# Concise Planning

> Generate clear, actionable, and atomic checklists for coding tasks with minimal interaction and reasonable assumptions. Use when creating implementation plans, breaking down tasks into steps, generating task checklists, or planning project workflows.

- Skill: `karim-bhalwani/concise-planning` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 5 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add karim-bhalwani/concise-planning`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/karim-bhalwani/concise-planning/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Productivity, DevOps & Infra
- Author: karim-bhalwani (https://skillmd.com/u/karim-bhalwani)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/karim-bhalwani/concise-planning

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# Concise Planning

## Goal

Turn a user request into a **single, actionable plan** with atomic steps.

## Workflow

### 1. Scan Context

- Read `README.md`, docs, and relevant code files.
- Identify constraints (language, frameworks, tests).

### 2. Minimal Interaction

- Ask **at most 1–2 questions** and only if truly blocking.
- Make reasonable assumptions for non-blocking unknowns.

### 3. Generate Plan

Use the following structure:

- **Approach**: 1-3 sentences on what and why.
- **Scope**: Bullet points for "In" and "Out".
- **Action Items**: A list of 6-10 atomic, ordered tasks (Verb-first).
- **Validation**: At least one item for testing.

## Plan Template

```markdown
# Plan

<High-level approach>

## Scope

- In:
- Out:

## Action Items

[ ] <Step 1: Discovery>
[ ] <Step 2: Implementation>
[ ] <Step 3: Implementation>
[ ] <Step 4: Validation/Testing>
[ ] <Step 5: Rollout/Commit>

## Open Questions

- <Question 1 (max 3)>
```

## Checklist Guidelines

- **Atomic**: Each step should be a single logical unit of work.
- **Verb-first**: "Add...", "Refactor...", "Verify...".
- **Concrete**: Name specific files or modules when possible.

## Outputs & Deliverables

- **Primary Output**: A single `plan.md` following the Plan Template
- **Secondary Output**: Open questions and assumptions list
- **Success Criteria**: Plan has atomic action items and at most 3 blocking questions
- **Quality Gate**: Plan reviewed and approved by requester or `implementer`

## Constraints

- **Technical Constraints:** Do not implement code in this step; produce a plan only.
- **Scope Constraints:** Plans should be limited to the requested scope; avoid speculative features.
- **Governance Constraints:** Align plan with `project-context.md` and `spec.md` if present.

## Common Pitfalls

- **Over-Planning**: Creating 30+ atomic steps when 6-10 suffice. Keep it concise; details emerge during execution.
- **Vague Action Items**: "Implement feature" isn't actionable. "Add payment processing to checkout flow" is specific.
- **Missing Validation Steps**: A plan without testing/verification sets up for rework. Always include a validation checkpoint.
- **Ignoring Dependencies**: Listing steps in random order instead of respecting precedence. Steps must be executable in sequence.
- **Scope Creep**: Including "nice-to-haves" in the main plan. Use "Out of Scope" section to acknowledge but exclude them.
- **Assuming All Context**: Not reading existing code/docs leads to redundant or conflicting plans. Always scan context first.

## Integration Points

| Phase | Input From | Output To | Context |
|-------|-----------|-----------|---------|
| Input | User request + context | Plan generation | Scan code, README, and constraints |
| Design Specs | `architect` specifications | Implementation steps | Use `spec.md` to guide atomic tasks |
| Execution | Approved plan | `implementer` | Hand off actionable checklist |
| Monitoring | Progress updates | Status tracking | Adjust if blockers emerge |