Sprint Status Skill for Claude

Sprint Status

When running multiple Claude Code sessions in parallel, confusion is the enemy. This skill ensures every session identifies itself and every step reports its state.

Session Identification

Every response that involves a decision, plan, or significant action starts with orientation:

SESSION: my-app | branch: feat/auth | task: Add JWT refresh tokens

This takes one line. It costs almost nothing. It prevents the user from applying feedback to the wrong session.

Detecting Parallel Sessions

Check for sibling Claude Code processes:

pgrep -af "claude" | grep -v "$$" | head -5

Or check for active worktrees:

git worktree list 2>/dev/null

Or look for session markers (written by session-start.js / session-end.js):

ls $TMPDIR/pro-workflow/sessions/ 2>/dev/null | tail -5

If multiple sessions are detected, always include the session identification header. If only one session is running, include it at task boundaries and before presenting options.

Status Lines

End every major step with exactly one status line. No ambiguity.

STATUS: COMPLETE

All work for the current step is done. Ready to commit, merge, or move to the next task.

STATUS: COMPLETE
  Changed: src/auth/refresh.ts, src/auth/refresh.test.ts
  Tests: 14 pass, 0 fail
  Ready to commit.

STATUS: COMPLETE_WITH_NOTES

Done, but flagging something the user should know about.

STATUS: COMPLETE_WITH_NOTES
  Changed: src/api/upload.ts
  Tests: 8 pass, 0 fail
  Notes:
    - Upload size limit is hardcoded to 10MB, should be configurable
    - No rate limiting on this endpoint yet (separate task)

Notes are for things that work but could be better. Not blockers — observations.

STATUS: BLOCKED

Cannot proceed without user input or an external dependency.

STATUS: BLOCKED
  Blocker: Need database migration approved before writing the ORM layer
  Waiting on: DBA approval for schema change in migrations/0042_add_tokens.sql
  Can continue: Nothing else in this task until unblocked

STATUS: NEEDS_INFO

Missing context to make a good decision. Asking before guessing.

STATUS: NEEDS_INFO
  Question: Should refresh tokens expire after 7 days or 30 days?
  Impact: Changes token cleanup job schedule and storage requirements
  Default if no preference: 7 days (more secure, standard practice)

Always provide a sensible default so the user can say "go with the default" without context-switching into the decision.

Parallel Session Patterns

Pattern 1: Feature + Tests

Session 1: feat/auth       → implementing JWT refresh
Session 2: feat/auth-tests → writing test suite for auth module

Both sessions work on the same feature but don't touch the same files. Session 2 can start writing tests against the interface before Session 1 finishes the implementation.

Pattern 2: Independent Features

Session 1: feat/upload     → file upload endpoint
Session 2: feat/billing    → billing webhook handler
Session 3: fix/login-bug   → login redirect fix

Completely independent. Merge order doesn't matter.

Pattern 3: Stacked Changes

Session 1: feat/base-types → shared type definitions (must merge first)
Session 2: feat/api        → API layer (depends on Session 1)
Session 3: feat/ui         → UI layer (depends on Session 1)

Session 1 merges first. Sessions 2 and 3 rebase after. Flag the dependency in every status update.

When to Report Status

| Event | Include Status? |

|-------|----------------|

| File edit completed | No (too granular) |

| Test suite run | Yes, if pass/fail changed |

| Phase completed (research, plan, implement) | Yes |

| Presenting options to user | Yes (with session header) |

| Hitting a blocker | Yes, immediately |

| Before asking a question | Yes (NEEDS_INFO) |

| After committing | Yes (COMPLETE) |

| End of session | Yes (final status) |

Sprint Dashboard

When the user asks for status across sessions, compile a sprint view:

SPRINT STATUS
  Session 1: feat/auth       STATUS: COMPLETE         (ready to merge)
  Session 2: feat/upload     STATUS: BLOCKED          (waiting on S3 creds)
  Session 3: fix/login-bug   STATUS: COMPLETE_WITH_NOTES (works, needs perf review)

Anti-Patterns

• Skipping the session header when multiple sessions are active
• Using STATUS: COMPLETE when there are known issues (use COMPLETE_WITH_NOTES)
• Burying the status line in a paragraph (put it on its own line, at the end)
• Reporting status after every single edit (only at meaningful boundaries)
• Not providing a default with NEEDS_INFO (forces the user to context-switch fully)
• Saying "almost done" or "mostly working" instead of a concrete status

Add to CLAUDE.md

## Sprint Status

Every decision and plan starts with: SESSION: project | branch | task
End major steps with STATUS: COMPLETE | COMPLETE_WITH_NOTES | BLOCKED | NEEDS_INFO
NEEDS_INFO always includes a sensible default.
When parallel sessions are detected, always include session headers.