Overview
Large tasks fail in large ways. Decomposed tasks fail in small, fixable ways. This skill breaks any feature or project into atomic tasks — each independently implementable, testable, and deployable.
When to Use
- Before starting any feature that takes more than half a day
- When a task feels overwhelming or unclear
- When multiple people need to work in parallel
Process
Step 1: Identify the Deliverable
- State what "done" looks like for the whole feature.
- List all the things that must be true when it's complete.
- Identify dependencies: what must exist before any task can start?
Verify: You can state the full feature goal in 2 sentences.
Step 2: Decompose Into Atomic Tasks
- Break the feature into tasks where each task:
- Can be completed in under 4 hours
- Has a single, clear output
- Can be verified independently
- Can be reverted without breaking other tasks
- Each task should be:
[verb] [noun] so that [outcome]- ✅ "Add rate limiting to /api/login so that brute-force is prevented"
- ❌ "Work on the login security stuff"
Verify: Every task is under 4 hours. Every task has a clear verify condition.
Step 3: Order and Parallelism
- Draw the dependency graph — what blocks what?
- Identify tasks that can be done in parallel.
- Sequence tasks so integration happens incrementally (not as one big bang at the end).
Verify: The dependency order is clear. No unnecessary sequential dependencies.
Step 4: Estimate and Adjust
- For each task, estimate: best case / worst case / expected.
- If any task's worst case > 1 day: decompose further.
- Total estimate sanity check: does it add up to a reasonable timeline?
Common Rationalizations (and Rebuttals)
| Excuse | Rebuttal |
|---|---|
| "I'll figure it out as I go" | Decomposition takes 30 minutes. Rework from poor planning takes days. |
| "It's too complex to break down" | Everything can be decomposed. Start with what you know, decompose the rest later. |
| "The tasks are too granular" | Granular tasks ship continuously. Coarse tasks ship never. |
Verification
- Each task is under 4 hours
- Each task has a single verify condition
- Dependencies mapped — no circular dependencies
- Parallel work identified
