| name | scoping-the-simplest-core |
| description | Use when turning extracted requirements into a roadmap — selects the walking skeleton iteration with its first journey scenario, orders remaining work into follow-on iterations, and applies story splitting when ACs have different dependency profiles. |
Scoping the Simplest Core
Overview
Reads the per-epic requirement files in docs/superpowers/iterations/requirements/ and docs/superpowers/iterations/behavior-scenarios.md, and produces docs/superpowers/iterations/roadmap.md: a walking-skeleton iteration (ITER-0000) plus ordered follow-on iterations. The walking skeleton must produce the first runnable journey scenario. Runs citation and scope review via PAR before committing the roadmap.
When to Use
Invoked by iterative-development during bootstrap after extracting-requirements.
Script Location
All scripts referenced below live in this skill's scripts/ directory, next to this SKILL.md file.
Scoping Process
1. Read the backlog
Read the epic files in docs/superpowers/iterations/requirements/ — scan epic headers and story titles first, then dip into specific epic files for ACs when selecting.
Also read docs/superpowers/iterations/behavior-scenarios.md to understand which scenarios exist and which stories they cover.
2. Define the walking skeleton (ITER-0000)
Select a small cohesive set of stories from as many distinct epics as possible. The walking skeleton should prove the end-to-end shape of the product works.
Scenario requirement: the walking skeleton MUST include stories that close at least ONE journey scenario chain. Prefer the core product journey (e.g., "normal dictation" over "debug investigation"). The skeleton is not done until that journey scenario is runnable as an automated or scripted-reproducible test.
