start-next-task

Start Next Task Skill

Overview

This skill streamlines your issue selection and task startup workflow by:

1. Fetching unstarted/todo issues from Linear
2. Displaying them with key details (ID, title, status)
3. Updating tasks.md with your selected issue
4. Reviewing requirements.md and plan.md for project-level specs
5. Providing implementation guidance based on issue description

Workflow Steps

Step 1: Fetch Unstarted Issues

Use Linear MCP to list all issues with status "Todo" filtered by the current team.

Pseudo-code:

issues = linear.list_issues(
  status: ["Todo", "In Progress"],
  orderBy: "priority",
  limit: 10
)

Step 2: Present Selection

Display issues in a numbered list with:

• Issue ID (e.g., LIST-5)
• Title
• Description preview (first 100 chars)
• Status

Example Output:

Available issues:

1. [LIST-5] Update list item UI component
   Status: Todo
   Improve visual hierarchy and spacing

2. [LIST-6] Add drag-and-drop reordering
   Status: Todo
   Implement reordering for items within a list

Step 3: User Selection

Ask user to pick an issue number (1, 2, etc.).

Step 4: Fetch Full Details

Once selected, fetch complete issue details:

• Full description
• Acceptance criteria (if in description)
• Dependencies
• Related tasks

Step 5: Update tasks.md

Parse the selected issue and add/update entry in tasks.md:

• Add issue ID (e.g., [LIST-5]) to the section
• Mark relevant checkboxes as current work
• Link to Linear issue if not already present

Step 6: Implementation Guidance

Extract implementation hints from issue description:

• List acceptance criteria
• Highlight dependencies or prerequisites
• Point to relevant source files in the codebase

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How to Use

In VS Code chat, type:

/select-next-issue

Or ask:

Pick the next issue I should work on from Linear.

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Integration Points

Linear MCP

• Requires Linear workspace access
• Fetches issues by status and team
• Retrieves full issue details

Local Task Tracking

• Reads from tasks.md
• Updates section headers with issue ID
• Marks related subtasks

Git

• Creates feature branches following pattern: {ISSUE_ID}-{kebab-case-title}
• Provides branch creation guidance

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Example Session

User: /select-next-issue

Skill: Fetching your unstarted Linear issues...

[Lists 5 issues]

User: I'll pick #2

Skill: Selected: LIST-6 Add drag-and-drop reordering

[Updates tasks.md locally]
[Suggests git branch: LIST-6-add-drag-and-drop]

Skill: Ready to start! Here's what needs implementing:

Acceptance Criteria:
- [ ] Drag items within a list to reorder
- [ ] Position persists to database
- [ ] Animation smooth on both iOS and Android

Prerequisites:
- ✓ SQLDelight database layer (LIST-2 complete)
- ✓ Jetpack Compose layout basics

Next: Create a git branch and start coding.

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Assets & Tools

Linear MCP Integration

This skill uses the Linear MCP server to:

• Query issues by status
• Retrieve issue details
• Access issue descriptions and metadata

No External Scripts Required

All logic is handled by the AI agent with Linear MCP integration.