sadd:do-in-steps

neolabhq/context-engineering-kit · updated Apr 8, 2026

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$npx skills add https://github.com/neolabhq/context-engineering-kit --skill sadd:do-in-steps
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summary

CRITICAL: You are the orchestrator only - you MUST NOT perform the task yourself. IF you read, write or run bash tools you failed task imidiatly. It is single most critical criteria for you. If you used anyting except sub-agents you will be killed immediatly!!!! Your role is to:

skill.md

do-in-steps

CRITICAL: You are the orchestrator only - you MUST NOT perform the task yourself. IF you read, write or run bash tools you failed task imidiatly. It is single most critical criteria for you. If you used anyting except sub-agents you will be killed immediatly!!!! Your role is to:

  1. Analyze and decompose the task
  2. Select optimal models and agents for each subtask
  3. For each step: dispatch meta-judge AND implementation agent in parallel (meta-judge FIRST in dispatch order)
  4. Wait for BOTH to complete, then dispatch judge with meta-judge's specification
  5. Iterate if judge fails the step (max 3 retries), reusing same meta-judge specification
  6. Collect outputs and pass context forward
  7. Report final results

RED FLAGS - Never Do These

NEVER:

  • Read implementation files to understand code details (let sub-agents do this)
  • Write code or make changes to source files directly
  • Skip decomposition and jump to implementation
  • Perform multiple steps yourself "to save time"
  • Overflow your context by reading step outputs in detail
  • Read judge reports in full (only parse structured headers)
  • Skip judge verification and proceed next step
  • Provide score threshold to the judge in any format

ALWAYS:

  • Use Task tool to dispatch sub-agents for ALL implementation work
  • Dispatch meta-judge AND implementation agent in parallel per step (meta-judge FIRST in dispatch order)
  • Wait for BOTH meta-judge and implementation to complete before dispatching judge
  • Pass step's meta-judge evaluation specification to the judge agent
  • Include CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT=${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT} in prompts to meta-judge and judge agents
  • Reuse same meta-judge specification across retries within a step (never re-run meta-judge for retries)
  • Dispatch a NEW meta-judge for each new step (each step gets its own tailored specification)
  • Use Task tool to dispatch independent judges for step verification
  • Pass only necessary context summaries, not full file contents
  • Get pass from judge verification before proceeding to next step
  • Iterate with judge feedback if verification fails (max 3 retries)

Any deviation from orchestration (attempting to implement subtasks yourself, reading implementation files, reading full judge reports, or making direct changes) will result in context pollution and ultimate failure, as a result you will be fired!

Process

Setup: Create Reports Directory

Before starting, ensure the reports directory exists:

mkdir -p .specs/reports

Report naming convention: .specs/reports/{task-name}-step-{N}-{YYYY-MM-DD}.md

Where:

  • {task-name} - Derived from task description (e.g., user-dto-refactor)
  • {N} - Step number
  • {YYYY-MM-DD} - Current date

Note: Implementation outputs go to their specified locations; only judge verification reports go to .specs/reports/

Phase 1: Task Analysis and Decomposition

Analyze the task systematically using Zero-shot Chain-of-Thought reasoning:

Let me analyze this task step by step to decompose it into sequential subtasks:

1. **Task Understanding**
   "What is the overall objective?"
   - What is being asked?
   - What is the expected final outcome?
   - What constraints exist?

2. **Identify Natural Boundaries**
   "Where does the work naturally divide?"
   - Database/model changes (foundation)
   - Interface/contract changes (dependencies)
   - Implementation changes (core work)
   - Integration/caller updates (ripple effects)
   - Testing/validation (verification)
   - Documentation (finalization)

3. **Dependency Identification**
   "What must happen before what?"
   - "If I do B before A, will B break or use stale information?"
   - "Does B need any output from A as input?"
   - "Would doing B first require redoing work after A?"
   - What is the minimal viable ordering?

4. **Define Clear Boundaries**
   "What exactly does each subtask encompass?"
   - Input: What does this step receive?
   - Action: What transformation/change does it make?
   - Output: What does this step produce?
   - Verification: How do we know it succeeded?

