Individual skill
breaking-down-the-work
Splits scope into a product-first work breakdown that follows the 100% rule, keeps pieces from overlapping, uses outline numbers, and gives every piece a dictionary entry. Use when an epic, feature, or new subsystem needs a clean split into deliverables, or one source of truth before folders or work begin. Do not use for a one-file edit or a backlog item already broken down.
skills/breaking-down-the-work/SKILL.md
Source commit e44af0e5811e11a3601625cf657d257915689deb
What was checked
- Matches the observed repository HEAD
- Yes
- Scanner rules are current
- Yes
- Repository scan complete
- No
- Skill scan complete
- No
- Observed behavior
- Instructions only
- Last checked
- Nov 6, 2026
These are observations at the recorded commit, not a guarantee of safety. Review the source before running it.
Install this skill
Choose an agent in your Stack or copy a command below. Commands fetch the pinned commit and copy only this skill directory. Existing destinations are refused. Copying a command does not install anything.
An install command is unavailable: current rules, complete repository and skill scans, an eligible behavior level and a permitted license are required.
Repository context
- Repository stars (not skill ratings)
- 33
- Repository last updated
- Nov 6, 2026
- License
- MIT
Observed agent integration: No specific integration evidence. Standard SKILL.md installation does not imply verified compatibility.
- agent-skills Repository topic
- ai-agents Repository topic
- ai-safety Repository topic
- coding-agents Repository topic
- configuration-management Repository topic
- developer-tools Repository topic
- prompt-engineering Repository topic
- software-engineering Repository topic
- engineering Derived category
Files and excerpt
File metadata and permitted, redacted excerpts come from the recorded scan. Source links are pinned to that commit.
Read excerpt
# Breaking Down the Work
## Overview
A work breakdown (WBS) splits one deliverable into smaller pieces someone can own, with no gaps and no overlaps, plus a dictionary that defines every piece. "Product-first" means the pieces are the things you build (nouns), not the actions you take (verbs). The work breakdown is the spine that estimates, folders, ownership, and traceability hang from.
Three things can wreck it. Under-coverage: some scope is orphaned and no one owns it. Over-coverage: invented or gold-plated scope that no one asked for. And a third drift where verbs pose as the backbone and hide products that are actually missing. This skill holds two rules: the 100% rule (the pieces add up to exactly the whole, no more and no less) and no overlaps. It also forces a dictionary entry for every piece. That way the breakdown can be reviewed before any folder or line of code exists.
## Decision contract
- **Claim checked:** product-first children cover exactly the parent (100% rule), no two siblings overlap, every outline number has a filled dictionary entry.
- **Artifact observed:** the one-line deliverable, mission anchor, and `templates/standard/wbs.md` -> an outline-numbered table, per-piece dictionary, and handoff to folders and each leaf's `plan.md`.
- **Decision affected:** block -- plan-ready vs not: do the children sum to 100% with no gaps and no overlaps (MECE).
- **Failure class:** non-mece-breakdown (orphaned scope, invented scope, or overlap with no stated gap).