Project Management Skill
PROJECT.md-first project management, goal setting, scope definition, and sprint planning.
When This Skill Activates
- •Creating or updating PROJECT.md files
- •Defining project goals and scope
- •Planning sprints or milestones
- •Validating alignment with goals
- •Project roadmap creation
- •Keywords: "project.md", "goals", "scope", "sprint", "milestone", "roadmap"
PROJECT.md Template
Core Structure
# Project Context - [PROJECT NAME] **Last Updated**: YYYY-MM-DD **Project**: [Brief one-line description] **Version**: vX.Y.Z --- ## GOALS ⭐ **What success looks like for this project**: 1. **[Primary Goal]** - [Description of what "done" means] 2. **[Secondary Goal]** - [Description] 3. **[Tertiary Goal]** - [Description] **Success Metrics**: - **[Metric 1]**: [Target value] (how we measure goal 1) - **[Metric 2]**: [Target value] (how we measure goal 2) - **[Metric 3]**: [Target value] (how we measure goal 3) --- ## SCOPE **What's IN Scope** ✅ (Features we build): **[Category 1]**: - ✅ **[Feature 1]** - [Description] - ✅ **[Feature 2]** - [Description] **[Category 2]**: - ✅ **[Feature 3]** - [Description] - ✅ **[Feature 4]** - [Description] **What's OUT of Scope** ❌ (Explicitly not building): - ❌ **[Anti-feature 1]** - [Why we're not building this] - ❌ **[Anti-feature 2]** - [Why we're not building this] --- ## CONSTRAINTS **Technical Constraints**: - **[Constraint 1]**: [Description and rationale] - **[Constraint 2]**: [Description and rationale] **Resource Constraints**: - **Budget**: [Amount/limit] - **Timeline**: [Deadline or duration] - **Team size**: [Number of developers] **External Dependencies**: - **[Dependency 1]**: [Impact on project] - **[Dependency 2]**: [Impact on project] --- ## ARCHITECTURE **High-Level Design**: [Brief description of system architecture] **Key Technologies**: - **Language**: [Python, JavaScript, etc.] - **Framework**: [Django, React, etc.] - **Database**: [PostgreSQL, MongoDB, etc.] - **Infrastructure**: [AWS, Docker, Kubernetes, etc.] **Design Principles**: 1. **[Principle 1]** - [Why this matters] 2. **[Principle 2]** - [Why this matters] --- ## CURRENT SPRINT **Sprint**: [Sprint name or number] **Dates**: [Start] to [End] **Goal**: [What we're achieving this sprint] **In Progress**: - [ ] [Task 1] (assigned to [name]) - [ ] [Task 2] (assigned to [name]) **Planned**: - [ ] [Task 3] - [ ] [Task 4] --- ## ROADMAP ### Phase 1: [Name] (Months 1-2) - [ ] [Milestone 1] - [ ] [Milestone 2] ### Phase 2: [Name] (Months 3-4) - [ ] [Milestone 3] - [ ] [Milestone 4] ### Phase 3: [Name] (Months 5-6) - [ ] [Milestone 5] - [ ] [Milestone 6] --- ## DECISIONS **Key Architectural Decisions**: 1. **[Decision 1]** - [Rationale] (see ADR-001) 2. **[Decision 2]** - [Rationale] (see ADR-002) **Deferred Decisions**: - **[Decision]** - [Why we're waiting and what we need to know] --- ## RISKS **High Priority**: - **[Risk 1]**: [Impact] - [Mitigation strategy] **Medium Priority**: - **[Risk 2]**: [Impact] - [Mitigation strategy] --- ## TEAM **Roles**: - **Tech Lead**: [Name] - **Product Owner**: [Name] - **Developers**: [Names] - **Reviewers**: [Names] **Communication**: - **Daily standup**: [Time and location] - **Sprint planning**: [Frequency] - **Retro**: [Frequency] --- **For detailed ADRs**: See `docs/adr/` **For sprint history**: See `docs/sprints/`
Goal-Setting Frameworks
SMART Goals
Specific - Measurable - Achievable - Relevant - Time-bound
Bad Goal (Vague)
## GOALS 1. Make the app better 2. Improve performance 3. Add features
Good Goal (SMART)