Decomposition Guidelines:

Pattern Decomposition Strategy Example
Interface change 1. Update interface, 2. Update implementations, 3. Update consumers "Change return type of getUser"
Feature addition 1. Add core logic, 2. Add integration points, 3. Add API layer "Add caching to UserService"
Refactoring 1. Extract/modify core, 2. Update internal references, 3. Update external references "Extract helper class from Service"
Bug fix with impact 1. Fix root cause, 2. Fix dependent issues, 3. Update tests "Fix calculation error affecting reports"
Multi-layer change 1. Data layer, 2. Business layer, 3. API layer, 4. Client layer "Add new field to User entity"

Decomposition Output Format:

## Task Decomposition

### Original Task
{task_description}

### Subtasks (Sequential Order)

| Step | Subtask | Depends On | Complexity | Type | Output |
|------|---------|------------|------------|------|--------|
| 1 | {description} | - | {low/med/high} | {type} | {what it produces} |
| 2 | {description} | Step 1 | {low/med/high} | {type} | {what it produces} |
| 3 | {description} | Steps 1,2 | {low/med/high} | {type} | {what it produces} |
...

### Dependency Graph
Step 1 ─→ Step 2 ─→ Step 3 ─→ ...

Phase 2: Model Selection for Each Subtask

For each subtask, analyze and select the optimal model:

Let me determine the optimal configuration for each subtask:

For Subtask N:
1. **Complexity Assessment**
   "How complex is the reasoning required?"
   - High: Architecture decisions, novel problem-solving, critical logic changes
   - Medium: Standard patterns, moderate refactoring, API updates
   - Low: Simple transformations, straightforward updates, documentation

2. **Scope Assessment**
   "How extensive is the work?"
   - Large: Multiple files, complex interactions
   - Medium: Single component, focused changes
   - Small: Minor modifications, single file

3. **Risk Assessment**
   "What is the impact of errors?"
   - High: Breaking changes, security-sensitive, data integrity
   - Medium: Internal changes, reversible modifications
   - Low: Non-critical utilities, documentation

4. **Domain Expertise Check**
   "Does this match a specialized agent profile?"
   - Development: implementation, refactoring, bug fixes
   - Architecture: system design, pattern selection
   - Documentation: API docs, comments, README updates
   - Testing: test generation, test updates

Model Selection Matrix:

Complexity Scope Risk Recommended Model
High Any Any opus
Any Any High opus
Medium Large Medium opus
Medium Medium Medium sonnet
Medium Small Low sonnet
Low Any Low haiku

Decision Tree per Subtask:

Is this subtask CRITICAL (architecture, interface, breaking changes)?
|
+-- YES --> Use Opus (highest capability for critical work)
|           |
|           +-- Does it match a specialized domain?
|               +-- YES --> Include specialized agent prompt
|               +-- NO --> Use Opus alone
|
+-- NO --> Is this subtask COMPLEX but not critical?
           |
           +-- YES --> Use Sonnet (balanced capability/cost)
           |
           +-- NO --> Is output LONG but task not complex?
                      |
                      +-- YES --> Use Sonnet (handles length well)
                      |
                      +-- NO --> Is this subtask SIMPLE/MECHANICAL?
                                 |
                                 +-- YES --> Use Haiku (fast, cheap)
                                 |
                                 +-- NO --> Use Sonnet (default for uncertain)

Specialized Agent: Specialized agent list depends on project and plugins that are loaded. Common agents from the sdd plugin include: sdd:developer, sdd:tdd-developer, sdd:researcher, sdd:software-architect, sdd:tech-lead, sdd:team-lead, sdd:qa-engineer. If the appropriate specialized agent is not available, fallback to a general agent without specialization.

Decision: Use specialized agent when subtask clearly benefits from domain expertise AND complexity justifies the overhead (not for Haiku-tier tasks).

Selection Output Format:

## Model/Agent Selection

| Step | Subtask | Model | Agent | Rationale |
|------|---------|-------|-------|-----------|
| 1 | Update interface | opus | sdd:developer | Complex API design |
| 2 | Update implementations | sonnet | sdd:developer | Follow patterns |
| 3 | Update callers | haiku | - | Simple find/replace |
| 4 | Update tests | sonnet | sdd:tdd-developer | Test expertise |

Phase 3: Sequential Execution with Parallel Meta-Judge and Judge Verification

Execute subtasks one by one. For each step, dispatch a meta-judge AND implementation agent in parallel, then verify with an independent judge using the meta-judge's specification. Iterate if needed, then pass context forward.

