Break a plan into independently-grabbable issues using vertical slices (tracer bullets).
The issue tracker and triage label vocabulary should already have been provided to you—if not, run /setup-matt-pocock-skills。
Process
1. Gather context
Start from what is already in the conversation context. If the user passed in an issue reference (issue number, URL, or path), fetch and read its full body and comments from the issue tracker.
2. Explore the codebase (optional)
If you have not already explored the codebase, do so to understand the current state of the code. Issue titles and descriptions should use the project's domain glossary vocabulary and respect the ADRs for the area you are touching.
Look for opportunities for pre-refactoring code to make the implementation simpler. "Make the change easy, then make the easy change."
3. Draft vertical slices
Break the plan into tracer bullet issues. Each issue is a thin vertical slice that cuts through all integration layers—not a horizontal slice of one layer.
- Each slice delivers a narrow butcompletepath through every layer (schema, API, UI, tests)
- A completed slice is demoable or verifiable on its own
- Any pre-refactoring should be done first
4. Ask the user for feedback
Present the proposed breakdown as a numbered list. For each slice show:
- Title: short descriptive name
- Blocked by: which other slices (if any) must be completed first
- User stories covered: which user stories this addresses (if any in the source material)
Ask the user:
- Is the granularity right? (too coarse / too fine)
- Are the dependencies correct?
- Does any slice need to be merged or split further?
Iterate until the user approves the breakdown.
5. Publish the issues to the issue tracker
For each approved slice, publish a new issue to the issue tracker. Use the issue body template below. These issues are considered ready for AFK agents, so unless otherwise instructed, publish them with the correct triage label.
Publish issues in dependency order (publish blockers first) so that you can reference real issue identifiers in the "Blocked by" field.
Reference to the parent issue in the issue tracker (if the source material is an existing issue, otherwise omit this section).
What to build
A concise description of this vertical slice. Describe the end-to-end behavior, not the layer-by-layer implementation.
Avoid specific file paths or code snippets—they quickly go stale. Exception: if a prototype produced a code snippet that encodes a decision more precisely than words can (a state machine, reducer, schema, type structure), inline it here and briefly note that it came from a prototype. Trim to the decision-dense part—not a working demo, just what matters.
Acceptance criteria
- Criterion 1
- Criterion 2
- Criterion 3
Blocked by
- Reference to the blocking ticket (if any)
Or if there are no blockers, write "None - can start immediately".
Do not close or modify any parent issue.