## GOALS 1. **Reduce page load time from 5s to < 2s** (Performance) - Specific: Page load time - Measurable: 5s → 2s - Achievable: Yes (optimization techniques exist) - Relevant: User experience critical for retention - Time-bound: By end of Q2 2. **Increase test coverage from 60% to 85%** (Quality) - Specific: Test coverage metric - Measurable: 60% → 85% - Achievable: Yes (identify untested code) - Relevant: Reduces bugs in production - Time-bound: By v2.0 release 3. **Launch mobile app for iOS and Android** (Expansion) - Specific: Mobile apps (both platforms) - Measurable: App store submissions approved - Achievable: Yes (team has mobile expertise) - Relevant: 70% of traffic is mobile web - Time-bound: Beta by Q3, GA by Q4
OKRs (Objectives & Key Results)
Objective: Inspirational, qualitative goal
Key Results: Measurable outcomes (3-5 per objective)
Example OKR
## GOALS **Objective**: Become the fastest AI training platform **Key Results**: - KR1: Training time for LoRA < 10 minutes (currently 45 min) - KR2: 95% of users rate training speed as "fast" or "very fast" - KR3: Support 10K concurrent training jobs (currently 1K) **Success Metrics**: - Training time: < 10 min ✅ - User satisfaction: 95% positive ✅ - Concurrent jobs: 10K ✅
Scope Definition Best Practices
The "In vs Out" Template
Purpose: Prevent scope creep by being explicit
## SCOPE **What's IN Scope** ✅: **MVP Features** (v1.0 launch): - ✅ **User authentication** (email/password, OAuth) - ✅ **Basic CRUD operations** (create, read, update, delete) - ✅ **Search functionality** (full-text search) - ✅ **Mobile responsive design** (works on phones/tablets) **What's OUT of Scope** ❌: - ❌ **Advanced analytics** - Deferred to v2.0 (needs dedicated team) - ❌ **Real-time collaboration** - Too complex for MVP - ❌ **AI-powered recommendations** - Requires ML expertise we don't have yet - ❌ **White-labeling** - Enterprise feature for later
The "Must Have, Should Have, Could Have, Won't Have" (MoSCoW) Method
## SCOPE (MoSCoW) **Must Have** (Non-negotiable for launch): - User login - Data persistence - Error handling **Should Have** (Important but not critical): - Email notifications - Export to CSV - Dark mode **Could Have** (Nice to have if time permits): - Keyboard shortcuts - Bulk operations - Advanced filters **Won't Have** (Explicitly not in this release): - Mobile app - Offline mode - Multi-language support
Constraint Documentation
Types of Constraints
1. Technical Constraints
## CONSTRAINTS **Technical Constraints**: - **Python 3.11+**: Required for new type hints and performance improvements - **PostgreSQL only**: No NoSQL - need ACID transactions for financial data - **< 500MB Docker image**: Deploy to edge locations with limited bandwidth - **RESTful API**: No GraphQL - team lacks expertise, adds complexity
2. Resource Constraints
**Resource Constraints**: - **Budget**: $50K total (includes infrastructure, tools, contractors) - **Timeline**: 3-month deadline (hard constraint - board presentation) - **Team**: 2 full-time devs (cannot hire more until Q3) - **Infrastructure**: AWS only (existing credits, no multi-cloud)
3. Legal/Compliance Constraints
**Compliance Constraints**: - **GDPR**: Must support data export and deletion (EU users) - **HIPAA**: Healthcare data requires encryption at rest and in transit - **SOC 2**: Annual audit required - need logging and access controls - **Age restriction**: COPPA compliance - no users under 13
4. External Dependencies
**External Dependencies**: - **OpenAI API**: Training features depend on GPT-4 availability - **Stripe**: Payment processing (single point of failure) - **AWS S3**: File storage (if S3 goes down, uploads fail) - **Partner API**: Data sync requires their API stability
Sprint Planning
Sprint Template
