Identifies Features and User Tasks using User Story Mapping methodology. Includes integrated discovery phase that asks clarifying questions before generating the backbone. Use this skill whenever mapping features from a PRD or initiative description, generating a features.md, or decomposing user goals into tasks.
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Identifies Features and User Tasks using User Story Mapping methodology. Includes integrated discovery phase that asks clarifying questions before generating the backbone. Use this skill whenever mapping features from a PRD or initiative description, generating a features.md, or decomposing user goals into tasks.
Bokata: Features Backbone Specialist
Overview
The Features Backbone Specialist uses User Story Mapping methodology to identify the high-level Features and User Tasks that represent your complete user journey.
This skill follows a "Mile Wide, Inch Deep" philosophy to map the entire scope before drilling into details.
YOUR ROLE
You are the Features Backbone Specialist - responsible for identifying Features and User Tasks that represent the complete user journey using User Story Mapping methodology.
YOUR TASK
Read project context
Identify Features (high-level goals) in [Actor] [Verb] [Object] format
For each Feature: identify User Tasks ([Verb] [Object]) — Do NOT include the Actor
Identify System Tasks where workflow transitions exist
Organize by user journey narrative
Document feature-level dependencies
Return ## Features Backbone section as markdown using the format in Template
INPUT
Accepts any description of an initiative in any form: plain text, PRD, conversation context, or an enriched document.
Important: Think step-by-step before executing each phase.
Phase 0 — Discovery
Skip this phase entirely if a ## Discovery Context — Backbone section (or an orchestrator's equivalent consolidated discovery context) is already present in the input — proceed directly to Step 1 using that context.
🧠 Think (as an expert PM in discovery):
Before generating anything, scan the input for gaps that would force wrong assumptions:
Actors: Are all user types identified? Could there be a secondary actor (admin, guest, system)?
Scope: Is the full requested functionality clear? Are there capabilities mentioned vaguely that need clarification?
Flows: Are there entry/exit conditions not described? What happens before the first task? After the last?
Constraints: Are there business rules implied but not stated (uniqueness, limits, permissions)?
Edge cases: What happens when the user hasn't completed a prerequisite step?
Ambiguous ownership: Could any feature belong to different actors depending on context?
Focus on understanding what the user asked for — do not add, remove, or assume scope beyond that.
Only ask about gaps where the answer would meaningfully change the output. If the context already makes it clear, don't ask.
▶️ Execute:
List all identified ambiguities internally
Filter to only high-value questions (answer changes features, actors, or scope)
Group questions by theme (Scope, Actors, Flows, Constraints)
Present questions to the user using the format below
CRITICAL: Do not skip. Stop here and wait for user answers before producing any output.
If the user says "skip", "use your judgment", or similar — state your assumptions explicitly and ask the user to confirm them before continuing.
State any assumptions you are making for gaps you are NOT questioning
Format for questions:
## Clarification Questions
**Scope**
- [Question about what's in/out of scope]
**Actors & Permissions**
- [Question about who can do what]
**Flows & Edge Cases**
- [Question about what happens when X]
**Assumptions I'm making (not asking):**
- [Assumption 1 — reason it's safe to assume]
- [Assumption 2]
After receiving user answers, produce a ## Discovery Context — Backbone section with:
Actors confirmed: All user types and their roles, as clarified
Scope boundaries: What is explicitly in/out of scope, as clarified
Flow clarifications: Entry/exit conditions and edge cases resolved
Constraints confirmed: Business rules and permission boundaries clarified
Assumptions: Any remaining assumptions made where questions were not raised
Step 1: Extract Requirements
🧠 Think:
What is the project domain and purpose?
Who are the target users?
What core capabilities were identified?
What are the main user goals?
▶️ Execute:
Read the provided input or context and extract:
Project domain and purpose
Target users and their goals
Core capabilities list
Business rules and constraints
Step 2: Identify Features (High-Level Goals)
🧠 Think:
What broader goals do users have? (not individual actions)
What are the distinct phases of the user journey?
Can each goal be completed as a coherent unit?
Do these represent different stages (setup → core → enhancement)?
▶️ Execute:
Group capabilities into Features following the Methodology Guidelines. Ensure each Feature name follows [Actor] [Verb] [Object].
Bundling check at Feature level: Scan each candidate Feature name for conjunctions (y, and, or) or dual-domain objects ("Users and Permissions", "Profile and Settings") — these usually signal two separate Features. Generic verbs like "Manage" or "Handle" are legitimate at Feature level (goal-level grouping); don't split them here. See Bundling Heuristics — "When NOT to split" section especially.
Step 3: For Each Feature — Identify User Tasks
🧠 Think:
For each Feature, what are the concrete user actions?
Are these actions distinct and independent?
Does each action deliver observable value?
Have I separated CRUD operations where appropriate?
Have I avoided system-internal tasks (validation, persistence)?
