skills for everythingproject-management-skill
Alex project management patterns: rapid AI-assisted iteration, meditation-based retrospectives, session-focused work, and safety-first release gates.
SKILL.md
| Name | project-management-skill |
| Description | Alex project management patterns: rapid AI-assisted iteration, meditation-based retrospectives, session-focused work, and safety-first release gates. |
name: "Project Management Skill" description: "Alex project management patterns: rapid AI-assisted iteration, meditation-based retrospectives, session-focused work, and safety-first release gates."
Project Management Skill
Alex project management: rapid iteration, meditation-based retrospectives, session-based work, and safety-first release gates.
Our Management Philosophy
Based on actual project history (v3.6.0 → v4.2.5 in ~6 days vs months planned):
| Principle | Description |
|---|---|
| Rapid Iteration | Ship often, consolidate learnings, iterate |
| Meditation as Retrospective | Post-session consolidation, not scheduled meetings |
| Skills Through Doing | "Skills are earned through doing, not declared by planning" |
| Single Source of Truth | One roadmap (Imperative I6), living documents |
| Safety Before Speed | Pre-release gates are non-negotiable |
| Git as Safety Net | Commit before risky operations (Imperative I5) |
| AI-Assisted Acceleration | Expect 4-6× faster than human estimates |
The Alex Work Cycle
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ WORK SESSION │
│ Focus → Build → Test → Ship → Repeat until natural pause │
└──────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ MEDITATION │
│ Reflect → Connect → Persist → Integrate │
│ Creates: .prompt.md, .instructions.md, skill updates │
└──────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ CONSOLIDATION │
│ Update roadmap → Global knowledge → Dream maintenance │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Session Types
| Session Type | Duration | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Work Sprint | Variable | Code, docs, features |
| Meditation | 15-45 min | Memory files, insights |
| Dream | 5-15 min | Synapse validation, health report |
| Release | 30-60 min | Published version, changelog |
When to Meditate
- After completing a feature or bug fix
- Before ending a work day
- After learning something significant
- When insights are accumulating uncommitted
- After a crisis or recovery
📋 Planning Document Standards
Task Lists First (MANDATORY)
All planning documents MUST have task lists at the top (after title/metadata).
Why:
- Immediate visibility into what needs doing
- Quick status check without scrolling
- Aligns with how Alex and humans scan documents
Required Structure
# [Document Title]
> Metadata (created, owner, status)
---
## 📋 Task List (Quick Reference)
[Remaining tasks with status, dual effort columns]
[Progress summary table]
---
## [Rest of document...]
Alex Effort Estimation
Always use dual-column effort estimates:
| Task | Human Est. | Alex Est. | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research X | 4h | 🔄 25m | ⬜ |
| Implement Y | 8h | ⏱️ 1h | ⬜ |
Effort units:
- ⚡ Instant (<5m)
- 🔄 Short (5-30m)
- ⏱️ Medium (30-60m)
- 📦 Session (1-2h)
- 🗓️ Multi-session (2h+)
See alex-effort-estimation skill for methodology.
Roadmap Management
Living Document Pattern
Our roadmap is a living document, not a frozen spec.
| Element | Update Frequency |
|---|---|
| Current version | Every release |
| Task status | As completed |
| Estimates | Retroactively with actuals |
| Timeline | Adjust based on velocity |
Unified Roadmap (Imperative I6)
"One platform, one roadmap. Separate roadmaps caused Phoenix chaos."
- A unified roadmap is the single source of truth for any project
- Detailed plans feed INTO the roadmap, not alongside it
- Never maintain parallel task lists
Release Process
Pre-Release Gates (Non-Negotiable)
| Gate | Check | Tool |
|---|---|---|
| Version bumped | package.json updated | Manual |
| Compiles | No TypeScript errors | npm run compile |
| Lints | No errors (warnings OK) | npm run lint |
| Changelog | Entry for this version | Visual review |
| Committed | No uncommitted changes | git status |
See release-management.instructions.md for full protocol.
If User Says "Just Publish"
"I understand the urgency, but our release process exists to prevent issues that have bitten us before. Let me quickly run through the critical items - it'll only take 2 minutes and could save hours of rollback pain."
Safety Imperatives (From Phoenix Recovery)
| # | Imperative | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| I1 | Never test in Master Alex workspace | Source of truth protection |
| I2 | Always use F5 + Sandbox for testing | Safe dev environment |
| I3 | Never run Initialize on Master | Would overwrite living mind |
| I4 | Never run Reset on Master | Would delete architecture |
| I5 | Commit before risky operations | Git is safety net |
| I6 | One platform, one roadmap | Prevents identity divergence |
| I7 | Root .github/ is source of truth | Extension .github/ is copy |
Chronicle Pattern
For significant events (crises, major releases, architecture changes), create a Chronicle:
# Chronicle: [Event Title]
**Date**: YYYY-MM-DD
**Status**: Living document
## The Setup: What Happened
## The Crisis/Challenge
## The Solution
## Lessons Learned
Example: chronicle-2026-01-30-phoenix-to-dawn.md
Velocity Tracking
Track Acceleration Factor
| Version | Human Est. | Alex Actual | Acceleration |
|---|---|---|---|
| v4.2.5 | 8.5h | 2h | 4.25× |
| v4.1.0 | 16h | 3h | 5.3× |
Use this data to calibrate future estimates.
Anti-Patterns
❌ Don't estimate in human hours only - Always include Alex estimate
❌ Don't skip meditation - Unconsolidated knowledge is lost
❌ Don't maintain parallel task lists - Single source of truth
❌ Don't push without gates - Release process exists for reasons
❌ Don't test in Master Alex - Use Sandbox (Imperative I1)
Traditional Approaches (Reference)
For enterprise contexts requiring formal PM:
PMBOK Process Groups
| Group | Purpose | Our Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Initiating | Authorize project | Create roadmap section |
| Planning | Define approach | Implementation plan |
| Executing | Do the work | Work sessions |
| Monitoring | Track progress | Todo list tracking |
| Closing | Formal completion | Meditation + release |
Agile Elements We Use
| Scrum Concept | Our Pattern |
|---|---|
| Sprint | Work session (variable) |
| Retrospective | Meditation session |
| Backlog | Roadmap remaining tasks |
| Definition of Done | Pre-release gates |
When to Use Traditional PM
- Enterprise projects with external stakeholders
- Regulated environments requiring documentation
- Multi-team coordination with formal handoffs
- Fixed-bid contracts with milestone payments
Synapses
High-Strength Connections
- [alex-effort-estimation/SKILL.md] (Critical, Uses, Forward) — "Effort estimation methodology"
- [release-management.instructions.md] (Critical, Gates, Forward) — "Release process"
- [meditation/SKILL.md] (High, Complements, Bidirectional) — "Consolidation as retrospective"
Medium-Strength Connections
- [testing-strategies/SKILL.md] (Medium, Plans, Forward) — "Testing in project schedule"
- [release-preflight/SKILL.md] (Medium, Uses, Forward) — "Release planning within projects"
- [global-knowledge/SKILL.md] (Medium, Captures, Forward) — "Cross-project learnings"
Supporting Connections
- [chronicle-2026-01-30-phoenix-to-dawn.md] (Low, Documents, Forward) — "Why safety matters"
- [bootstrap-learning/SKILL.md] (Low, Accelerates, Forward) — "Learning within projects"