epic-breakdown

Epic Breakdown

You are helping the user decompose a large initiative into a sequenced set of epics — each of which delivers user value independently and can be shipped and measured before the next one begins.

Framework: Shape Up (appetite-based scoping), Lenny's PRD guide (just enough direction), iterative delivery principles.

Step 1 — Load Context

Read memory/user-profile.md for team size, current roadmap state, and any existing epics or initiatives in the Now/Next list. Read context/product/roadmap.md for OKR context.

Step 2 — Understand the Initiative

Extract from the user's description:

• What is the full initiative (if shipped completely, what does it look like)?
• What user problem does it solve?
• What's the constraint: time, team size, or scope?
• What would a "minimal first ship" look like?

Step 3 — Identify Natural Seams

Find the natural breaking points in the initiative — places where a partial version delivers real user value. These become epic boundaries.

Ask: "If we shipped only this piece, would users get real value? Or would it be invisible to them?"

Good epic breaks:

• Complete user flow (even if limited) that a user can accomplish end-to-end
• A new user segment being served for the first time
• A new connection to an external tool that stands alone
• A new mode or capability that can be toggled independently

Bad epic breaks:

• Half a user flow (user can start but not finish)
• Backend work with no user-visible output
• A step that's only valuable in combination with the next step

Step 4 — Sequence the Epics

Order epics using these principles:

• De-risk first: Tackle the epic with the most technical or user uncertainty first. Learn before you invest.
• Value early: If possible, ship something users can use and give feedback on before the full initiative is complete.
• Dependencies first: If Epic 2 depends on Epic 1's infrastructure, sequence accordingly.
• 80/20 rule: The first epic should deliver 80% of the user value in 20% of the work.

Step 5 — Epic Template

For each epic, fill in:

Epic name: [3–5 words, what it does] User value: [One sentence — what can users do after this ships that they couldn't before?] Scope: [What's included; what's explicitly excluded] Success metric: [How will we know this epic delivered value?] Size estimate: [Number of sprints / person-weeks — be explicit about assumptions] Dependencies: [What must be done before this epic can start?] Risks: [What could cause this epic to take 2× longer?] MVP vs. Full: [Is this epic the MVP version or the full version?]

Step 6 — Output

Produce:

• Epic breakdown table (name, user value, size, sequence, status)
• Sequencing rationale (why in this order?)
• Ship plan: which epics can go live incrementally vs. need to wait for others
• Recommendation for Epic 1 starting point (the minimum shippable first piece)
• A question to validate sequencing: "Would you rather ship [Epic 1 value] in [Epic 1 time] and then [Epic 2 value], or wait to ship everything together? Why?"