## CURRENT SPRINT **Sprint 5**: "Search & Filter" **Dates**: 2025-11-01 to 2025-11-14 (2 weeks) **Goal**: Users can search and filter results efficiently **Capacity**: 80 story points (2 devs × 2 weeks × 20 pts/week) **In Progress** (40 pts): - [ ] Implement full-text search (13 pts) - @alice - 50% done - [ ] Add filter UI component (8 pts) - @bob - 25% done - [ ] Optimize query performance (13 pts) - @alice - blocked (waiting on DB migration) - [ ] Update search documentation (3 pts) - @bob - 10% done - [ ] Write integration tests (3 pts) - unassigned **Planned Next** (20 pts): - [ ] Add autocomplete to search (8 pts) - [ ] Implement saved searches (5 pts) - [ ] Add pagination (5 pts) - [ ] Fix search bug #127 (2 pts) **Done This Sprint** (18 pts): - [x] Design search UX mockups (5 pts) - [x] Set up Elasticsearch (8 pts) - [x] Spike: Evaluate search libraries (5 pts) **Blocked**: - Query optimization blocked on DB migration (see issue #145) **Risks**: - Elasticsearch setup more complex than expected (3 days vs 1 day estimate) - Bob out sick 2 days - may not finish filter UI **Sprint Retrospective Topics**: - Estimation accuracy (search tasks underestimated) - Dependency management (DB migration caused blocker)
Sprint Planning Checklist
Before Sprint Planning:
- • Backlog groomed - Stories estimated and prioritized
- • Dependencies identified - External blockers noted
- • Team capacity known - Account for holidays, PTO
- • Previous sprint reviewed - Retro insights captured
During Sprint Planning:
- • Sprint goal defined - One sentence, clear outcome
- • Stories committed - Team agrees on workload
- • Tasks broken down - Stories decomposed into tasks
- • Assignments made - Owners identified (optional)
- • Definition of done agreed - What "done" means
During Sprint:
- • Daily standup - 15 min sync (blockers, progress)
- • Update sprint board - Move tasks, update progress
- • Flag blockers early - Don't wait until sprint end
- • Adjust scope if needed - Remove low-priority items
End of Sprint:
- • Demo/Review - Show completed work to stakeholders
- • Retrospective - What went well, what to improve
- • Update metrics - Velocity, burndown, etc.
- • Close sprint - Move incomplete items to backlog
Milestone Planning
Milestone Template
## ROADMAP ### Milestone 1: MVP Launch (Months 1-2) **Goal**: Production-ready app with core features **Features**: - [x] User authentication - [x] CRUD operations - [ ] Search functionality (Sprint 5) - [ ] Mobile responsive design - [ ] Error handling **Success Criteria**: - ✅ 50 beta users signed up - ✅ < 5 critical bugs - ✅ 80%+ test coverage - ⏳ Sub-2s page load time **Dependencies**: - AWS account approved (done) - Design mockups complete (done) - Database schema finalized (in progress) **Risks**: - Third-party API integration delayed (mitigation: build fallback)
Roadmap Granularity
Month 1-3 (Detailed):
### Phase 1: Foundation (Months 1-3) **Month 1**: - Week 1-2: User auth + database setup - Week 3-4: CRUD operations + basic UI **Month 2**: - Week 1-2: Search + filters - Week 3-4: Mobile responsive + testing **Month 3**: - Week 1-2: Performance optimization - Week 3-4: Beta launch + bug fixes
Month 4-6 (Less Detailed):
### Phase 2: Growth (Months 4-6) - Analytics dashboard - Advanced features (saved searches, exports) - Scaling infrastructure
Month 7-12 (High-Level):
### Phase 3: Scale (Months 7-12) - Enterprise features - API for third-party integrations - International expansion
Alignment Validation
Checking Alignment
When evaluating a feature request, ask:
1. Does it serve a GOAL?
Feature: Add social media sharing Goal alignment: ✅ YES - Goal 2 is "Increase user growth" Rationale: Sharing drives viral growth
