ulpi-io PR Retro Skill
Learn from PR outcomes by analyzing accept/reject patterns.
Overview
After a PR is merged or rejected, analyze what worked and what didn't to improve future contributions.
Output: .agents/learnings/YYYY-MM-DD-pr-{repo}-{outcome}.md
When to Use:
- After a PR is merged (capture success patterns)
- After a PR is rejected (understand why)
- After receiving significant review feedback
- Periodically to review contribution patterns
Workflow
1. PR Discovery -> Find the PR to analyze
2. Outcome Analysis -> Merged/rejected/changes requested
3. Feedback Extraction -> What did reviewers say?
4. Pattern Identification -> What worked/didn't
5. Lesson Extraction -> Reusable learnings
6. Output -> Write retro document
Phase 1: PR Discovery
# If PR number provided
gh pr view <number> --json state,reviews,comments,mergedAt,closedAt
# Find recent PRs by you
gh pr list --state all --author @me --limit 10
# Find PRs to a specific repo
gh pr list -R <owner/repo> --state all --author @me --limit 10
Phase 2: Outcome Analysis
| Outcome | Meaning | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Merged | Success | What worked? |
| Closed (not merged) | Rejected | Why? |
| Open (stale) | Ignored/abandoned | What went wrong? |
| Changes requested | Needs work | What feedback? |
# Get PR outcome
gh pr view <number> --json state,mergedAt,closedAt,reviews
Phase 3: Feedback Extraction
# Get all review comments
gh pr view <number> --json reviews --jq '.reviews[] | "\(.author.login): \(.body)"'
# Get all comments
gh api repos/<owner>/<repo>/pulls/<number>/comments --jq '.[].body'
# Get requested changes
gh pr view <number> --json reviews --jq '.reviews[] | select(.state == "CHANGES_REQUESTED")'
Feedback Categories
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Style | Naming, formatting, conventions |
| Technical | Algorithm, architecture, patterns |
| Scope | Too big, scope creep, unrelated changes |
| Testing | Missing tests, coverage, edge cases |
| Documentation | Missing docs, unclear comments |
| Process | Wrong branch, missing sign-off |
Phase 4: Pattern Identification
Success Patterns (If Merged)
| What Worked | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Small, focused PR | < 5 files |
| Followed conventions | No style comments |
| Good tests | No "add tests" requests |
| Clear description | Quick approval |
Failure Patterns (If Rejected)
| What Failed | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Too large | "Please split this PR" |
| Scope creep | "This is out of scope" |
| Missing tests | "Please add tests" |
| Wrong approach | "Consider using X instead" |
Phase 5: Lesson Extraction
Lesson Template
## Lesson: [Title]
**Context**: [When does this apply?]
**Learning**: [What did we learn?]
**Action**: [What to do differently?]
**Evidence**:
- PR #N: [quote or summary]
Common Lessons
| Lesson | Action |
|---|---|
| PR too large | Split PRs under 200 lines |
| Missing context | Add "## Context" section |
| Style mismatch | Run linter before PR |
| Missing tests | Add tests for new code |
| Slow review | Ping after 1 week |
Phase 6: Output
Write to .agents/learnings/YYYY-MM-DD-pr-{repo}-{outcome}.md
# PR Retro: {repo} #{number}
**Date**: YYYY-MM-DD
**PR**: {url}
**Outcome**: Merged / Rejected / Stale
## Summary
{What was the PR about? What happened?}
## Timeline
| Date | Event |
|------|-------|
| {date} | PR opened |
| {date} | First review |
| {date} | {outcome} |
## Feedback Analysis
### Positive Feedback
- {quote}
### Requested Changes
- {quote}
### Rejection Reasons (if applicable)
- {quote}
## Lessons Learned
### Lesson 1: {title}
**Context**: {when this applies}
**Learning**: {what we learned}
**Action**: {what to do differently}
## Updates to Process
{Any changes to make to pr-prep, pr-plan, or other skills}
## Next Steps
{Future actions based on this retro}
Anti-Patterns
| DON'T | DO INSTEAD |
|---|---|
| Skip retros on merged PRs | Learn from success too |
| Blame maintainers | Focus on what YOU can change |
| Generic lessons | Specific, actionable learnings |
| Skip rejected PRs | Most valuable learning source |
Examples
Learn From Rejected PR
User says: "Run a retro on why this PR was rejected."
What happens:
- Analyze reviewer feedback and timeline.
- Identify preventable process and scope issues.
- Capture reusable lessons for future PRs.
Learn From Successful Merge
User says: "Extract what worked from this merged PR."
What happens:
- Identify patterns that sped review/approval.
- Distill actionable playbook updates.
- Save lessons for future contribution flows.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Retro is generic | Feedback not tied to evidence | Cite specific comments/decisions and outcomes |
| No clear lesson extracted | Analysis stayed descriptive | Convert observations into behavior changes |
| Maintainer signal is mixed | Contradictory review comments | Separate hard blockers from preference feedback |
| Process changes not adopted | Lessons not operationalized | Add explicit updates to prep/plan/validate workflow |