Overview
Read ./docs/approach.md — the canonical alignment doc — and produce a self-contained visual HTML kanban board at ./roadmap.html. The approach doc contains the settled features, constraints, principles, and open questions. This skill's only job is to assign each feature to a priority tier (Now / Next / Later) and render the board.
No grilling. The approach doc is treated as settled truth. This skill does not invoke grill-with-docs, re-parse source conversations, or modify ./docs/approach.md. Alignment was already done. If a feature in the doc looks unclear or incomplete, point the user back to chat-to-approach to update the doc — then re-run this skill.
Phase 1 — Load the Approach Doc
Read ./docs/approach.md.
If the file does not exist: stop immediately with a clear message:
./docs/approach.mdnot found. Runchat-to-approachfirst to capture alignment, then come back here for the roadmap.
Do not proceed past this point without the file.
If the file exists: extract:
- All features (Name, Problem, Value, Dependencies)
- Constraints — carry forward as a note below the board, not as cards
- Principles — use to inform tier suggestions (e.g. "ship weekly" → bias toward Now)
- Open questions — carry forward verbatim into the Open Questions section of the board
Phase 2 — Prioritisation Quiz
For each feature extracted from approach.md, ask the user to assign a tier. This is the only interaction in this skill — lean, targeted, no alignment re-litigation.
Present features as a list and let the user respond in one pass, e.g.:
Here are the features from your approach doc. For each one, tell me: Now (this week / actively working on it), Next (decided but deferred — after Now items land), or Later (someday / low urgency / speculative).
- User authentication — Secure login for access to personal data
- Onboarding flow — Guide new users through setup
- Payments integration — Accept subscriptions
You can reply with a list: "1=Now, 2=Next, 3=Later" or just tell me in plain English.
Default tier suggestions — offer a suggested tier for each feature based on:
- Dependencies: a feature that blocks others → bias toward Now
- Principles in the doc (e.g. "ship weekly" → fewer Now items)
- Explicit language in the approach doc ("we're starting with X" → Now)
- Anything marked as speculative or "someday" → Later
Always offer the suggestion as a prompt, not a decision. The user confirms or overrides.
Hard limit on Now: default to 2–4 features max. If the user wants more than 4 in Now, push back: "A solo builder can realistically focus on 2–4 things at once. Which of these are you actually working on this week?"
If a feature is ambiguous or incomplete in the doc: do not re-litigate. Say: "I can't confidently tier 'Improve analytics' — it's a bit vague in the approach doc. Update it with chat-to-approach or tell me a tier and we'll move on."
Phase 3 — Generate the HTML Kanban Board
Generate a complete, self-contained HTML file at ./roadmap.html. No external dependencies. Deliver it as an artifact if the interface supports it, otherwise write it directly.
Card format
Each card represents a feature and shows:
- A short noun-phrase title (from approach.md feature name)
- One sentence — the Problem or Value from approach.md (whichever is more informative at a glance)
- A dependency line only if it blocks or is blocked by another feature on the board
Nothing else — no assignees, no tags, no dates, no story points, no implementation tasks.
Open questions format
Below the board, list each open question from ./docs/approach.md as a numbered item. No fresh extraction — copy them verbatim. Add a one-line "why it matters" note if the approach doc includes one.
Visual design
Now (amber) | Next (blue) | Later (slate)
─────────────────────────────────────────────
[ Card ] [ Card ] [ Card ]
[ Card ] [ Card ]
[ Card ]
Open Questions
──────────────
1. Should auth use JWT or sessions? — blocks mobile client work.
2. Is the pricing page in scope for v1?
HTML template
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>Roadmap</title>
<style>
*, *::before, *::after { box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0; padding: 0; }
body { font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", sans-serif;
background: #f5f5f4; color: #1c1917; padding: 2rem; min-height: 100vh; }
header { margin-bottom: 2rem; }
h1 { font-size: 1.5rem; font-weight: 700; }
.subtitle { color: #78716c; font-size: 0.875rem; margin-top: 0.25rem; }
.board { display: grid; grid-template-columns: repeat(3, 1fr); gap: 1.25rem; margin-bottom: 2.5rem; }
@media (max-width: 640px) { .board { grid-template-columns: 1fr; } }
.column { background: #fff; border-radius: 0.75rem; padding: 1.25rem;
box-shadow: 0 1px 3px rgba(0,0,0,0.08); }
.column h2 { font-size: 0.8rem; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0.08em;
text-transform: uppercase; margin-bottom: 1rem; padding-bottom: 0.5rem;
border-bottom: 2px solid; }
.column.now h2 { color: #d97706; border-color: #fbbf24; }
.column.next h2 { color: #2563eb; border-color: #93c5fd; }
.column.later h2 { color: #64748b; border-color: #cbd5e1; }
.card { background: #fafaf9; border: 1px solid #e7e5e4; border-radius: 0.5rem;
padding: 0.75rem; margin-bottom: 0.75rem; }
.card:last-child { margin-bottom: 0; }
.card-title { font-weight: 600; font-size: 0.9rem; margin-bottom: 0.25rem; }
.card-context { font-size: 0.8rem; color: #78716c; line-height: 1.4; }
.card-dep { font-size: 0.75rem; color: #a8a29e; margin-top: 0.35rem;
padding-top: 0.35rem; border-top: 1px solid #e7e5e4; }
.open-questions { background: #fefce8; border: 1px solid #fde68a;
border-radius: 0.75rem; padding: 1.25rem; }
.open-questions h2 { font-size: 0.8rem; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0.08em;
text-transform: uppercase; color: #b45309; margin-bottom: 1rem; }
.open-questions ol { padding-left: 1.25rem; }
.open-questions li { font-size: 0.875rem; margin-bottom: 0.5rem; line-height: 1.5; }
.open-questions .q-note { color: #92400e; font-size: 0.8rem; }
@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
body { background: #1c1917; color: #fafaf9; }
.column { background: #292524; box-shadow: 0 1px 3px rgba(0,0,0,0.3); }
.card { background: #1c1917; border-color: #44403c; }
.card-context { color: #a8a29e; }
.card-dep { color: #78716c; border-top-color: #44403c; }
.open-questions { background: #1c1409; border-color: #78350f; }
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<header>
<h1>Roadmap</h1>
<p class="subtitle">Generated from approach.md · <!-- date --></p>
</header>
<div class="board">
<div class="column now">
<h2>Now</h2>
<!-- <div class="card">
<div class="card-title">Feature name</div>
<div class="card-context">Problem or value sentence.</div>
<div class="card-dep">Needs: other feature</div>
</div> -->
</div>
<div class="column next">
<h2>Next</h2>
</div>
<div class="column later">
<h2>Later</h2>
</div>
</div>
<section class="open-questions">
<h2>Open Questions</h2>
<ol>
<!-- <li>Question text? <span class="q-note">— Why it matters.</span></li> -->
</ol>
</section>
</body>
</html>
Replace placeholder comments with actual cards and questions. No JavaScript.
Finishing Up
After writing ./roadmap.html, send a brief receipt (3–5 lines max):
- Feature distribution: N Now / N Next / N Later
- Number of open questions carried forward from approach.md
- A reminder that
./docs/approach.mdwas not modified — runchat-to-approachto update alignment, then re-run this skill to refresh the roadmap