AI-Native Project Management

This skill runs automatically. Update TASKS.md whenever:

• Starting work on a task

• Completing a task or subtask

• Getting blocked

• Planning new work

• Making commits

Task Board Location

Look for TASKS.md in the project root. If it doesn't exist and you're doing significant work, create it.

When to Update (Automatic Triggers)

Event Action

Starting a feature/fix Move task to "In Progress" or create one

Committing code Update progress notes on current task

Creating a PR Move task to "Review"

Getting blocked Move to "Blocked" with clear question

Completing work Move to "Done" with date and PR link

User describes new work Add to Backlog with estimate

Session ending Ensure all in-progress work is captured

How to Update TASKS.md

Moving a Task to In Progress

In Progress

• TASK-XXX [Title] @ai
  • Branch: feature/xxx
  • Progress: [Current status]
  • Next: [What's being done next]

Moving to Review

Review

• TASK-XXX [Title] @human
  • PR: #[number]
  • Changes: [Brief summary]
  • Review focus: [What human should check]

Moving to Blocked

Blocked

• TASK-XXX [Title]
  • Blocker: [What's blocking]
  • Question: [Specific question for human]
  • Options: A) ... B) ... C) ...

Moving to Done

Done

• TASK-XXX [Title] — PR #[N] — YYYY-MM-DD

Adding New Task

Backlog

P1 - Current Priority

1. TASK-XXX [Title]
   • Why: [Customer need / problem]
   • Scope: [What's included]
   • Estimate: X AI-hours

Effort Estimation

Estimate in AI-hours (not human hours). Use this guide:

Task Type AI-Hours Example

Trivial 0.25 Fix typo, update config

Small 0.5-1 Bug fix, add field, small UI tweak

Medium 1-2 New component, API endpoint, feature flag

Large 2-4 Full feature, integration, refactor

XL 4-8 Cross-cutting feature, new system

Factors that increase estimate:

• Unfamiliar codebase (+50%)

• No existing patterns to follow (+25%)

• Requires human decisions mid-task (+1-2h for wait time)

• Complex testing requirements (+25%)

Prioritization Rules

When adding to backlog, assign priority:

Priority Criteria

P1 Blocking other work, customer-facing bug, current sprint

P2 Important but not urgent, next sprint

P3 Nice to have, future consideration

Within each priority, order by:

• Dependencies (unblock others first)

• Customer impact

• Effort (quick wins before large tasks when equal value)

Task ID Convention

Format: [PROJECT]-[NUMBER]

Examples:

• ACCT-001 for accounting demo

• PROD-001 for main product

• SITE-001 for website

Auto-increment by finding highest existing number.

Proactive Behaviors

At session start:

• Read TASKS.md to understand current state

• Note any stale "In Progress" items (might need status update)

During development:

• When user says "let's work on X" → Create/move task to In Progress

• When committing → Update progress notes

• When hitting a blocker → Move to Blocked immediately

• When PR is ready → Move to Review

At session end:

• Ensure TASKS.md reflects current state

• Update "Last Updated" timestamp

• Note any handoff items for next session

When user describes new work:

• Immediately add to appropriate priority in Backlog

• Include estimate

• Ask clarifying questions if scope is unclear

Board Health Checks

Periodically verify:

• No tasks stuck in "In Progress" for multiple sessions

• "Blocked" items have clear questions

• Backlog is prioritized (P1 before P2)

• Done items have dates and PR links

• Estimates exist for P1 items

Integration with Development

This skill works alongside normal development:

• Don't ask permission to update TASKS.md - just do it

• Update incrementally - small updates as you go, not big batch at end

• Keep it current - the board should reflect reality at all times

• Surface blockers immediately - don't wait to move things to Blocked

Template: New TASKS.md

When creating for a new project:

Tasks

Project: [Name] Last Updated: [Today's date]

In Progress

Review

Blocked

Backlog

P1 - Current Priority

P2 - Next Up

P3 - Later

Done