Agent skill
pm-organization-scale-adaptive
Adjust planning depth and agent behavior based on PRD complexity level
Install this agent skill to your Project
npx add-skill https://github.com/majiayu000/claude-skill-registry/tree/main/skills/data/pm-organization-scale-adaptive
SKILL.md
Scale-Adaptive Planning Skill
"Right-size the process – small projects need less ceremony, large projects need more structure."
When to Use This Skill
Use at:
- Session initialization (determine project scale)
- Each retrospective (reassess based on progress)
- When PRD size changes significantly
Quick Start
// Determine project scale (reads both PRD files since v3.1.0)
const prd = readJson("prd.json");
const backlog = readJson(prd.backlogFile || "prd_backlog.json");
const allItems = [...prd.items, ...backlog.backlogItems];
const taskCount = allItems.filter((i) => !i.passes).length;
const scale =
taskCount <= 3 ? 0 : taskCount <= 8 ? 1 : taskCount <= 15 ? 2 : taskCount <= 30 ? 3 : 4;
// Apply scale-appropriate process
const config = SCALE_CONFIG[scale];
Note: Since v3.1.0, tasks are split between prd.json (active queue: 5 tasks) and prd_backlog.json (backlog: ~70 tasks). PM must read both files to get accurate task counts for scale detection.
Decision Framework
| Scale | Task Count | Process Depth | Retrospective | Skill Updates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 - Micro | 1-3 | Minimal | Brief notes | None |
| 1 - Small | 4-8 | Light | Quick review | Anti-patterns only |
| 2 - Medium | 9-15 | Standard | Full process | Update relevant |
| 3 - Large | 16-30 | Comprehensive | Deep analysis | Create new skills |
| 4 - Enterprise | 31+ | Full methodology | Multi-phase | Full skill suite |
Progressive Guide
Level 0: Micro (1-3 tasks)
Minimal ceremony for tiny projects:
## Process Adjustments
- Skip formal retrospective file
- Use inline progress notes
- No skill improvement phase
- Simple task → implement → validate → done
## State Files
- prd.json.session (minimal session state)
- prd.json.items[{taskId}] (task details)
- Skip: retrospective.txt, handoff-log.json
Level 1: Small (4-8 tasks)
Light process for small projects:
## Process Adjustments
- Brief retrospective (inline in progress.txt)
- Quick learnings capture
- Anti-pattern documentation only
- Single-pass validation
## Retrospective Format (Inline)
### [TIMESTAMP] Task Complete: {{TASK_ID}}
- Done: {{what}}
- Learned: {{key insight}}
- Watch out: {{anti-pattern if any}}
Level 2: Medium (9-15 tasks)
Standard process for typical projects:
## Process Adjustments
- Full file-based retrospective
- Agent contributions required
- Skill updates for gaps
- Risk identification
## Full Process
1. Create retrospective.txt
2. Wait for Developer + QA input
3. PM synthesis
4. Update skills if gaps found
5. Proceed to next task
Level 3: Large (16-30 tasks)
Comprehensive process for complex projects:
## Process Adjustments
- Deep retrospective analysis
- Milestone reviews every 5 tasks
- Create new skill files
- Reference folder documentation
- Risk heat map tracking
## Additional Steps
1. Milestone review at 25%, 50%, 75%
2. Create domain-specific skill files
3. Build reference documentation
4. Track technical debt
5. Velocity monitoring
Level 4: Enterprise (31+ tasks)
Full methodology for large projects:
## Process Adjustments
- Multi-phase planning
- Sprint boundaries
- Full skill suite creation
- Architectural decision records
- Quality gates
## Enterprise Features
1. Sprint planning (5-8 tasks per sprint)
2. Architectural retrospectives
3. Full skill documentation
4. Integration testing phases
5. Release milestones
Scale Detection Algorithm
function detectScale(prd, backlog) {
// Read both files for complete task picture (v3.1.0+)
const prd = readJson("prd.json");
const backlog = readJson(prd.backlogFile || "prd_backlog.json");
const allItems = [...prd.items, ...backlog.backlogItems];
const remaining = allItems.filter((i) => !i.passes).length;
const total = allItems.length;
const complexity = allItems.reduce(
(sum, i) => sum + (i.category === 'architectural' ? 3 : i.category === 'integration' ? 2 : 1),
0
);
// Base scale on task count
let scale =
remaining <= 3 ? 0 : remaining <= 8 ? 1 : remaining <= 15 ? 2 : remaining <= 30 ? 3 : 4;
// Adjust for complexity
if (complexity / total > 2) scale = Math.min(4, scale + 1);
// Adjust for dependencies
const depCount = allItems.reduce((sum, i) => sum + i.dependencies.length, 0);
if (depCount / total > 1.5) scale = Math.min(4, scale + 1);
return scale;
}
Anti-Patterns
❌ DON'T:
- Apply enterprise process to 3-task projects
- Skip retrospectives for large projects
- Ignore scale changes during project
- Use fixed process regardless of size
✅ DO:
- Reassess scale at each retrospective
- Adjust process depth dynamically
- Right-size documentation effort
- Scale skill updates to project size
Checklist
At session start:
- Count remaining tasks
- Calculate complexity score
- Determine initial scale (0-4)
- Configure process depth
- Document scale in prd.json.session
At each retrospective:
- Reassess remaining tasks
- Check if scale changed
- Adjust process if needed
- Update scale in prd.json.session
Reference
- pm-retrospective-facilitation — Retrospective process
- pm-improvement-skill-research — Skill updates
- https://github.com/bmad-code-org/BMAD-METHOD — Scale-adaptive methodology
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