# Prioritize Architecture Aware

> Incorporate architectural constraints and technical debt into product prioritization decisions. Use this skill when a team needs to balance feature work with technical investment.

- Skill: `alexe-ev/prioritize-architecture-aware` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 5 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add alexe-ev/prioritize-architecture-aware`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/alexe-ev/prioritize-architecture-aware/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: alexe-ev (https://skillmd.com/u/alexe-ev)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/alexe-ev/prioritize-architecture-aware

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# Prioritize Architecture-Aware

## Purpose
Help product teams make prioritization decisions that account for architectural constraints, technical debt, and engineering feasibility — not just user value.

## Skill type
Conceptual skill

## Use this skill when
- Technical debt is blocking feature development speed
- Engineering is requesting investment in infrastructure but product can't evaluate it
- A prioritization decision requires architectural context
- A team is planning a major technical migration alongside feature work

## Do not use this skill when
- The goal is pure feature prioritization without technical constraints (use build-roadmap-prioritization)
- The goal is a technical architecture decision (engineering-owned)

## Required inputs
- Feature or initiative backlog (even rough)
- Technical debt or architecture constraints (as described by engineering)
- Business goals

## Optional inputs
- Engineering capacity breakdown (feature vs. infrastructure)
- Current system limitations
- Migration or upgrade plans

## Upstream context
Works best when:
- Roadmap priorities are defined
- Engineering has flagged technical constraints

## Downstream handoff
Output can feed:
- plan-delivery-collaboration (architecture-aware plan feeds delivery)
- collaborate-with-engineering

## Instructions
1. Identify technical constraints and their product impact (velocity reduction, user impact, reliability risk).
2. Translate technical debt into product terms: what does it cost in delivery speed or quality?
3. Assess the trade-off: feature investment vs. technical investment.
4. Recommend a ratio and sequencing for technical vs. feature work.
5. Identify technical investments that unlock future feature velocity.
6. Flag dependencies between technical and feature work.

## Output
Provide:
- Technical constraint summary in product terms
- Trade-off assessment: features vs. technical investment
- Recommended investment ratio and rationale
- Sequencing recommendation
- Dependencies between technical and feature work
- Assumptions from engineering that need validation

## Risks / caveats
- Product decisions that ignore technical debt create compounding delivery problems
- Always validate technical assessments with engineering — don't assume
- Technical investment without a product value narrative is hard to prioritize — frame both sides