature"

# Create user stories from design
"Generate user stories from the Figma checkout redesign"

# Plan sprint
"Create Linear issues for Q1 roadmap priorities"

# Track feature flag
"What's the rollout percentage for the new recommendation engine?"

Installation

./install-scripts/install-mcp-pm.sh
# Or
./install-scripts/install-mcp-servers.sh --persona pm

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📊 Engineering Manager Bundle

Servers Included (6 total)

Priority 1: Essential

1. GitHub - PR reviews, team velocity
2. Linear - Sprint planning and tracking
3. PostHog - Engineering analytics
4. Slack - Team communication

Priority 2: Recommended

5. Memory - Team metrics history
6. PostgreSQL - DORA metrics queries
7. Jira - Enterprise sprint management (if org uses Jira)

Common Workflows Enabled

Team Management:

• Track PR review times via GitHub
• Monitor sprint progress in Linear
• Calculate DORA metrics from GitHub + PostgreSQL
• Coordinate team via Slack

Performance Tracking:

• Query deployment frequency (DORA)
• Analyze team velocity trends
• Track blocker resolution time
• Monitor engineering productivity with PostHog

Example Usage:

# Calculate DORA metrics
"Show DORA metrics for the team over the last quarter"

# Track sprint health
"What's our current sprint burndown in Linear?"

# Team coordination
"Send a Slack message about tomorrow's architecture review"

# PR analytics
"Show average PR review time by team member this month"

Installation

./install-scripts/install-mcp-em.sh
# Or
./install-scripts/install-mcp-servers.sh --persona em

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🎨 UX Designer Bundle

Servers Included (6 total)

Priority 1: Essential

1. Figma - Design system integration, Code Connect
2. A11y MCP - Accessibility auditing
3. Playwright - Responsive testing
4. Filesystem - Design file management

Priority 2: Recommended

5. Memory - Design system persistence
6. Slack - Design feedback and collaboration

Common Workflows Enabled

Design System:

• Access Figma components and variables
• Generate code from Figma with Code Connect
• Validate accessibility with A11y MCP
• Test responsive designs with Playwright

Collaboration:

• Share design feedback via Slack
• Persist design system patterns with Memory
• Manage design asset files with Filesystem
• Run WCAG compliance checks

Example Usage:

# Generate code from Figma
"Generate React components from the Figma button variants"

# Check accessibility
"Audit the color contrast in our design system"

# Test responsive
"Test the navigation component at mobile, tablet, and desktop breakpoints"

# Share with team
"Post to Slack: New design system tokens are ready for review"

Installation

./install-scripts/install-mcp-ux.sh
# Or
./install-scripts/install-mcp-servers.sh --persona ux

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🔧 Server Descriptions

Core Infrastructure

Filesystem

Package: @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem Purpose: Fast file operations with large file handling Features:

• Fast file reading/writing
• Sequential reading for large files
• Directory operations
• File search with patterns
• Streaming writes with backup & recovery

Use Cases:

• Engineers: Read/write source code
• QA: Manage test files and fixtures
• UX: Handle design asset files

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Memory

Package: @modelcontextprotocol/server-memory Purpose: Persistent context across Claude sessions Features:

• Store and recall information between sessions
• Navigate large codebases with consistent context
• Remember project-specific patterns
• Cache frequently accessed data

Use Cases:

• Engineers: Remember architecture decisions
• QA: Persist test scenarios and edge cases
• PM: Store requirements and user personas
• EM: Track team metrics history
• UX: Remember design system patterns

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Code Development

Serena

Package: @oraios/serena-mcp Purpose: LSP-based semantic code navigation (100x better than text search) Features:

• Symbol-level code understanding
• Go to definition/implementation
• Find all references
• Semantic code search
• Multi-language support (Java, Python, JS, TS, Go, Rust)

Use Cases:

• Engineers: Navigate large codebases semantically
• "Find all callers of this function"
• "Show implementations of this interface"

Why It's Amazing:

• Uses Language Server Protocol (LSP) not text search
• Understands code structure and semantics
• Works with dependency injection frameworks (Spring, etc.)
• Free and open-source