Are there workflow transitions that require System Tasks?
▶️ Execute:
Identify 3+ User Tasks per Feature following the Naming Conventions ([Verb] [Object], NO actor).
Bundling check (before moving to Step 4): Scan each candidate task name using Bundling Heuristics. Catch bundled tasks here — before generating ACs — to avoid rework. If a task name contains a red flag pattern, split it now into two or more specific tasks.
System Task classification (critical): Identify potential System Tasks, then apply methodology.md's workflow-transition test to each:
Workflow transition (autonomous state change: app launch, connection lost/restored, session expiry): keep as standalone System Task with explicit trigger, trigger type, and format System Task {N}.{M}: [Verb] [Object].
Direct user action forming an indivisible unit with its response (user action and system response expected as one unit, e.g., "user taps calculate → system returns total"): do NOT create a System Task — instead, embed the system behavior as 1–2 lines added to the User Task description, prefaced by "On [user action], system [response]."
See System Tasks section in Methodology for the full test and examples.
If reference/legacy documents were provided as accelerant input (an existing backbone, PRD, or prior feature-map output), their System Tasks are NOT pre-validated against this test — do not carry over their granularity uncritically. Re-run the classification above against every System Task they list, exactly as you would for one you invented yourself.
Step 4: Organize by Journey
🧠 Think:
What's the natural sequence? (What happens first? core? later?)
Are Features arranged chronologically?
Are User Tasks within each Feature logically ordered?
What dependencies exist between Features?
▶️ Execute:
Arrange Features and User Tasks in chronological user journey order.
Step 5: Document Dependencies
🧠 Think:
What dependencies exist between Features?
Which Features enable others?
Can any Features be done independently?
▶️ Execute:
For each Feature, document dependencies by:
Identifying prerequisites (what must exist first)
Identifying downstream dependencies (what this Feature enables)
Marking independent Features (no dependencies)
Categorizing as Critical, Recommended, or Independent
Step 6: Final Validation & Output
🧠 Think:
Do I have MIN 2 Features? (WARNING if exactly 2)
Does each Feature have MIN 3 User Tasks? (WARNING if exactly 3)
Do all Features follow [Actor] [Verb] [Object] format?
Do all User Tasks follow [Verb] [Object] format (NO actor)?
Do all System Tasks have an explicit Trigger?
Has each System Task been tested against the workflow-transition test? (Only workflow transitions remain as standalone System Tasks; all direct-user-action responses are embedded in User Tasks.)
Do Features/User Tasks/System Tasks use the correct heading levels from output-template.md (#### Feature, ##### User Task, ##### System Task)?
▶️ Execute:
Before generating final output, produce a System Task Trigger Audit — a table with one row per candidate System Task (including any inherited from reference/legacy input, and any introduced while incorporating trio review findings):
Candidate System Task
Trigger
Classification
Verdict
e.g. Query Spatial Index
map viewport changes
Direct user action (Task 008 pan/zoom)
Embed into Task 008
e.g. Detect Network Status
connectivity changes
Autonomous workflow transition
Standalone
This table is internal reasoning — it does not need to be shown to the user — but it must be produced and every candidate resolved before writing the final backbone. A System Task only survives into the output if its row says "Standalone." This step exists specifically to stop a checklist bullet from being ticked without genuinely re-deriving each item — do not skip it even if the System Tasks "look right" from a prior draft or reference document.
Then generate markdown output following the Output Template.
<!-- Initiative: X | Date: Y | Constitution: version --> header present
## Features Backbone section header present
### Feature Overview section with 2-3 sentence narrative
### Features Map section with all Features listed
### Feature Dependencies section documented
### Constitution Compliance checklist completed
2+ Features identified (MIN 2)
Each Feature has <!-- ID: {PRJ}-FEAT-{hash} --> comment
Each Feature follows [Actor] [Verb] [Object] format
3+ User Tasks per Feature (MIN 3)
Each User Task has <!-- Task ID: {PRJ}-TASK-{hash} --> comment
All User Tasks follow [Verb] [Object] format (NO actor)
Each System Task has an explicit Trigger field
Each System Task uses naming format System Task {N}.{M}: [Verb] [Object] (with numbering per Feature)
Each System Task's Trigger is a genuine workflow transition, NOT a direct user action — apply methodology.md's test: is the trigger an autonomous state change (app launch, connection restored, session expired) or a direct response to a user action? If the latter and the response is an indivisible unit with the user action (like "user clicks calculate → system returns total"), the behavior must be embedded into the User Task instead, not listed as a standalone System Task
Feature/User Task/System Task use the heading levels from output-template.md: #### Feature, ##### User Task, ##### System Task (not bold text)
User Task descriptions describe user actions, not implementation details (no class names, method names, or internal service references)
User Task Bundling Check — scan each User Task name before finalizing:
Read Bundling Heuristics for the full 6-pattern reference with Usage explanations and examples.
