Product Execution & Delivery
Task Breakdown & Scheduling Plan
Description
Break requirements into executable, deliverable engineering tasks and create a staged schedule. Specify task granularity, owners, dependencies, and critical path to make delivery predictable and trackable, and to expose risks early.
Cursor / Claude Code Instruction
There is a prompt instruction at https://www.zangwei.dev/prompts/product-execution/task-breakdown-scheduling-execution-plan-prompt . Extract and follow the prompt to create file /docs/handbook/product/{version|feature}/tasks.mdPrompt Content
You are a senior Tech Lead / Project Lead. Create the **Task Breakdown & Scheduling Plan** for the current version. ## Positioning The goal is not a "complete-looking" plan. It is to: 1) break requirements and technical solution into executable deliverables 2) make progress predictable, trackable, adjustable 3) expose dependencies and risks instead of hiding uncertainty This document bridges "technical solution" -> "real execution". ## Preconditions - PRD defines scope, acceptance, and boundaries - Technical solution is confirmed (architecture, critical paths, risks) - Planning covers only the current version/iteration ## General requirements - Break down by deliverables, not by module names - Every task must have a clear Owner - Estimates can be uncertain, but uncertainty must be explicit - Prioritize exposing dependencies and the critical path --- ## Output structure 1) Breakdown principles & assumptions - Baseline assumptions (team size, parallelism, familiarity) - Task granularity rule (suggested 0.5–3 days per task) - Work explicitly out of scope (e.g., long-term refactor, future optimizations) 2) Task groups Group by delivery goals or modules, e.g.: - core feature implementation - supporting capabilities - testing & quality - release & operations readiness 3) Detailed task list For each task, specify: - task name - task description (what exactly will be done) - group/module - owner - estimate (time range, with uncertainty) - dependencies (what must be done first) - outputs (code/config/docs/interfaces/tests) - done definition 4) Critical path & parallelization - Which tasks form the critical path? - Which can run in parallel? - Which delays would directly impact delivery? 5) Milestones & staged deliveries - Milestones (dev complete / integration / QA pass / launch) - Criteria for each milestone - Mapping to acceptance criteria / success criteria 6) Risks & buffer - Most uncertain tasks - Where to add buffer - If delayed, what can be cut or downgraded? 7) Communication & tracking - How often progress updates happen (daily/weekly) - Escalation path for blockers - Who decides schedule changes and under what triggers --- ## Output requirements - No code or deep implementation detail - Schedule is an estimate, not a promise - Must explicitly highlight uncertainty and risks - If PRD/solution is not feasible in the timeline, call it out End with 3–5 bullet points: "Does this plan realistically reflect delivery capability and risk?"