feat(writing-plans): add skeleton-first as a selectable plan shape

Adds a plan-shape router in the idiom of brainstorming's Three Paths:
classify the shape, announce it so the human partner can override, and
default to task-by-task on doubt. The alternative shape's full text —
skeleton ordering, task contracts instead of written-out code, the
contract task template, and its plan-failure list — lives in a sibling
reference file, so the default shape's guidance is unchanged.

Skeleton-first is a trade, not an upgrade: it buys an earlier running
end-to-end slice and pays for it in total wall clock.
This commit is contained in:
Jesse Vincent
2026-08-19 17:31:44 +00:00
parent fd02874aa5
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@@ -22,6 +22,30 @@ Assume they are a skilled developer, but know almost nothing about our toolset o
If the spec covers multiple independent subsystems, it should have been broken into sub-project specs during brainstorming. If it wasn't, suggest breaking this into separate plans — one per subsystem. Each plan should produce working, testable software on its own.
## Two Plan Shapes
Before mapping files, classify the plan's shape and say the
classification out loud — "this composes three subsystems, so I'll plan
it skeleton-first" — so your human partner can override it:
- **Task-by-task (default)** — tasks build the feature a component at a
time, each step carrying the actual content the engineer needs. Use it
for changes to code that already exists, for a spec that touches one
subsystem, and whenever the alternative's conditions do not clearly
hold. The rest of this skill describes this shape.
- **Skeleton-first (alternative)** — Task 1 is the thinnest end-to-end
slice through every subsystem the spec composes; later tasks widen it
one component at a time, each from a contract rather than written-out
code. Use it when the spec composes more than one subsystem AND a
running end-to-end slice early is worth a longer total build. Read
[skeleton-first-plans.md](skeleton-first-plans.md) before writing one
— it adds one line to the plan header and replaces this skill's task
granularity, task template, and plan-failure list.
When in doubt, plan task-by-task. Skeleton-first buys an earlier running
system and pays for it in total wall clock; it is a trade, not an
upgrade.
## File Structure
Before defining tasks, map out which files will be created or modified and what each one is responsible for. This is where decomposition decisions get locked in.