Execution Flow per Step:

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Step N                                                                       │
│                                                                              │
│   ┌──────────────┐                                                           │
│   │ Meta-Judge   │──┐ (parallel)                                             │
│   │ (Sub-agent)  │  │                                                        │
│   └──────────────┘  │   ┌──────────────┐     ┌──────────────────────┐       │
│                      ├──▶│    Judge     │────▶│ Parse Verdict        │       │
│   ┌──────────────┐  │   │ (Sub-agent)  │     │ (Orchestrator)       │       │
│   │ Implementer  │──┘   └──────────────┘     └──────────────────────┘       │
│   │ (Sub-agent)  │                                      │                    │
│   └──────────────┘                                      ▼                    │
│          ▲                              ┌─────────────────────────┐          │
│          │                              │ PASS (≥4.0)?            │          │
│          │                              │ ├─ YES → Next Step      │          │
│          │                              │ ├─ ≥3.0 + low → PASS   │          │
│          │                              │ └─ NO  → Retry?         │          │
│          │                              │     ├─ <3 → Retry       │          │
│          │                              │     └─ ≥3 → Escalate    │          │
│          │                              └─────────────────────────┘          │
│          │                                            │                      │
│          └────────────── feedback ────────────────────┘                      │
│          (retries reuse same meta-judge spec, no new meta-judge)             │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

3.1 Context Passing Protocol

After each subtask completes, extract relevant context for subsequent steps:

Context to pass forward:

  • Files modified (paths only, not contents)
  • Key changes made (summary)
  • New interfaces/APIs int
how to use sadd:do-in-steps

How to use sadd:do-in-steps on Cursor

AI-first code editor with Composer

1

Prerequisites

Before installing skills in Cursor, ensure your development environment meets these requirements:

  • Cursor installed and configured on your development machine
  • Node.js version 16.0+ with npm package manager (verify with node --version)
  • Active project directory or workspace where you want to add sadd:do-in-steps
2

Execute installation command

Execute the skills CLI command in your project's root directory to begin installation:

$npx skills add https://github.com/neolabhq/context-engineering-kit --skill sadd:do-in-steps

The skills CLI fetches sadd:do-in-steps from GitHub repository neolabhq/context-engineering-kit and configures it for Cursor.

3

Select Cursor when prompted

The CLI will show a list of available agents. Use arrow keys to navigate and space to select Cursor:

◆ Which agents do you want to install to?
│ ── Universal (.agents/skills) ── always included ────
│ • Amp
│ • Antigravity
│ • Cline
│ • Codex
│ ●Cursor(selected)
│ • Cursor
│ • Windsurf
4

Verify installation

Confirm successful installation by checking the skill directory location:

.cursor/skills/sadd:do-in-steps

Reload or restart Cursor to activate sadd:do-in-steps. Access the skill through slash commands (e.g., /sadd:do-in-steps) or your agent's skill management interface.

Security & Verification Notice

We perform automated surface-level scans (Gen AI Scanner, Socket, Snyk) during installation. These checks detect common vulnerabilities but do not guarantee complete security. Always review skill source code and verify the publisher's reputation before production use.

Skills execute code in your development environment. Always verify the publisher's identity, review recent commits, and test in isolated environments before production deployment.

List & Monetize Your Skill

Submit your Claude Code skill and start earning

GET_STARTED →

Use Cases

User Story & Requirements Generation

Create detailed user stories, acceptance criteria, and feature specs

Example

Generate user stories for 'password reset feature' with acceptance criteria, edge cases, and test scenarios

Reduce spec writing time by 50%, ensure comprehensive coverage

Competitive Analysis

Research competitors, compare features, identify gaps

Example

Analyze 5 competitor products, create feature comparison matrix, suggest differentiation opportunities

Complete competitive research in 2 hours instead of 2 days

Roadmap Prioritization

Evaluate features using frameworks (RICE, ICE, Kano) and create prioritized backlogs

Example

Score 20 feature ideas using RICE framework, generate prioritized roadmap with rationale

Make data-driven prioritization decisions faster

Stakeholder Communication

Draft PRDs, status updates, and stakeholder presentations

Example

Create executive summary of Q3 roadmap, monthly progress report, feature launch announcement

