task-decomposition

name	task-decomposition
description	Breaks complex tasks into ordered sub-tasks with dependencies. Use when a task requires multiple implementation steps that cannot be expressed as a single delegation.

Task Decomposition

You are decomposing a task into executable sub-tasks. The goal is to produce a plan that a coordinator can execute step-by-step by delegating each sub-task to a specialist.

Input

You MUST receive:

• The task description
• Relevant file paths
• Any constraints or decisions already made

Output Format

Produce a plan as an ordered list of sub-tasks. Each sub-task MUST include:

1. Summary — one sentence describing what this step accomplishes
2. Subagent — which specialist handles this step
3. Dependencies — which prior sub-tasks MUST complete before this one
4. Files — files the subagent will need to read or modify
5. Acceptance criteria — how to verify this step succeeded

Decomposition Rules

• Each sub-task MUST be completable by a single subagent in one invocation.
• Sub-tasks MUST be ordered by dependency. If B depends on A, A comes first.
• You MUST NOT decompose into more than 7 sub-tasks. If you need more, group related steps.
• You MUST identify sub-tasks that can run in parallel (no mutual dependencies).
• You MUST NOT include design decisions in sub-task descriptions — those belong in the design phase.

Anti-patterns

• Too granular. "Add import statement" is not a sub-task. "Implement the UserService module" is.
• Too broad. "Build the backend" is not a sub-task. "Implement the /users endpoint with CRUD operations" is.
• Mixed concerns. A single sub-task that requires both design and implementation has been decomposed incorrectly.
• Missing verification. Every sub-task MUST have acceptance criteria. If you can't define what "done" looks like, the sub-task is too vague.

Validation

Before returning the plan, verify:

• Every sub-task maps to exactly one subagent
• Dependencies form a DAG (no circular dependencies)
• Acceptance criteria are testable
• The plan is complete — executing all sub-tasks in order fulfills the original task