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Sequential-thinking

Package: @modelcontextprotocol/server-sequential-thinking Purpose: Multi-phase planning and problem decomposition Features:

• Break down complex problems into phases
• Structured thought sequences
• Goal-oriented planning
• Architectural design support

Use Cases:

• Engineers: Architectural planning, system design
• QA: Comprehensive test strategy planning
• "Design the architecture for microservices migration"
• "Create a phased rollout plan for the new feature"

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Version Control & Project Management

GitHub

Package: @modelcontextprotocol/server-github Purpose: GitHub integration for issues, PRs, repos Features:

• Create and manage issues
• Create and review PRs
• Access project boards
• Search code and commits
• Manage releases

Use Cases:

• Engineers: Code reviews, PR creation
• QA: Test automation CI/CD integration
• PM: Issue tracking, project boards
• EM: PR metrics, team velocity

Setup: Requires GITHUB_TOKEN environment variable

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Linear

Package: linear-mcp or via Linear API Purpose: Modern issue tracking and sprint planning Features:

• Create and prioritize issues
• Sprint planning and tracking
• Roadmap visualization
• Team velocity metrics
• Cycle automation

Use Cases:

• PM: Feature prioritization, sprint planning
• EM: Team coordination, velocity tracking
• "Create Linear issues for the Q1 roadmap"
• "Show sprint progress for current cycle"

Setup: Requires Linear API key

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Jira

Package: jira-mcp Purpose: Enterprise project management Features:

• Create epics and stories
• Sprint management
• Advanced JQL queries
• Workflow automation
• Custom fields

Use Cases:

• PM: Enterprise-scale project management
• EM: Sprint planning, dependency tracking
• "Create Jira epic from Figma design with user stories"

Setup: Requires Jira API token and project key

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Testing & Quality

Playwright

Package: @modelcontextprotocol/server-playwright (Microsoft official) Purpose: Browser automation and E2E testing Features:

• Cross-browser testing (Chromium, Firefox, WebKit)
• Network interception
• Screenshot and video capture
• Accessibility tree navigation
• Mobile emulation

Use Cases:

• Engineers: E2E testing for features
• QA: Automated test creation and execution
• UX: Responsive design testing
• "Create Playwright test for the checkout flow"
• "Test navigation at mobile and desktop breakpoints"

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A11y MCP

Package: a11y-mcp Purpose: AI-powered accessibility testing with Axe-core Features:

• WCAG 2.0, 2.1, 2.2 compliance checking
• Color contrast analysis
• ARIA validation
• Keyboard navigation testing
• Comprehensive accessibility reports

Use Cases:

• QA: Automated accessibility testing
• UX: WCAG compliance validation
• "Audit the product page for WCAG 2.1 AA compliance"
• "Check color contrast in our design system"

Standards Supported:

• wcag2a, wcag2aa, wcag2aaa
• wcag21a, wcag21aa, wcag22aa
• Categories: cat.aria, cat.color, cat.forms, cat.keyboard

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Databases & Analytics

PostgreSQL

Package: @modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres or postgres-mcp Purpose: Database querying and schema inspection Features:

• Read-only SQL queries (secure)
• Schema inspection (tables, columns, indexes)
• Query performance analysis
• Execution plan analysis
• Connection health checks

Use Cases:

• Engineers: Database schema inspection, query optimization
• QA: Test data setup and validation
• EM: DORA metrics queries (deployment frequency from DB)
• "Show me the schema for users and orders tables"
• "Set up test data for the registration flow"

Setup: Requires PostgreSQL connection string (read-only user recommended)

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PostHog

Package: posthog-mcp Purpose: Product analytics and feature flags Features:

• Product usage analytics
• Feature flag management
• User cohort analysis
• Funnel tracking
• A/B test results

Use Cases:

• PM: Product analytics, feature performance
• EM: Engineering productivity metrics
• "Show analytics for the guest checkout feature"
• "What's the rollout percentage for the new recommendation engine?"