2. Is it IN SCOPE?
Feature: Add video calling Scope check: ❌ NO - Out of scope (requires real-time infrastructure) Recommendation: Defer to Phase 3 or reject
3. Does it violate CONSTRAINTS?
Feature: Use MongoDB instead of PostgreSQL Constraint check: ❌ YES - Violates "PostgreSQL only" constraint Rationale: Team lacks NoSQL expertise, ACID transactions required
4. Does it contribute to current SPRINT goal?
Feature: Add dark mode Sprint goal: "Search & Filter" ❌ NO Recommendation: Add to backlog for later sprint
Alignment Decision Tree
Is feature request aligned? │ ├─ Does it serve a GOAL? │ ├─ NO → Reject (explain why) │ └─ YES → Continue │ ├─ Is it IN SCOPE? │ ├─ NO → Defer or reject │ └─ YES → Continue │ ├─ Does it violate CONSTRAINTS? │ ├─ YES → Modify or reject │ └─ NO → Continue │ └─ Is it the right time (sprint/phase)? ├─ NO → Add to backlog for later └─ YES → Approve and prioritize
PROJECT.md Best Practices
Keep It Living
❌ BAD: Outdated PROJECT.md
**Last Updated**: 2023-01-15 # 2 years ago! **Current Sprint**: Sprint 3 # Actually on Sprint 15
✅ GOOD: Living document
**Last Updated**: 2025-10-25 # Updated this week **Current Sprint**: Sprint 15 - "Performance Optimization"
Practice: Update PROJECT.md weekly or after major decisions
Be Specific, Not Generic
❌ BAD: Vague goals
## GOALS 1. Make users happy 2. Build good software 3. Ship features
✅ GOOD: Specific goals
## GOALS 1. **Achieve NPS score of 50+** (currently 32) 2. **Reduce P0 bugs to < 5 per month** (currently 15) 3. **Ship search feature by Nov 15** (hard deadline for demo)
Include "Why"
❌ BAD: No rationale
## CONSTRAINTS - Python 3.11+ required
✅ GOOD: Explains why
## CONSTRAINTS - **Python 3.11+**: Required for new type hints (improves IDE support) and 10-25% performance improvements in CPython 3.11
Link to Details
❌ BAD: Everything in PROJECT.md
## ARCHITECTURE [20 pages of architecture documentation inline]
✅ GOOD: Link to detailed docs
## ARCHITECTURE **High-Level**: Microservices with event-driven communication **Details**: See `docs/adr/` for architectural decisions and `docs/architecture.md` for system diagrams
Integration with [PROJECT_NAME]
[PROJECT_NAME] project management practices:
- •PROJECT.md location:
.claude/PROJECT.md(version-controlled) - •Update frequency: Weekly or after major decisions
- •Alignment checks: orchestrator agent validates before work begins
- •Sprint tracking: Optional GitHub integration (issues, milestones)
- •ADRs: Linked from PROJECT.md, stored in
docs/adr/
Templates
Minimal PROJECT.md (Startups/MVPs)
# [PROJECT NAME] **Last Updated**: YYYY-MM-DD ## GOAL [One sentence: What does success look like?] ## SCOPE **Building**: [List 3-5 must-have features] **Not building**: [List 2-3 anti-features] ## CONSTRAINTS - **Timeline**: [Deadline] - **Tech stack**: [Key technologies] ## CURRENT FOCUS [What we're working on this week/sprint]
Comprehensive PROJECT.md (Teams/Enterprises)
Use the full template at the top of this skill (includes goals, scope, constraints, architecture, sprints, roadmap, risks, team).
Additional Resources
Books:
- •"The Lean Startup" by Eric Ries
- •"Inspired" by Marty Cagan
- •"Measure What Matters" (OKRs) by John Doerr
Frameworks:
- •SMART goals
- •OKRs (Objectives & Key Results)
- •MoSCoW prioritization
- •SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework)
Tools:
- •GitHub Issues + Milestones
- •Linear, Jira, Asana (project tracking)
- •Miro, FigJam (roadmap visualization)
Version: 1.0.0 Type: Knowledge skill (no scripts) See Also: architecture-patterns (ADRs), documentation-guide, git-workflow