plan-phases

# Phase Planning Skill

This skill provides methodology for creating implementation plans that are optimized for sub-agent execution, with properly sized phases that respect context window constraints.

## Overview

A good phase plan:
1. Breaks work into independently executable chunks
2. Sizes phases to fit within sub-agent context budgets
3. Minimizes dependencies between phases where possible
4. Provides clear acceptance criteria for verification
5. Uses whole number phases only (no 1.1, 1.2 sub-phases)

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## Step 1: Gather Requirements (Always Ask Questions)

**Never skip this step.** Even if the description seems complete, clarifying questions:
- Reveal implicit assumptions
- Uncover edge cases
- Establish scope boundaries
- Identify existing constraints

### Question Categories

**Scope & Boundaries**
- What's explicitly OUT of scope?
- Is this greenfield or integrating with existing code?
- Are there existing patterns/conventions to follow?
- What's the target completion state? MVP or production-ready?

**Technical Context**
- What's the tech stack? (language, framework, database)
- Are there existing models/services this builds on?
- What authentication/authorization exists?
- Are there performance requirements?

**Integration Points**
- What external services/APIs are involved?
- Are there existing interfaces to conform to?
- What other systems will consume this?
- Are there upstream dependencies not yet built?

**User Experience**
- Who are the users? (end users, admins, developers, APIs)
- What's the primary workflow/happy path?
- What error states need handling?
- Are there accessibility requirements?

**Constraints**
- Security requirements? (OWASP, compliance, data sensitivity)
- Testing requirements? (coverage, E2E, specific frameworks)
- Documentation requirements?
- Deployment constraints?

### Question Presentation Format

Present 3-5 targeted questions based on the description:

```markdown
Before I create the implementation plan, I have a few