majiayu000 sophisticate-todos
A list of headings is not a plan. "Improve the auth flow" cannot be executed, cannot be finished, and cannot be checked. It hides every decision that matters behind a verb nobody can act on.
This skill is structural: it deepens a list that is too coarse to execute. For a list that is well-formed but out of date, use update-todos instead.
Diagnose
Classify every item exactly once:
| Class | Meaning |
|---|---|
atomic |
One behavior, executable as written |
compound |
Hides two or more separable pieces of work |
vague |
Names an area, not a change |
unordered |
Correct, but placed where its dependencies are unmet |
unverifiable |
Executable, but nobody can tell when it is done |
Completion criterion: zero unclassified items.
Split
Every compound item becomes N atomic tasks. A task is atomic when it names one behavior and can be executed without a further design decision.
The test is not length. A one-line task that still requires choosing between two approaches is compound.
Completion criterion: no task remains that hides more than one decision.
Order
Draw the dependency edges. B depends on A only when B cannot function without A's output, not merely because A feels earlier.
Mark genuinely independent tasks as parallel. Introduce a phase only where a real barrier exists, never as decoration.
Completion criterion: every dependency is an edge someone can point at, and independent work is marked parallel rather than serialized by accident.
Pin acceptance
Every task gets one observable done-test: a command, an output, or a state someone can check. "Works correctly" is not an acceptance criterion.
Completion criterion: zero items remain vague or unverifiable, and every task carries exactly one acceptance criterion.