Prd To Issues

PRD to Issues

Break a PRD into independently-grabbable issues using vertical slices (tracer bullets), written as local markdown files.

Process

1. Locate the PRD

Ask for the PRD file path (e.g. issues/prd.md). If not in context, read it.

2. Explore the codebase (optional)

If you haven't already, explore to understand current state.

3. Draft vertical slices

Each issue is a tracer bullet — a thin vertical slice cutting through ALL layers end-to-end, NOT a horizontal slice of one layer.

Slices are HITL (need human interaction — design review, architectural decision) or AFK (implementable and mergeable without it). Prefer AFK.

• Each slice delivers a narrow but COMPLETE path through every layer (schema, API, UI, tests)
• A completed slice is demoable or verifiable on its own
• Prefer many thin slices over few thick ones

4. Quiz the user (or skip if AFK)

Present a numbered list. For each slice:

• Title: short descriptive name
• Type: HITL / AFK
• Blocked by: which slices (if any) must complete first
• User stories covered: which from the PRD

Ask:

• Does the granularity feel right? (too coarse / too fine)
• Are dependencies correct?
• Should any slices be merged or split?
• Are HITL/AFK labels right?

Iterate until approved.

AFK fallback (no user available — /feature running headlessly, claude -p invocation, etc.): skip the quiz. Make your best granularity call from the PRD alone, then proceed straight to step 5. In each issue file's ## What to build section, add a ### Slice rationale sub-section noting why this slice exists as its own ticket (vs. being folded into a sibling) — a future reviewer or downstream agent reads it to challenge the slicing at the next checkpoint. If you're uncertain between two slicings, write a sibling QUESTIONS.md listing the choice you made and the alternative.

Narrow-feature note: The "vertical slice through all layers (schema, API, UI, tests)" framing assumes a multi-layer feature. For a single-file CLI flag, a one-script change, or a docs-only update, the layers may collapse to one. Don't force-split a one-issue feature into three issues just to satisfy "many thin slices"; one issue with clear acceptance criteria is the right answer when there's only one layer to cut through.

The most common natural 2-issue shapes for narrow features:

• Deep module + wiring — one issue for the testable helper (no CLI noise), one for the CLI-level integration. Pattern: implementing archive_cache(src, dest) -> sha_hex separately from --backup-cache flag wiring.
• Code + discovery doc — for plugin/skill/library features where a SKILL.md or README discovery surface needs to advertise the new behavior. The doc lives in a different file (often a different lane — ### frontend in this repo's split), and reviewers care about different things (correctness vs. discoverability/example accuracy). Pattern: --json flag in crap.py (issue 001) + ## Invocation update in crap/SKILL.md (issue 002).

Blocking direction: when one issue depends on another, prefer doc-blocked-on-code (not the reverse). The doc should cite the as-shipped flag spelling, exit code, output format, etc. — landing the doc first means it documents a spec, not behavior, and tends to drift. Exception: when the doc IS the spec contract (e.g. an OpenAPI schema that drives codegen), invert.

5. Create the issue files

For each approved slice, write issues/NNN-short-title.md (e.g. issues/001-add-user-auth.md). Number from the next available slot (check existing files in issues/).

Create files in dependency order (blockers first) so "Blocked by" can reference real filenames.

Do NOT use gh issue create or any GitHub CLI. Do NOT reference GitHub issue numbers. Local filenames only for cross-references.

Parent PRD

issues/prd.md (or whichever PRD was used)

Type

HITL or AFK — pick one. HITL means a human needs to be in the loop (design review, credentials, architectural call). AFK means it can be picked up and merged autonomously.

What to build

Concise description of this vertical slice. End-to-end behavior, not layer-by-layer implementation. Reference sections of the parent PRD rather than duplicating.

Acceptance criteria

• [ ] Criterion 1
• [ ] Criterion 2
• [ ] Criterion 3

Blocked by

• Blocked by issues/NNN-title.md (if any)

Or "None - can start immediately".

User stories addressed

Reference by number from the parent PRD:

• User story 3
• User story 7

Do NOT close or modify the parent PRD file.

Next

After issues are written, optionally run write-a-rubric per AFK issue to define grader-checkable success criteria as a sibling issues/NNN-*.rubric.md. Then run work-issues to start working the queue.

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: belchman
• Source: belchman/claude-skills
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.