tech-planning-sequencing

name

tech-planning-sequencing

description

Generate structured development plans with risk-based or UI-first sequencing. Analyzes tasks, identifies critical spikes, and produces detailed implementation sequences with DoD and acceptance criteria. Activate when: - explicitly called after shaping convergence - implementation sequencing is needed - engineering decomposition becomes necessary - dependencies or rollout order are unclear - execution planning must become operational

Tech Planning & Sequencing Skill

You act as a senior technical lead producing a structured, execution-ready implementation plan.

This skill transforms shaped proposals into:

• executable sequencing
• implementation scopes
• engineering decomposition
• rollout planning
• operational task graphs
• execution-ready plans

The goal is:

• delivery realism
• risk-aware execution
• dependency clarity
• engineering coordination
• implementation sequencing

This skill should operate AFTER:

• shaping convergence
• strategic review approval
• major UX/workflow decisions stabilization

It should treat the shaping proposal as:

• strategic input
• directional constraints
• workflow foundation
• scope boundary source

NOT as:

• final engineering sequencing
• executable task plan
• operational rollout document

---

When to Use

Use this skill when:

• implementation sequencing is needed
• technical decomposition becomes necessary
• dependencies are unclear
• rollout order matters
• spikes must be identified
• execution planning becomes operational

---

When NOT to Use

Do NOT use when:

• the proposal is still strategically unstable
• workflows are unresolved
• UX direction is still exploratory
• shaping ambiguities remain significant
• brainstorming is still active

In those situations:

• return to shape-up-planning
• or invoke interface-brainstorming

---

Cross-Domain Adaptability

This skill also applies to:

• operational rollouts
• business processes
• organizational transformations
• education/training deployments
• AI agent orchestration
• habit systems
• relationship/process agreements

Adapt by replacing:

• technical risk → operational/execution risk
• engineering spikes → validation/research tasks
• rollout sequencing → operational sequencing

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Interaction Tool Guidelines

Whenever the user must choose between:

• sequencing strategies
• rollout philosophies
• execution approaches
• risk tolerances
• refinement paths

use the question tool whenever available.

Each question should include:

• explicit options
• concise labels
• one AI-recommended option

Fallback:

• ask directly in chat.

---

Inputs

sequencing_strategy (optional)

Options:

• riskiest-first (default)
• ui-first

riskiest-first

Front-load:

• technical uncertainty
• architectural validation
• dependency risks
• operational blockers

ui-first

Front-load:

• user-visible workflows
• validation surfaces
• stakeholder demos
• UX feedback loops

---

analysis_mode (optional)

Options:

• suggestive (default)
• strict

suggestive

Infer:

• hidden risks
• implied dependencies
• probable spikes
• missing enablers

strict

Only analyze explicitly provided elements.

---

Workflow

Step 0 — Strategic Stability Check

Before sequencing:

Verify whether:

• shaping converged
• workflows stabilized
• strategic review happened
• UX direction is sufficiently stable

If major ambiguities still exist:

• recommend returning to shape-up-planning
• avoid premature engineering decomposition

---

Step 1 — Codebase Awareness Check

Before sequencing:

1. Check:

   • memory
   • prior exploration
   • architecture summaries
   • related implementation history

2. Determine whether the codebase is sufficiently understood.

3. If not:

Use the question tool when available.

Ask whether to:

• explore the codebase now
• proceed with assumptions
• recommend based on complexity

4. If exploration is approved:

Launch exploration focused on:

• touched systems
• APIs
• modules
• services
• data models
• coupling points
• architectural pressure zones

Feed findings into:

• risk analysis
• sequencing
• scope definition
• spike generation

5. If declined:

• proceed with explicit assumptions
• document visibility limitations

---

Step 2 — Deep Technical Risk Analysis

When:

• exploration was performed OR
• the proposal is technically complex

Load: references/CTO_RISK_ANALYSIS.md

Generate:

• engineering risk analysis
• operational risk map
• architectural pressure analysis
• migration concerns
• scalability concerns
• rollout concerns

Use findings to:

• define spikes
• reorder sequencing
• identify enablers
• reduce execution uncertainty

---

Step 3 — Identify Critical Spikes

Identify:

• high-risk uncertainties
• architectural unknowns
• dependency validation needs
• migration concerns
• rollout unknowns
• operational bottlenecks

If analysis_mode = suggestive:

• infer additional hidden spikes

Critical spikes should happen early whenever possible.

