| name | start-task |
| description | Starts work on a new task — asks what the user wants to do, creates a GitHub issue, branch, exec-plan, and optionally a worktree |
Start Task Skill
Kicks off work on a new task by asking the user what they want to do, creating a GitHub issue, then following the same flow as start-issue: branch, assign, exec-plan, and optionally worktree + setup.
When to Use
- When the user says "I want to work on something", "start a new task", "new feature", "new fix", or similar
- When the user describes work they want to do but there's no existing GitHub issue for it
Workflow
1. Ask the user what they want to do
If the user hasn't already described the task, ask:
What do you want to work on?
Wait for the user's response. Gather enough context to create a meaningful issue.
2. Clarify if needed
If the description is too vague to create a useful issue, ask follow-up questions:
- What area does this affect?
- Is this a new feature, a bug fix, or a refactoring?
- Any specific acceptance criteria or expected behavior?
Keep it to 1-2 follow-up questions max — don't interrogate.
3. Determine issue type
Based on the user's description:
| Description | Type | Label |
|---|
| Bug, broken behavior, regression | Bug | bug |
| Refactoring, cleanup, restructuring | Refactoring | refactoring |
| Everything else | Feature | (none required) |
4. Create the GitHub issue
gh issue create \
--repo fleetyards/infrastructure \
--title "<concise title>" \
--body "<structured body>" \
--assignee @me \
[--label "bug" if applicable] \
[--label "refactoring" if applicable]
The issue body should follow this structure:
## Description
[Clear description of what needs to be done, based on the user's input]
## Acceptance Criteria
- [ ] [Criterion 1]
- [ ] [Criterion 2]
## Notes
[Any additional context from the conversation]
Show the created issue URL to the user.
5. Continue with the start-issue flow
From here, follow the exact same steps as the start-issue skill starting from step 5 (assign is already done via --assignee @me):
- Create the branch (
feat/, fix/, or refactor/ prefix + issue number + kebab-case description)
- Push the branch and connect it to the issue
- Research the codebase and create the exec-plan at
docs/exec-plans/<branch-slug>.md
- Summarise the issue with branch name, exec-plan path, and plan overview
- Ask about worktree: "Want me to create a worktree and run setup?"
- If confirmed: create worktree at
.worktrees/<branch-slug> and run bin/setup
Refer to the start-issue skill for the detailed steps and templates.
Error Handling
- User description too vague → ask follow-up questions (max 2)
- Issue creation fails → show the error, suggest the user create it manually
- All other errors → same as
start-issue skill error handling
