write-epic

Write Epic

Write a complete epic specification with scope, success criteria, and structured metadata output.

Input

$ARGUMENTS = epic title and high-level description of the initiative.

Process

1. Gather Context

• Read the project's CLAUDE.md for architecture, conventions, and strategic context
• Scan for a roadmap or backlog file if one exists (Glob for roadmap*, backlog*, TODO*)
• Identify existing work that this epic relates to or depends on

2. Define the Epic

Title: Scoped and outcome-oriented.

• Good: "User Authentication — Email and OAuth Login"
• Bad: "Auth stuff" or "Sprint 4 work"

Epic specification body:

## Problem Statement
[1-2 sentences: What problem does this solve? Who is affected? What happens if
we do nothing?]

## Desired Outcome
[1-2 sentences: What does success look like when this epic is complete?]

## Success Metrics
- [Measurable indicator 1]
- [Measurable indicator 2]

## Scope

**In scope:**
- [Capability or deliverable that IS included]

**Out of scope:**
- [Capability explicitly excluded — prevents scope creep]

**Non-goals:**
- [Things this epic intentionally does NOT try to achieve]

## Dependencies and Risks
- **Depends on**: [other epics, services, decisions, or infrastructure]
- **Blocks**: [what downstream work is waiting on this epic]
- **Risks**: [technical unknowns, external dependencies, capacity concerns]

3. Produce Structured Output

Construct the YAML frontmatter metadata block from the information gathered in steps 1-2:

• type: always epic
• title: the scoped, outcome-oriented title from step 2
• labels: prefix with area: for domain labels (e.g., area:auth, area:payments)
• priority: critical, high, medium, or low — infer from strategic context
• size: XS, S, M, L, or XL — based on scope breadth
• status: always draft
• dependencies: list of blocked_by objects with reason; omit if none
• acceptance_criteria: extract from success metrics and scope boundaries as testable criteria

4. Validate the Epic

Check the overall epic before finalizing:

• Right-sized: spans multiple sprints but delivers value each sprint
• Strategically aligned: connects to a clear user or business need
• Measurable: success metrics are specific and verifiable
• Scoped: in-scope and out-of-scope are explicit — no ambiguity about boundaries

Output

The markdown body MUST follow this exact section order with ## headings:

1. ## Problem Statement
2. ## Desired Outcome
3. ## Success Metrics
4. ## Scope
5. ## Dependencies and Risks

Additional rules:

• Optional fields (dependencies): omit entirely if empty. Never include blank bullets, "None", or placeholder text.

Print YAML frontmatter followed by the markdown body. Example:

---
type: epic
title: "User Authentication — Email and OAuth Login"
labels:
  - "area:auth"
priority: high
size: L
status: draft
dependencies:
  - blocked_by: "User database schema migration"
    reason: "Auth records require the users table to exist"
acceptance_criteria:
  - "Users can register and log in with email and password"
  - "Users can authenticate via Google OAuth"
  - "Failed login attempts are rate-limited after 5 attempts"
---

## Problem Statement
[...]

## Desired Outcome
[...]

## Success Metrics
[...]

## Scope

**In scope:** [...]

**Out of scope:** [...]

**Non-goals:** [...]

## Dependencies and Risks
[...]