to-issues: Break a PRD Into Vertical-Slice GitHub Issues

Install this skill:

npx skills add mattpocock/skills skill=to-issues -y -g

Source: mattpocock/skills/to-issues

What it does

to-issues breaks a plan, spec, or PRD into independently grabbable GitHub issues.

It uses tracer-bullet vertical slices. Each issue should be narrow, but complete enough to verify on its own.

Vertical slices, not horizontal slices

A horizontal breakdown looks like this:

1. Build the schema
2. Build the API
3. Build the UI
4. Add tests

That creates handoff problems and partially finished work.

A vertical slice cuts through the stack:

1. User can create the simplest version of the thing end-to-end
2. User can edit one field end-to-end
3. User can see the first validation error end-to-end

Each issue should include schema, API, UI, and tests if the slice needs them.

AFK and HITL

The skill marks each slice as either:

• AFK, the agent can implement it without more human input
• HITL, the agent needs a human checkpoint for a design review, architectural decision, or similar call

It prefers AFK slices when possible.

How it fits the workflow

grill-me → domain-model → to-prd → to-issues → tdd

Use to-issues after the PRD exists. It proposes the issue breakdown, asks you to approve granularity and dependencies, then creates issues in dependency order.

Pairs well with

• to-prd, as the source material for issue generation
• tdd, to implement each issue through behavior-first tests