tasks

Tasks

Decompose frame phases into work items an implementer can pick up without asking questions. Each frame phase becomes a group of tasks; each task is sized, dependency-mapped, and given a verifiable artifact. The breakdown feeds task-creation, which owns what a written work item contains — this skill owns how the work is cut up.

Prerequisites

Locate the inputs:

1. Frame — check conversation context first; fall back to design-docs/NN-name.frame.md; if absent, ask whether to run frame.
2. Alignment — optional reference for pattern decisions and ADRs. Check context or disk.

Process

Phase 1 — Draft Task Table

1. Read the frame document's phases, components, acceptance criteria, and phase sequence.
2. For each phase, identify the individual work items within it. A phase may produce 1–7 tasks. If a phase needs more than 7, it's likely too coarse — reconsider splitting the phase in the frame.
3. For each task, write:
   • Title (task-creation owns what a title looks like)
   • Estimate (hours — enough to validate sizing, not a commitment)
   • Dependencies (other tasks that must complete first)
   • Artifact (expected output: file path, passing test, endpoint, or other verifiable result)
   • Mode: AFK (agent can execute autonomously) or HITL (requires human at keyboard — alignment, QA, taste)
   • Parent phase
4. Present as a grouped table. Validate the structure before investing in detailed descriptions.

Ask the user for approval of the draft table before proceeding.

Phase 2 — Validate Sizing

Verify every task against the sizing guidance:

• Over 8 hours: Break down further. No exceptions. If it can't be split, the work isn't understood well enough.
• 6–8 hours: Acceptable but check for a natural seam.
• 2–4 hours: Sweet spot. Clean boundaries, estimable with confidence.
• Under 1 hour: Combine with related tasks unless isolation matters for risk or dependency reasons.
• Can't estimate: Go back to the frame or investigate the codebase.