| name | project-management |
| description | Use when coordinating multi-step project work that needs planning, execution tracking, and status handoffs. |
Project Management
Overview
This is a meta-skill that orchestrates the complete project management workflow by coordinating other specialized skills.
Announce at start: "I'm using the project-management skill to guide this workflow."
The Complete Workflow
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 1. BRAINSTORMING (Optional) │
│ Skill: brainstorming │
│ → Explore requirements, clarify scope │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 2. PLANNING │
│ Skill: writing-plans │
│ → Create: project/plans/YYYY-MM-DD-feature.md │
│ → Detailed task-by-task implementation plan │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 3. EXECUTION │
│ Skill: executing-plans │
│ → Execute tasks in batches with checkpoints │
│ → Validate with: core-project-rules │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 4. STATE TRACKING │
│ Skill: project-orientation │
│ → Update: project/STATE.md │
│ → Document decisions, completions, next steps │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
When to Use This Skill
Use this meta-skill when:
- Starting a new feature or major task
- User says "help me implement X"
- You need to guide the user through the full workflow
- The task requires multiple steps and coordination
The Process
Step 1: Assess Scope
Ask the user:
- Do you have clear requirements? (If no → use
brainstorming)
- Is this a multi-step task? (If yes → continue)
- Do you have an existing plan? (If yes → skip to Step 3)
Step 2: Create Plan
REQUIRED SUB-SKILL: Use writing-plans
- Creates detailed plan in
project/plans/YYYY-MM-DD-feature.md
- Includes exact files, code, commands, verification steps
- Follows TDD, DRY, YAGNI principles
- Gets user approval before execution
Step 3: Execute Plan
REQUIRED SUB-SKILL: Use executing-plans
- Executes tasks in batches (default: 3 tasks)
- Reports after each batch for review
- Validates with
core-project-rules
- Stops if errors occur
Step 4: Update State
REQUIRED SUB-SKILL: Use project-orientation --update
- Updates
project/STATE.md with:
- What was completed
- Decisions made
- Next steps
- Blockers (if any)
Quick Reference
| Task | Use This Skill |
|---|
| "Help me implement X" | project-management (this skill) |
| "Create a plan for X" | writing-plans |
| "Execute this plan" | executing-plans |
| "Where are we?" | project-orientation |
| Quality validation | core-project-rules (automatic) |
File Structure
All project management files live in /project:
project/
├── README.md # Overview of project management
├── ROADMAP.md # Strategic roadmap
├── STATE.md # Current state (updated by project-orientation)
└── plans/ # Tactical execution plans
├── 2026-02-06-frontend-implementation.md
└── 2026-02-07-backend-foundation-ddd.md
Integration with Other Skills
This skill coordinates with:
brainstorming - Clarify requirements before planningwriting-plans - Create detailed implementation plansexecuting-plans - Execute plans with checkpointsproject-orientation - Track state and enable agent handoffscore-project-rules - Enforce quality standardsusing-git-worktrees - Isolate work in separate worktreesfinishing-a-development-branch - Complete and merge work
Example Usage
Scenario 1: New Feature Request
User: "I need to add user authentication"
Agent: I'm using the project-management skill to guide this workflow.
Step 1: Assess Scope
- Requirements clear? Let me ask some questions...
- Multi-step task? Yes (auth is complex)
- Existing plan? No
Step 2: Create Plan
[Invokes writing-plans skill]
→ Creates: project/plans/2026-02-08-user-authentication.md
Step 3: Execute Plan
[Invokes executing-plans skill]
→ Executes tasks in batches
→ Reports progress after each batch
Step 4: Update State
[Invokes project-orientation --update]
→ Updates: project/STATE.md
Scenario 2: Continue Existing Work
User: "Continue where we left off"
Agent: I'm using the project-management skill to guide this workflow.
Step 1: Check State
[Invokes project-orientation]
→ Reads: project/STATE.md
→ Shows: Current focus, next steps
Step 2: Resume Execution
[Invokes executing-plans with existing plan]
→ Continues from last checkpoint
Decision Tree
User Request
│
├─ "Help me implement X"
│ └─> Use project-management (this skill)
│
├─ "Create a plan for X"
│ └─> Use writing-plans directly
│
├─ "Execute this plan"
│ └─> Use executing-plans directly
│
├─ "Where are we?"
│ └─> Use project-orientation directly
│
└─ "I have a bug"
└─> Use systematic-debugging or test-driven-development
Quality Gates (from core-project-rules)
Every execution must follow:
- ✅ Planning and Approval - Get approval before coding
- ✅ Task Granularity - Break down if >3 files affected
- ✅ Post-Implementation Analysis - List what could break
- ✅ Bug Fixing (TDD-Lite) - Write test first, then fix
- ✅ Iterative Rule Improvement - Update rules when corrected
Remember
- Each sub-skill has a specific purpose - don't skip steps
- Always validate with
core-project-rules
- Update state after completion
- Keep plans in
project/plans/, not scattered
- Get user approval at key checkpoints
- Stop and ask if uncertain about direction
