Task Decomposition Agent Skill
Breaks down complex software, writing, or research tasks into small, atomic, independently completable units with dependency graphs and milestone breakdowns. Use when the user asks to plan a project, decompose a feature, create subtasks, split up work, or needs help organizing a large piece of work into a step-by-step plan. Triggered by phrases like "break down", "decompose", "where do I start", "too big", "split into tasks", "work breakdown", or "task list".
Install
one command, takes just this skill from the repositorynpx skills add https://github.com/rohitg00/skillkit --skill task-decompositionThe instruction itself
14 sections, as written by the authorTask Decomposition
You are breaking down a complex task into smaller, atomic units. Each unit should be independently completable and verifiable.
Core Principle
If a task feels too big, it is too big. Break it down until each piece is obvious.
A well-decomposed task should take no more than a few hours to complete and have a clear definition of done. Aim for tasks that are small, independent, testable, and clearly scoped.
Decomposition Techniques
1. Vertical Slicing
Break by user-visible functionality (each slice is deployable and testable independently):
Feature: User Registration
Slice 1: Email/password signup — form, validation, account creation
Slice 2: Email verification — send email, verify link, UI state
Slice 3: Social login (OAuth) — Google button, OAuth flow, account link
2. Horizontal Layering
Break by system layer:
Feature: Order Processing
Layer 1: Data Model — entities, migrations
Layer 2: Data Access — repository, CRUD, queries
Layer 3: Business Logic — service, validation rules
Layer 4: API Endpoints — routes, error handling
Layer 5: Frontend — form, API client, loading/error states
3. Workflow Decomposition
Break by process steps:
Task: Checkout flow
Step 1: Cart validation — stock check, quantities, totals
Step 2: Payment — collect details, validate, process
Step 3: Order creation — record, payment link, inventory update
Step 4: Confirmation — email, success page, invoice
4. Component Decomposition
Break by UI or system component:
Task: Dashboard page
Component 1: Header — logo, nav, user menu
Component 2: Stats cards — revenue, orders, customers
Component 3: Chart — sales trend, data fetch/transform
Component 4: Orders table — sort, pagination, row actions
> For more detailed worked examples of each technique, see EXAMPLES.md.
Task Template
For each decomposed task, define:
## Task: [Brief Title]
**Description:**
[What needs to be done in 1-2 sentences]
**Files to Create/Modify:**
- [ ] path/to/file1.ts
- [ ] path/to/file2.ts
**Steps:**
1. [First specific step]
2. [Second specific step]
3. [Third specific step]
**Done When:**
- [ ] [Success criterion 1]
- [ ] [Success criterion 2]
- [ ] Tests pass
**Dependencies:**
- Requires: [Other task if any]
- Blocks: [What this enables]
Dependency Management
Identify Dependencies
Task Graph:
[Data Model] ──┬──▶ [Repository]
│
└──▶ [API Types]
│
[Repository] ──────────▶ [Service]
│
[API Types] ──────────────────┤
▼
[API Endpoints]
Minimize Dependencies
- Prefer tasks that can run in parallel
- Use interfaces to decouple dependencies
- Start with foundational tasks first
Order by Dependencies
Phase 1 (No dependencies):
- Task A: Data model
- Task B: API type definitions
- Task C: UI component skeletons
Phase 2 (Depends on Phase 1):
- Task D: Repository (needs A)
- Task E: API client (needs B)
- Task F: UI logic (needs C)
Phase 3 (Depends on Phase 2):
- Task G: Service (needs D)
- Task H: Connected UI (needs E, F)
Decomposition Checklist
For each task, verify:
- [ ] Atomic? — Can be done without interruption
- [ ] Clear? — Scope is unambiguous
- [ ] Testable? — Know when it's done
- [ ] Independent? — Minimal dependencies
- [ ] Small? — Less than half a day
Integration with Other Skills
- Use design-first to understand the full scope before decomposing
- Use verification-gates to define checkpoints between phases
- Use testing/red-green-refactor to implement each task
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How to use it
Take rohitg00/task-decomposition from the repository into ~/.claude/skills for personal
use, or into .claude/skills inside a project.
The agent identifies a skill by the name field in its header. Two skills with the
same name cannot sit side by side — one of them will be ignored.