start-task

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

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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.

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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