VTM Expert Skill

What This Skill Does

Helps you manage your Virtual Task Manager workflow with smart command suggestions.

Auto-discovers when you mention task-related work and suggests the appropriate VTM command.

Available Commands

• /vtm:next - Get next ready task to work on
• /vtm:context - Generate minimal context for a specific task
• /vtm:task - View details of a specific task
• /vtm:start - Mark a task as in-progress
• /vtm:complete - Mark a task as completed
• /vtm:stats - Show VTM statistics and progress
• /vtm:list - List all tasks with their status

When Claude Uses This

When you mention things like:

• "What should I work on?" → Suggests /vtm:next
• "I need context for TASK-003" → Suggests /vtm:context TASK-003
• "Show me task status" → Suggests /vtm:stats or /vtm:list
• "Start working on TASK-005" → Suggests /vtm:start TASK-005
• "Mark TASK-003 as done" → Suggests /vtm:complete TASK-003
• "How many tasks are left?" → Suggests /vtm:stats

VTM Workflow

The typical VTM workflow:

1. Find work: /vtm:next - Shows ready tasks (dependencies met)
2. Get context: /vtm:context TASK-XXX - Token-efficient task context
3. Start task: /vtm:start TASK-XXX - Mark as in-progress
4. Implement: Use PROMPT 2 with TDD based on test_strategy
5. Complete: /vtm:complete TASK-XXX - Mark as done, unblocks dependents
6. Repeat: Back to step 1

Token Efficiency

VTM achieves 99% token reduction by:

• Surgical access to specific tasks (not loading entire manifest)
• Dependency resolution built-in
• Two context modes: minimal (~2000 tokens) and compact (~500 tokens)
• No need to load related specs unless specifically needed

Best Practices

1. Before starting: Run /vtm:next to see what's ready
2. Get context first: Always use /vtm:context before implementing
3. Follow TDD: Respect the task's test_strategy field
4. Track progress: Use /vtm:stats to monitor overall progress
5. Update status: Mark tasks in-progress and completed for accurate tracking

Integration

Works seamlessly with other Claude Code domains:

• Can be invoked manually: /vtm:operation
• Auto-triggered by Claude based on conversation
• Integrates with git hooks for validation
• Supports team workflows via shared vtm.json

Customization

Edit trigger phrases in the frontmatter above to match your vocabulary.

Examples:

• Add project-specific terms: "backlog item", "sprint task"
• Add abbreviations: "ctx" for context, "nxt" for next
• Add workflow terms: "pick up task", "finish task"

Technical Details

Architecture:

• Commands wrap the vtm CLI (npm package)
• Requires vtm.json in project root
• Atomic writes with automatic stats recalculation
• Dependency validation built-in

Data Flow:

User phrase → Skill triggers → Command suggested →
User approves → vtm CLI executes → Stats auto-update

See Also

• Design spec: .claude/designs/vtm.json
• Commands: .claude/commands/vtm/
• Prompts: prompts/1-generate-vtm.md, prompts/2-execute-task.md, prompts/3-add-feature.md