Backlog

Backlog

Route a backlog session to the right workflow via a short interview, then dispatch to implement-issues and/or babysit-pr. This skill decides and delegates — it implements nothing itself.

Invocation

• /backlog — run the interview below.
• Args answer questions in advance; skip any question already answered:
  • /backlog merge / /backlog open-pr
  • /backlog merge #124 #125 — explicit PR list
  • /backlog open-pr #12 #14 — explicit issue list

Interview

Ask with structured multiple-choice questions (AskUserQuestion in Claude Code; plain questions elsewhere). One round per step — this is a router, not a grilling.

Q1 — Goal

What should this session drive toward?

• merge-pr — take PRs (and optionally fresh issues) all the way to merged, releases included.
• open-pr — implement issues and stop at merge-ready open PRs; the human merges.

Q2 — branch on the answer

If merge-pr:

What's in scope?

• All open PRs in the repo (default).
• Specific PRs — take the list from args or ask.
• Issues first, then all PRs — run implement-issues on issues without PRs, then babysit everything open.

If open-pr:

Which issues?

• All open issues without a PR (default).
• Specific issues — take the list from args or ask.

Do not ask about repo (use the current checkout), sub-agents, lint, or release handling — those are fixed by standing policy below.

Q3 — Plan confirmation (deliberate, keep it)

The interview scopes the session; it does not replace the composed skills' own confirm steps. After triage, present the concrete plan — the issue/PR set, any surprises found (stale issues, no-PR-shaped work, orphaned branches), and any decision the issues themselves reserve for the owner — and confirm before spawning lanes. The owner wants to be in the loop on judgment calls the workflow would otherwise assume; never trade this checkpoint away for fewer clicks.

Routing

• merge-pr → for the issues-first variant, run the implement-issues skill to open PRs, then run the babysit-pr skill with --merge across the in-scope PRs (one babysitter for all of them, per that skill's guidance). Otherwise go straight to babysit-pr --merge.
• open-pr → run the implement-issues skill, then run the babysit-pr skill without --merge across the resulting PRs (one babysitter for all of them, per that skill's guidance) until Phase 5 exit conditions hold (threads resolved, checks green). Report PR URLs and stop — never merge in this mode.

Read and follow the composed skills at dispatch time; do not restate their workflows here.

Standing policy (applies to every route)

• Red main is P0. If main is or goes red at any point: pause the current lane, file an issue (per the issue skill), fix it on a branch (per the pr skill), babysit that PR first, then resume.
• Assess before amplifying. When babysitting PRs you did not implement in this session, review the implementation on its merits; where you disagree, fix or push back on the PR rather than shepherding it through unchanged.
• CodeRabbit rate limits do not block exit — now the babysit-pr Step E default; no override needed.
• Releases: follow the composed skills' release handling (1 PR = 1 release where that is the repo convention).
• Sub-agents: run lanes and babysitters as background sub-agents so the main thread stays free, where the harness supports it.

Final report

Whatever the route, end with: PRs opened, PRs merged (or n/a), releases merged, blocked lanes with reasons, and any pending human gates.