Agile Planning
Generate lean agile release plans with sprint schedules and roadmaps.
Overview
This skill creates structured release plans for agile projects. It generates:
- Sprint schedules with unique codes (SPRINT-001, SPRINT-002, etc.)
- Tasks with ticket codes (T-001, T-002, etc.) for granular tracking
- Roadmaps showing timeline and milestones
- Dependencies and release checkpoints
Use this when planning product releases, organizing work into sprints, or communicating timelines to stakeholders.
Instructions
Step 1: Gather Context
Before generating a plan, collect:
- Project scope: What are we building?
- Timeline: How many weeks/months?
- Team size: Number of developers
- Sprint duration: Typically 2 weeks
- Key milestones: Alpha, beta, production dates
- Priorities: Must-have vs nice-to-have features
Step 2: Structure Sprints
Create sprints with:
- Unique codes: SPRINT-001, SPRINT-002, SPRINT-003 (sequential, zero-padded)
- Sprint theme: Descriptive name (e.g., "Payment Integration", "UI Polish")
- Duration: Start and end dates
- Goal: One-sentence sprint objective
- Tasks: 3-5 concrete tasks per sprint, each with unique ticket code (T-001, T-002, etc.)
- Dependencies: What blocks this sprint or depends on it
Task Numbering:
- Use format: T-001, T-002, T-003 (zero-padded, sequential across entire release)
- Each task gets a unique code that persists throughout the project
- Never reuse task codes
Sprint Duration Guidelines:
- 2 weeks (most common) = 10 working days
- Plan for 80% capacity (reserve 20% for meetings, bugs, unexpected)
- Balance workload across sprints
Sprint Themes: Use clear, goal-oriented themes:
- Foundation, Setup, Infrastructure
- Core Features, MVP Development
- Integration, API Development
- Testing, Bug Fixes, Optimization
- Beta Launch, Production Release
Step 3: Build Roadmap
Group sprints into timeline view:
- By Quarter: Q1 2025, Q2 2025, etc.
- By Month: January, February, March
- By Phase: Foundation → Features → Launch
Include major milestones:
- Alpha release dates
- Beta release dates
- Production launch
- Key feature completions
Step 4: Format Output
Use this structure:
markdown# Release Plan: [Project Name] v[Version] **Release Goal**: [One sentence] **Timeline**: [Start] - [End] ([X] sprints) **Team**: [Number] developers ## Sprints ### SPRINT-001: [Theme] **Duration**: [Start Date] - [End Date] **Goal**: [What this sprint achieves] **Tasks**: - T-001: [Task description] [ ] - T-002: [Task description] [ ] - T-003: [Task description] [ ] **Dependencies**: [If any] ### SPRINT-002: [Theme] **Duration**: [Start Date] - [End Date] **Goal**: [What this sprint achieves] **Tasks**: - T-004: [Task description] [ ] - T-005: [Task description] [ ] ## Roadmap ### Q1 2025 - **SPRINT-001**: [Key achievement] - **SPRINT-002**: [Key achievement] ### Q2 2025 - **SPRINT-003**: [Key achievement] ## Milestones - **[Date]**: Alpha release (SPRINT-00X) - **[Date]**: Beta release (SPRINT-00X) - **[Date]**: Production launch (SPRINT-00X)
Step 5: Validate Plan
Check:
- ✓ Sprint codes are sequential and unique (SPRINT-001, SPRINT-002, etc.)
- ✓ Task codes are sequential and unique (T-001, T-002, etc.)
