Regular Gulp 3.* implementation of http://davidwalsh.name/gulp-run-sequence - tasks can specify their own dependencies, but the secret is to *always* return the stream (or accept and call a callback function argument if the work isn't being done by a stream) so Gulp can figure out when a task has completed

01-gulpfile.js

gulp.task('copy-js-dir', function() {
  return ...
})

gulp.task('copy-php-files', function() {
  return ...
})

gulp.task('copy-image-files', function() {
  return ...
})

gulp.task('compile-stylus', function() {
  return ...
})

gulp.task('clone-prism', ['copy-js-dir', 'copy-php-files', 'copy-image-files', 'compile-stylus'], function() {
   return ...
})

gulp.task('minify-css', ['clone-prism'], function() {
  return ...
})

gulp.task('minify-js', ['clone-prism'], function() {
  return ...
})

gulp.task('replace-build-ids', ['minify-css', 'minify-js'], function() {
  return ...
})

gulp.task('create-backup-zip', ['replace-build-ids'], function() {
  return ...
})

gulp.task('move-to-wordpress', ['create-backup-zip'], function() {
  return ...
})

02-gulpfile-example.js

var gulp = require('gulp')

var WAIT_TIME = 3000

gulp.task('copy-js-dir', function(cb) {
  setTimeout(cb, WAIT_TIME)
})

gulp.task('copy-php-files', function(cb) {
  setTimeout(cb, WAIT_TIME)
})

gulp.task('copy-image-files', function(cb) {
  setTimeout(cb, WAIT_TIME)
})

gulp.task('compile-stylus', function(cb) {
  setTimeout(cb, WAIT_TIME)
})

gulp.task('clone-prism', ['copy-js-dir', 'copy-php-files', 'copy-image-files', 'compile-stylus'], function(cb) {
   setTimeout(cb, WAIT_TIME)
})

gulp.task('minify-css', ['clone-prism'], function(cb) {
  setTimeout(cb, WAIT_TIME)
})

gulp.task('minify-js', ['clone-prism'], function(cb) {
  setTimeout(cb, WAIT_TIME)
})

gulp.task('replace-build-ids', ['minify-css', 'minify-js'], function(cb) {
  setTimeout(cb, WAIT_TIME)
})

gulp.task('create-backup-zip', ['replace-build-ids'], function(cb) {
  setTimeout(cb, WAIT_TIME)
})

gulp.task('move-to-wordpress', ['create-backup-zip'], function(cb) {
  setTimeout(cb, WAIT_TIME)
})

03-gulpfile-example-output.txt

[15:05:23] Starting 'copy-js-dir'...
[15:05:23] Starting 'copy-php-files'...
[15:05:23] Starting 'copy-image-files'...
[15:05:23] Starting 'compile-stylus'...
[15:05:26] Finished 'copy-js-dir' after 3 s
[15:05:26] Finished 'copy-php-files' after 3 s
[15:05:26] Finished 'copy-image-files' after 3 s
[15:05:26] Finished 'compile-stylus' after 3 s
[15:05:26] Starting 'clone-prism'...
[15:05:29] Finished 'clone-prism' after 3 s
[15:05:29] Starting 'minify-css'...
[15:05:29] Starting 'minify-js'...
[15:05:32] Finished 'minify-css' after 3.02 s
[15:05:32] Finished 'minify-js' after 3.02 s
[15:05:32] Starting 'replace-build-ids'...
[15:05:35] Finished 'replace-build-ids' after 3 s
[15:05:35] Starting 'create-backup-zip'...
[15:05:38] Finished 'create-backup-zip' after 3.01 s
[15:05:38] Starting 'move-to-wordpress'...
[15:05:41] Finished 'move-to-wordpress' after 3 s