| name | backlog-routing-by-topic |
| description | Route mid-discussion stray ideas to the matching file's §Backlog section by topic — product → design.md; tooling → foundations.md; implementation step → plan.md; collaboration → methodology.md; unclassifiable → today's meeting log §Open questions. Invoke when a stray idea pops up during focused work, when reviewing a meeting log for parking lot items, or when asked "where does this idea go". |
Backlog Routing by Topic
When to invoke
- A "don't handle now but don't forget" idea comes up mid-discussion.
- Tidying a meeting log and re-homing parking-lot items.
- User asks "where does this idea go", "should backlog be split by file".
Routing rules
| Topic | Destination |
|---|
| Product / gameplay / UX / feature proposal | docs/design.md §Backlog |
| Tooling / packages / language features / CI / Secrets / L10n | docs/foundations.md §Backlog |
| Implementation step / refactor / test coverage expansion | docs/plan.md §Backlog |
| Collaboration mode / agent skill setup / review flow | docs/methodology.md §Backlog |
| Unclassifiable / highly divergent | Today's meetings/{date}_*.md §Open questions |
Entry format
One line each; if context is needed, attach the meeting log date as a sub-bullet:
- Adopt `XcodeSelectiveTesting` to only run impacted test targets in CI (2026-05-15)
- Developers can reproduce GitHub Actions workflows locally via `nektos/act`
- Note: act has limited macOS runner support; reconsider when designing §4 CI (2026-05-15)
- One line preferred; only add a sub-bullet when context is essential.
- Date goes in parentheses at the end so you can trace back to the originating meeting log.
Procedure
- Identify the idea's topic category (using the table above).
- Don't expand the discussion on the spot — write one line, continue the current task.
- If ambiguous (product + tooling mixed), pick the file at the bigger decision point; e.g. "new feature needs a particular tool" lands in design.md, with a cross-ref line in foundations.md.
- If totally unclassifiable, log it under today's meeting log §Open questions and re-classify next discussion.
Anti-patterns
- Keeping it in chat without writing it down: forgotten within 3 turns.
- Writing a paragraph per backlog item: suppresses recording cadence; counter-productive.
- Recording the same item twice: grep the relevant §Backlog before adding.
- Mistaking a current decision for a backlog item: things to do now belong in the body of
plan.md, not the backlog.
Verification checklist
- Every living doc has a §Backlog section (even if empty).
- Entries follow "one line + optional sub-bullet + date".
- No obvious misrouting (e.g. gameplay idea in foundations.md).
- The same idea doesn't appear in multiple files' §Backlogs.
Related skills
spec-phase-orchestration: §Backlog on every living doc is part of the structure.methodology-pattern-extractor: methodology.md §Backlog can include "candidate patterns" (sightings < 3).session-to-meeting-log: the open questions section is the routing fallback.