- ✓ Tasks are specific and measurable
- ✓ Dependencies are identified
- ✓ Timeline is realistic
- ✓ Milestones align with sprint schedule
Best Practices
Sprint Planning:
- Keep tasks specific: "T-001: Stripe SDK integration" not "T-001: work on payments"
- Limit to 3-5 tasks per sprint
- Front-load risky/complex work
- Include buffer sprint for testing
Task Numbering:
- Always use 3 digits: T-001, not T-1
- Sequential across entire release (T-001, T-002... T-050)
- Never reuse codes, even if task is cancelled
Dependencies:
- Identify early: "Requires SPRINT-001 API endpoints"
- Schedule dependent sprints sequentially
- Document external dependencies (APIs, design assets)
Roadmap:
- Focus on outcomes, not tasks
- Highlight major milestones
- Keep it stakeholder-friendly
- Update after each sprint
Code Conventions:
- Sprints: Always use 3 digits (SPRINT-001, not SPRINT-1)
- Tasks: Always use 3 digits (T-001, not T-1)
- Sequential numbering: Task codes continue across all sprints
- Never reuse codes (sprints or tasks)
Examples
Example 1: E-commerce Platform (6 sprints)
markdown# Release Plan: E-commerce Platform v2.0 **Release Goal**: Launch new checkout system with multiple payment options **Timeline**: Jan 1 - Mar 15, 2025 (6 sprints) **Team**: 3 developers ## Sprints ### SPRINT-001: Payment Foundation **Duration**: Jan 1 - Jan 14 **Goal**: Setup payment infrastructure and API integrations **Tasks**: - T-001: Stripe SDK integration [ ] - T-002: Payment database schema design [ ] - T-003: Payment API endpoints [ ] - T-004: Shipping cost calculator [ ] **Dependencies**: None --- ### SPRINT-002: Checkout UI **Duration**: Jan 15 - Jan 28 **Goal**: Build responsive checkout flow **Tasks**: - T-005: Guest checkout form [ ] - T-006: Address autosave feature [ ] - T-007: Mobile responsive layout [ ] - T-008: Form validation logic [ ] **Dependencies**: Requires SPRINT-001 payment API (T-003) --- ### SPRINT-003: PayPal Integration **Duration**: Jan 29 - Feb 11 **Goal**: Add PayPal as payment option **Tasks**: - T-009: PayPal SDK setup [ ] - T-010: Payment method selector UI [ ] - T-011: Order confirmation emails [ ] - T-012: Transaction logging system [ ] **Dependencies**: Requires SPRINT-001 infrastructure (T-002, T-003) --- ### SPRINT-004: Testing & Polish **Duration**: Feb 12 - Feb 25 **Goal**: Ensure production readiness **Tasks**: - T-013: End-to-end testing suite [ ] - T-014: Bug fixes from QA [ ] - T-015: Performance optimization [ ] - T-016: Security review and fixes [ ] **Dependencies**: All features complete (T-001 through T-012) --- ### SPRINT-005: Beta Launch **Duration**: Feb 26 - Mar 11 **Goal**: Soft launch to beta users **Tasks**: - T-017: Beta deployment to staging [ ] - T-018: User feedback collection system [ ] - T-019: Analytics and tracking setup [ ] - T-020: Critical bug fixes [ ] **Dependencies**: SPRINT-004 testing complete (T-013) --- ### SPRINT-006: Production Release **Duration**: Mar 12 - Mar 15 **Goal**: Full production rollout **Tasks**: - T-021: Production deployment [ ] - T-022: Monitoring and alerting setup [ ] - T-023: User documentation [ ] - T-024: Team handoff and training [ ] **Dependencies**: Beta success metrics met (T-017, T-018) ## Roadmap ### Q1 2025 - **SPRINT-001**: Payment infrastructure complete - **SPRINT-002**: Checkout UI launched - **SPRINT-003**: PayPal support added - **SPRINT-004**: Testing complete, production-ready - **SPRINT-005**: Beta launch successful - **SPRINT-006**: Full production release ## Milestones - **Feb 25**: Alpha release (internal testing) - **Feb 26**: Beta release (limited users) - **Mar 12**: Production launch (all users)
Example 2: Mobile App MVP (4 sprints)
markdown# Release Plan: Fitness Tracker App v1.0 **Release Goal**: Launch MVP with core tracking features **Timeline**: 8 weeks (4 sprints) **Team**: 2 developers ## Sprints ### SPRINT-001: User Foundation **Duration**: Week 1-2 **Goal**: User accounts and authentication **Tasks**: - T-001: Firebase authentication setup [ ] - T-002: User profile creation flow [ ] - T-003: Profile editing functionality [ ] - T-004: Avatar upload feature [ ] ### SPRINT-002: Activity Tracking **Duration**: Week 3-4 **Goal**: Core fitness tracking features **Tasks**: - T-005: Step counter integration [ ] - T-006: Manual activity logging interface [ ] - T-007: Activity history view [ ] - T-008: Basic statistics dashboard [ ] ### SPRINT-003: Data Visualization **Duration**: Week 5-6 **Goal**: Charts and progress tracking **Tasks**: - T-009: Daily activity charts [ ] - T-010: Weekly summary view [ ] - T-011: Goal progress indicators [ ] - T-012: Achievement badges system [ ] ### SPRINT-004: Launch Prep **Duration**: Week 7-8 **Goal**: Polish and release **Tasks**: - T-013: App store assets creation [ ] - T-014: Beta testing coordination [ ] - T-015: Critical bug fixes [ ] - T-016: Production deployment [ ] ## Roadmap ### Month 1 - SPRINT-001: User system live - SPRINT-002: Activity tracking functional ### Month 2 - SPRINT-003: Data visualization complete - SPRINT-004: MVP launched to app stores ## Milestones - **Week 6**: Beta testing begins - **Week 8**: App store submission - **Week 9**: Public launch
Reference Files
For more detailed guidance:
- Sprint planning: See references/sprint-guide.md
- Template: See references/template.md
When to Use
Use this skill when:
- Starting a new product release
- Planning quarterly roadmaps
- Breaking down large projects into sprints
- Communicating timelines to stakeholders
- Organizing backlog into time-boxed iterations
- Creating sprint schedules for agile teams
