gapfDev Backlog Builder
Skill for transforming product requirements into executable tickets with acceptance criteria and Definition of Done.
Input
- A product vision/requirements document (features, users, scope)
- A technical strategy document (optional, improves ticket quality)
- Constraint: All content (Epics, Tickets, User Stories) MUST be in English.
Output
BACKLOG.mddocument with tickets organized by epics (use template intemplates/)
Process
Phase 0: Agree on Tracking System
Before creating any tickets, ask where they will live:
| Option | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| BACKLOG.md only | Solo dev, AI-assisted | Agent reads/writes directly |
| GitHub Issues | Team collab, visual board | Needs API or manual sync |
| Jira / Linear / Trello | Enterprise, large teams | External tool, manual sync |
| Hybrid (md → tool) | Best of both | BACKLOG.md is source of truth, sync to tool |
Recommended for AI-assisted projects: BACKLOG.md as source of truth. The agent can always read and update it. Sync to an external tool if you want a visual board.
Phase 1: Extract Features
- Read the requirements document
- List ALL mentioned features
- If a technical strategy is available, cross-reference each feature with its solution
Phase 2: Create Epics
Group features into logical epics:
- Epic = Functional module (e.g., "Authentication", "Cart", "Dashboard")
- Each epic contains 2-8 tickets
Phase 3: Write Tickets
Each ticket MUST follow this format:
## [EPIC-XX] Ticket Title
**As a** [user type]
**I want** [action]
**So that** [benefit]
### Acceptance Criteria
- [ ] Given [context], when [action], then [result]
- [ ] Given [context], when [action], then [result]
### Definition of Done (DoD)
- [ ] Code implemented
- [ ] Unit tests written and passing
- [ ] No lint warnings/errors
- [ ] Documentation updated (if applicable)
### Technical Notes
<!-- Technical context relevant for implementation -->
### Estimation
- Complexity: [S/M/L/XL]
- Dependencies: [Ticket IDs or "None"]
Phase 4: Prioritize
Assign priority to each ticket:
- Must: Without this the minimum product doesn't work
- Should: Important but survives without it
- Could: Nice to have
- Won't: Out of scope (document for the future)
Completeness Checklist
- □ Every feature has at least 1 ticket?
- □ Every ticket has User Story + Acceptance Criteria + DoD?
- □ Dependencies between tickets documented?
- □ MoSCoW prioritization assigned?
Rules
- NEVER create a ticket without Acceptance Criteria
- NEVER create a separate ticket for tests — tests go in the SAME ticket
- ALWAYS include complexity estimation (S/M/L/XL)
- ALWAYS document dependencies between tickets
- ALWAYS use English for all backlog content.