next-task

name	next-task
description	Recommend the best next task to work on based on open GitHub issues. Analyzes priority, dependencies, milestone urgency, and codebase readiness. Trigger when user asks: what should I work on, what is next, next task, pick a task, what to do next, suggest work, prioritize tasks.

Next Task

Analyze open GitHub issues and recommend the best task to start working on right now.

Step 1: Gather Context

Run these in parallel to understand the current state:

Open issues and board state

gh issue list --repo Destrayon/Connapse --state open --json number,title,labels,milestone,assignees,createdAt,updatedAt --limit 100

Current branch and working state

git status --short
git branch --show-current

Recent activity (what was just worked on)

gh pr list --repo Destrayon/Connapse --state merged --json number,title,mergedAt,labels --limit 5

Check decisions.md and issues.md for blockers or context

Read .claude/state/decisions.md and .claude/state/issues.md for any known blockers, dependencies, or recent decisions that affect prioritization.

Step 2: Score and Rank

Evaluate each open issue against these criteria, in order of importance:

Priority Weight (highest impact)

Priority	Score
P0-Critical	100
P1-High	70
P2-Medium	40
P3-Low	10
No priority set	20

Milestone Urgency

Issues in the nearest milestone score higher. The reasoning: shipping a complete milestone is more valuable than scattering work across multiple milestones.

Milestone	Score
Current (nearest due date or lowest version)	+30
Next	+15
Future	+5
No milestone	+0

Dependency Readiness

An issue that has no blockers and no unmerged dependencies should score higher than one waiting on other work. Check:

• Does the issue body reference other issues it depends on? Are those closed?
• Is the issue marked blocked?
• Would this issue unblock other issues? (check if other issues reference this one)

Status	Score
Unblocks other issues	+25
No dependencies, ready to start	+15
Dependencies met (referenced issues are closed)	+10
Has open dependencies	-30
Labeled blocked	-50

Momentum Bonus

If recent merged PRs touched the same area, there's context advantage — the codebase patterns are fresh.

Condition	Score
Same area label as a recently merged PR	+10
Builds directly on a recently merged PR	+15

Size Preference

Smaller issues are easier to start and finish in a single session. Bias toward completing something rather than starting something large.

Size	Score
XS	+15
S	+10
M	+5
L (should be decomposed)	-10
No size	+0

Step 3: Present Recommendation

Present the top 3 ranked issues in this format:

## Recommended Next Task

### #1: [Issue Title] (#number)
**Score**: [total] | **Priority**: [P-level] | **Milestone**: [version] | **Size**: [size]
**Why this one**: [1-2 sentences explaining why this is the best pick right now —
reference momentum, unblocking, milestone progress, etc.]
**Quick start**: [Which files to look at first, what interface to implement, etc.]

---

### #2: [Issue Title] (#number)
...

### #3: [Issue Title] (#number)
...

After presenting, ask the user which one they'd like to start — or if they want to see more options.

Step 4: Set Up for Work

Once the user picks a task:

1. Create the branch: git checkout -b <type>/<issue-number>-<short-description>
2. Move the issue to "In Progress" on the project board:

   # Get the project item ID for this issue
   ITEM_ID=$(gh project item-list 3 --owner Destrayon --format json | jq -r '.items[] | select(.content.number == <ISSUE_NUMBER> and .content.repository == "Destrayon/Connapse") | .id')
   # Move to In Progress
   gh project item-edit --project-id PVT_kwHOAldLE84BQszG --id "$ITEM_ID" --field-id PVTSSF_lAHOAldLE84BQszGzg-vn-U --single-select-option-id 47fc9ee4
   

3. Read the issue details: gh issue view <number>
4. Read the relevant source files mentioned in the issue's implementation notes
5. Summarize what needs to be done and confirm the approach before writing code

Edge Cases

• No open issues: Tell the user the board is clear and suggest running /create-tickets if they have ideas to discuss.
• All issues are blocked: Flag this explicitly and suggest investigating what's blocking progress.
• Working tree is dirty: Warn before creating a new branch — suggest committing or stashing first.
• Already on a feature branch: Note that there may be in-progress work. Ask if they want to continue that or switch to something new.