Setup: Requires PostHog API key and project ID

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Design & Collaboration

Figma

Package: figma-mcp (official Figma server) Purpose: Design system integration and Code Connect Features:

• Access Figma components and variables
• Code Connect mappings (Figma → code)
• Design token extraction
• Auto-generate code from designs
• Accessibility annotations

Use Cases:

• PM: Reference designs in PRDs, generate user stories from designs
• UX: Design-to-code generation, design system management
• "Generate React components from Figma button variants"
• "Create PRD from the checkout redesign in Figma"

Setup: Requires Figma API token, file/frame access

Key Innovation: When Figma frames use Code Connect and variables, generated code uses REAL component libraries and design tokens, not generic divs!

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Slack

Package: @modelcontextprotocol/server-slack or slack-mcp Purpose: Team communication and notifications Features:

• Send messages to channels/DMs
• Thread replies
• Fetch conversation history
• Channel management
• Smart history fetch

Use Cases:

• PM: Team updates, stakeholder communication
• EM: Team coordination, blockers notification
• UX: Design feedback and reviews
• "Send Slack message about tomorrow's architecture review"
• "Post to #design: New tokens ready for review"

Setup: Requires Slack Bot Token (SLACK_BOT_TOKEN)

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🚀 Installation Guide

Quick Start

1. Install Persona Configuration

./install-scripts/claude-config.sh engineer

2. Install Persona-Specific MCP Servers

# Option A: Persona-specific script
./install-scripts/install-mcp-engineer.sh

# Option B: Main script with persona flag
./install-scripts/install-mcp-servers.sh --persona engineer

# Option C: Auto-detect from environment
export CLAUDE_PERSONA="engineer"
./install-scripts/install-mcp-servers.sh

Individual Server Installation

# Install specific server manually
npm install -g @oraios/serena-mcp
npm install -g @modelcontextprotocol/server-playwright
npm install -g a11y-mcp

Configuration

Add to ~/.claude/settings.json or persona-specific MCP config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "serena": {
      "command": "serena-mcp-server",
      "args": [],
      "env": {}
    },
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_TOKEN": "ghp_your_token_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

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📊 Comparison: Universal vs Persona-Specific

Before (Universal)

# Every persona gets same 8 servers
- Serena (engineers only need this)
- Claude Context (large codebases)
- Filesystem (everyone)
- Memory (everyone)
- Sequential-thinking (engineers, QA)
- GitHub (engineers, PM, EM)
- Playwright (engineers, QA, UX)
- Context7 (analytics - PM, EM only need this)

Result: 8 servers per person, many unused

After (Persona-Specific)

# Engineer: 7 servers (all useful)
# QA: 7 servers (testing-focused)
# PM: 7 servers (product-focused)
# EM: 6 servers (management-focused)
# UX: 6 servers (design-focused)

Result: Fewer servers, ALL relevant to role

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💡 Best Practices

1. Start with Priority 1 Servers

Install essential servers first, add Priority 2 as needed.

2. Environment Variables

Store API keys in .zshrc or .bashrc:

export GITHUB_TOKEN="ghp_..."
export LINEAR_API_KEY="lin_..."
export FIGMA_ACCESS_TOKEN="fig_..."
export SLACK_BOT_TOKEN="xoxb-..."
export POSTHOG_API_KEY="phc_..."

3. Security

• Use read-only database users for PostgreSQL
• Limit GitHub token scope to necessary permissions
• Use workspace-specific Slack tokens

4. Performance

• Only install servers you'll actually use
• Disable unused servers in MCP config
• Monitor MCP server memory usage

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🔄 Updates

Adding New Server

# 1. Install package
npm install -g @scope/new-mcp-server

# 2. Add to persona MCP config
vim ~/.claude/templates/<persona>/mcp-servers/mcp-config.json

# 3. Test
claude mcp list

Updating Servers

# Update all npm-based servers
npm update -g

# Update specific server
npm update -g @oraios/serena-mcp

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📚 Resources

Official MCP Documentation

• MCP Specification
• MCP Servers Repository
• Awesome MCP Servers

Server-Specific Docs

• Serena GitHub
• Playwright MCP
• Figma MCP Guide
• A11y MCP

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Version: 2.3.0 Status: ✅ Complete Role-Optimized: Each persona gets exactly what they need

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Optimized MCP server bundles for maximum productivity per role 🚀