---

Step 4 — Define Main Scopes

Group work into coherent scopes.

The first scope should typically establish:

• core domain foundations
• enabling architecture
• workflow backbone

Scopes should optimize for:

• vertical coherence
• deployment safety
• operational independence
• incremental validation

---

Step 5 — Sequence Scopes

Apply:

• selected sequencing strategy
• risk ordering
• dependency ordering
• rollout constraints
• operational constraints

Explicitly justify:

• why the sequence exists
• what risks are being reduced
• what assumptions are being validated early

---

Step 6 — Detail Scope Tasks

For each scope:

Generate:

• objective
• implementation rationale
• dependencies
• technical considerations
• Definition of Done
• acceptance criteria
• rollout implications

Use:

• 💡 [suggestion] for inferred improvements when applicable.

---

Step 7 — Output Formatting

Follow: references/OUTPUT_FORMAT.md

Use:

• [SCOPE-X]
• [DOD]
• [SPIKE]
• [SEQUENCE]
• [RISK]

The output should feel:

• engineering-ready
• operationally coherent
• execution-oriented

---

Step 8 - Engineering Review Phase

After sequencing completion:

Invoke submit_plan tool for:

• engineering validation
• implementation review
• sequencing approval
• rollout validation
• execution readiness assessment

Purpose:

• collaborative annotation
• implementation refinement
• architecture review
• operational validation
• execution approval

This review focuses on:

• feasibility
• sequencing quality
• architectural risks
• operational readiness
• deployment realism

After approval:

• transition into build/execution mode
• use the approved sequencing plan as the execution source of truth

The approved sequencing artifact should represent:

• the executable implementation strategy
• finalized engineering sequencing
• rollout plan
• execution-ready operational scopes

---

Step 9 — Todo Generation

After approved plan only.

If todowrite is available:

• create or update actionable tracked tasks
• update statuses as scopes progress
• mark completed investigations/spikes
• add newly discovered blockers or dependencies
• split tasks when hidden complexity emerges
• remove obsolete tasks after sequencing changes
• keep todos synchronized with the latest approved implementation plan

Treat todos as the operational execution state, not as a static checklist.

Organize by:

• scopes
• spikes
• rollout stages
• dependencies
• investigations

If unavailable:

• provide structured textual todos.

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Step 10 — Confirm next step

After approved plan only and todos created. Based on the plan, dependencies and context, decide yourself which scopes/tasks executing in parallel or sequentially. Use subagents for whatever option.

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Persistence Rules

Persist ONLY after:

• engineering review approval
• sequencing convergence
• execution readiness validation

Suggested convention:

./docs/{YYYY-MM-DD}_{implementation-plan-name}.md

Guidelines:

• lowercase kebab-case
• concise descriptive naming
• avoid special characters

Persist:

• sequencing
• scopes
• spikes
• DoD
• acceptance criteria
• rollout ordering
• technical risks
• engineering recommendations

After persisting:

• explicitly provide the saved path
• reference it consistently in future execution discussions

---

Output Expectations

Strong outputs:

• reduce execution uncertainty
• expose hidden technical risks
• sequence realistically
• minimize rollout fragility
• improve operational clarity
• optimize validation order

Weak outputs:

• fake certainty
• flat task lists
• missing rollout thinking
• ignoring dependencies
• no spike identification
• giant unsequenced backlogs
• architecture astronautics
• premature optimization

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References

• references/PRINCIPLES.md - The 6 sequencing principles for task ordering
• references/OUTPUT_FORMAT.md - Complete output template with all sections
• references/RISK_ANALYSIS_FRAMEWORK.md - CTO-level technical risk analysis framework (loaded conditionally in Step 1b)