Project Builder Skill

Purpose

Transform high-level project plans into actionable, well-organized task breakdowns with proper phasing, dependencies, and assignments.

Auto-Activation Triggers

This skill activates when the user:

• Describes a multi-step project or feature set
• Says "build a [complex feature]"
• Mentions implementing something requiring multiple components
• Asks to "create a project plan" or "break down this project"
• Uses phrases like "I want to build/create/implement [complex system]"

Workflow Overview

Phase 1: Plan Analysis

Extract from user's description:

• Core objectives and deliverables
• Technical requirements (API, database, frontend, auth, etc.)
• Complexity level (Low/Medium/High)
• Required project phases

Phase 2: Agent Selection

Based on technical requirements, select appropriate work areas:

• backend: API, server, database work
• frontend: UI, components, user experience
• security: Authentication, authorization
• testing: Unit tests, integration, E2E
• data: Schema, migrations, pipelines
• infrastructure: Docker, deployment, CI/CD
• performance: Optimization, caching

Phase 3: Task Generation

For each area, create tasks with:

• Title: Clear and actionable
• Description: Detailed context and acceptance criteria
• Priority: Critical/High/Medium/Low based on dependencies
• Size: XS/S/M/L/XL based on complexity
• Phase: Assignment based on dependencies
• Dependencies: Between tasks

Context Integration:

• Check .claude/memory/ for existing patterns
• Apply specifications from CLAUDE.md
• Reference architecture documentation

Phase 4: Compliance Review

Run comprehensive checks:

• All tasks have required fields
• Workload balanced
• No phase overloaded with critical tasks
• Dependencies properly sequenced

Phase 5: Task Creation

Create tasks using TodoWrite or your task management system.

Phase 6: Project Summary

Generate comprehensive overview:

• Task metrics and distribution
• Critical path identification
• Risk assessment
• Progress tracking setup

Output Format

## Project Builder

**Plan:** [user's project description]

### Analysis
- **Complexity:** [Low/Medium/High]
- **Technical Requirements:** [count]
- **Required Areas:** [list]

### Task Distribution
- Critical: [count] tasks
- High: [count] tasks
- Medium: [count] tasks
- Low: [count] tasks

### Phase Breakdown
- Phase 1: [name] - [count] tasks
- Phase 2: [name] - [count] tasks

### Compliance Review
- [ ] All tasks have required fields
- [ ] Workload balanced across areas
- [ ] Dependencies properly sequenced

### Tasks Created
[List of tasks with priorities]

### Next Steps
1. Review generated tasks
2. Adjust priorities based on needs
3. Begin Phase 1 critical tasks

Best Practices

1. Memory-Driven Planning

Always check memory first:

• .claude/memory/active/quick-reference.md - Top patterns
• .claude/memory/active/procedural-memory.md - Proven procedures

2. Context Awareness

• Check existing tasks for capacity
• Review current workload
• Factor in technical debt backlog

3. Realistic Estimation

• Historical velocity from similar tasks
• Complexity multipliers
• Buffer for unknowns (15-20%)

4. Progressive Elaboration

• Phase 1: Core functionality
• Phase 2: Enhancement and polish
• Phase 3: Optimization and scaling
• Phase 4: Documentation and deployment

Integration with Other Workflows

After Project Building:

• Use /orchestrate-tasks for parallel execution
• Track progress regularly

Update Context:

• Document project outcome in episodic memory
• Add new patterns to procedural memory

Error Handling

If Plan Unclear

1. Ask clarifying questions about scope
2. Request technical requirements specification
3. Suggest examples of well-structured plans

If Complexity Estimation Fails

1. Default to Medium complexity
2. Request additional context
3. Conservative estimates with explicit assumptions

Skill Metadata

Version: 1.0.0 Category: Project Management & Planning