epic-definition

name	epic-definition
description	Define an epic with strategic context, feature breakdown, milestones, and success metrics. Use when scoping a large body of work for planning and tracking.

Epic Definition

Structure a well-defined epic in about an hour — strategic context, feature decomposition, milestones, dependencies, and success metrics. Claude handles the structuring and completeness checks. You provide the strategic intent and make the scoping calls.

When to Use

• Breaking a PRD or initiative into an executable epic
• Kicking off a multi-sprint body of work that needs formal definition
• Multiple teams or stakeholders need visibility into a workstream
• Planning season requires epics tied to OKRs for roadmap alignment
• An existing epic is vague and needs to be tightened before engineering starts

When NOT to Use

• The work fits in a single sprint — use Story Writing directly
• You need to write the full requirements first — use PRD Writing
• You're prioritizing which epic to do next — use RICE/ICE in FRAMEWORKS.md

The AI-Native Approach

Step	Time	Claude Does	You Do
Strategic framing	10 min	Structure the objective, key result, and theme	Confirm alignment to company goals
Feature decomposition	20 min	Break the epic into features with descriptions and owners	Validate completeness, cut scope
Success metrics	10 min	Propose outcome metrics and guardrails	Confirm baselines and targets
Dependencies & risks	10 min	Map cross-team dependencies and risk profile	Add political and organizational context
Timeline & milestones	10 min	Propose phased milestones with feature groupings	Validate with engineering leads

Process

Step 1: Strategic Framing (10 minutes)

Every epic exists to serve a goal. If you can't connect the epic to a company objective, question whether it belongs on the roadmap.

I need to define an epic for [body of work].

Strategic context:
- Objective: [what this epic achieves — tied to a company or product goal]
- Key result it drives: [measurable outcome — e.g., "Reduce onboarding drop-off from 40% to 25%"]
- Theme: [product pillar — e.g., Growth, Retention, Platform, Compliance]

Problem it addresses:
- [The user or business problem, grounded in evidence]

Evidence:
- [Data point 1 — source, date]
- [Data point 2]

Help me frame this as a tight epic description — one paragraph that any stakeholder could read and understand why we're investing in this.

Step 2: Feature Decomposition (20 minutes)

Break the epic into independently deliverable features. Each feature should be meaningful on its own — not just a task.

Break this epic into features:

For each feature:
- Name and one-line description
- Why it's included (what problem it solves within the epic)
- Status: Not Started | In Design | In Development | Complete
- Owner: [name or team]
- Rough size: S / M / L
- Can it ship independently? (yes = good feature boundary)

Then:
- What's explicitly out of scope for this epic?
- Are any features dependent on each other? (must Feature A ship before Feature B?)
- Which feature delivers the most value fastest? (candidate for first delivery)

Step 3: Success Metrics (10 minutes)

Define success metrics for this epic:

| Metric | Target | Baseline | Measurement Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Primary outcome metric] | [target] | [current] | [how measured] |
| [Secondary metric] | [target] | [current] | [how measured] |
| [Guardrail — must not degrade] | [threshold] | [current] | [how measured] |

How do we know this epic succeeded vs. just shipped?
What's our evaluation timeline after the last feature ships?

Step 4: Dependencies & Risks (10 minutes)

Map dependencies and risks for this epic:

Dependencies:
| Dependency | Team/System | Status | Needed By |
|---|---|---|---|
| [What we need] | [from whom] | [resolved/pending] | [date] |

Risks:
| Risk | Likelihood | Impact | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| [What could go wrong] | [H/M/L] | [H/M/L] | [What we'd do] |

Flag any dependency that is unresolved and could block the first milestone.

Step 5: Timeline & Milestones (10 minutes)

Propose a phased timeline for this epic:

| Milestone | Target Date | Features Included | What's Demoable |
|---|---|---|---|
| [e.g., "Design complete"] | [Date] | [Features 1-2] | [What stakeholders can see] |
| [e.g., "Beta launch"] | [Date] | [Feature 1] | [What users can do] |
| [e.g., "GA launch"] | [Date] | [All features] | [Full experience] |

For each milestone: what's the minimum viable deliverable?
Which milestone de-risks the most uncertainty?

Output

• Epic description with strategic alignment
• Feature breakdown table with owners, sizes, and dependencies
• Success metrics with baselines and targets
• Dependency map and risk register
• Phased milestone timeline

Common Pitfalls

1. Epics without outcomes. "Build notification system" is an output. "Reduce notification-driven churn by 15%" is an outcome. Tie the epic to a measurable result.
2. Features that can't ship alone. If a feature only makes sense when combined with three other features, it's not a feature — it's a task. Redraw the boundaries.
3. No explicit scope boundary. An epic without an out-of-scope section will grow until it collapses under its own weight. Define the edges early.
4. Missing the first deliverable. If the first milestone is 8 weeks away, the epic is too big or the milestones aren't granular enough. Aim for something demoable within 2 weeks.
5. Orphan epics. An epic that doesn't connect to an OKR or company goal will lose priority the moment something urgent arrives. Anchor it.

Related Skills

• PRD Writing — when you need the full requirements before defining the epic
• Feature Specification — for detailed specs on individual features within the epic
• Story Writing — for breaking features into developer-ready stories
• Roadmap Planning — for sequencing epics across a quarter or half
• Reference: TEMPLATES.md — Epic template for formatting