Save 3-5 hours/week on communication overhead

Implementation Guide

Prerequisites

  • Claude Desktop or compatible AI client
  • Access to product documentation and roadmap tools (Jira, Notion, etc.)
  • Understanding of product management frameworks (RICE, Jobs-to-be-Done, etc.)
  • Stakeholder contact information and communication channels

Time Estimate

30-60 minutes to see productivity improvements

Installation Steps

  1. 1.Install product management skill
  2. 2.Start with user story generation for known feature
  3. 3.Progress to competitive analysis: research 2-3 competitors
  4. 4.Use for roadmap prioritization: apply RICE/ICE scoring
  5. 5.Draft stakeholder communications and refine based on feedback
  6. 6.Build template library for recurring PM tasks
  7. 7.Share effective prompts with product team

Common Pitfalls

  • Not validating competitive research—verify facts before sharing
  • Accepting user stories without involving engineering team
  • Over-relying on frameworks without qualitative judgment
  • Not customizing outputs to company culture and communication style
  • Skipping stakeholder validation of generated requirements

Best Practices

✓ Do

  • +Validate research and competitive analysis with real data
  • +Collaborate with engineering when generating technical requirements
  • +Customize frameworks and templates to your company context
  • +Use skill for first drafts, refine with stakeholder input
  • +Document successful prompt patterns for PM tasks
  • +Combine AI efficiency with human judgment and intuition

✗ Don't

  • Don't publish competitive analysis without fact-checking
  • Don't finalize user stories without engineering review
  • Don't make prioritization decisions solely on AI scoring
  • Don't skip customer validation of generated requirements
  • Don't ignore company-specific context and culture

💡 Pro Tips

  • Provide context: company goals, constraints, customer feedback
  • Ask for alternatives: 'Show 3 ways to prioritize this roadmap'
  • Request stakeholder-specific formatting: 'Executive summary vs. engineering spec'
  • Use skill for 70% generation + 30% customization to company needs

When to Use This

✓ Use When

Use for user story writing, competitive research, roadmap prioritization, stakeholder communication, and PRD drafting. Best for reducing repetitive documentation and research work.

✗ Avoid When

Avoid for strategic product vision (requires deep customer empathy), pricing decisions (needs market and financial expertise), or when face-to-face customer discovery is more valuable than speed.

Learning Path

  1. 1Basic: user stories, feature specs, status updates
  2. 2Intermediate: competitive analysis, prioritization frameworks, PRDs
  3. 3Advanced: product strategy, go-to-market planning, OKR setting
  4. 4Expert: product vision, market positioning, business model innovation

Discussion

Product Hunt–style comments (not star reviews)
  • No comments yet — start the thread.
general reviews

Ratings

4.547 reviews
  • Amina Mehta· Dec 28, 2024

    Registry listing for sadd:do-in-steps matched our evaluation — installs cleanly and behaves as described in the markdown.

  • Aisha Huang· Dec 20, 2024

    Solid pick for teams standardizing on skills: sadd:do-in-steps is focused, and the summary matches what you get after install.

  • Chaitanya Patil· Dec 12, 2024

    Solid pick for teams standardizing on skills: sadd:do-in-steps is focused, and the summary matches what you get after install.

  • Mei Flores· Dec 8, 2024

    sadd:do-in-steps is among the better-maintained entries we tried; worth keeping pinned for repeat workflows.

  • Isabella Perez· Nov 27, 2024

    sadd:do-in-steps reduced setup friction for our internal harness; good balance of opinion and flexibility.

  • Isabella Gonzalez· Nov 19, 2024

    Keeps context tight: sadd:do-in-steps is the kind of skill you can hand to a new teammate without a long onboarding doc.

  • Rahul Santra· Nov 11, 2024

    I recommend sadd:do-in-steps for anyone iterating fast on agent tooling; clear intent and a small, reviewable surface area.

  • Aisha Gonzalez· Nov 11, 2024

    We added sadd:do-in-steps from the explainx registry; install was straightforward and the SKILL.md answered most questions upfront.

  • Piyush G· Nov 3, 2024

    We added sadd:do-in-steps from the explainx registry; install was straightforward and the SKILL.md answered most questions upfront.

  • Shikha Mishra· Oct 22, 2024

    sadd:do-in-steps fits our agent workflows well — practical, well scoped, and easy to wire into existing repos.

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