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skills/epic-identification/references/common-patterns.md

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+# Common Epic Patterns
+
+This reference provides universal and domain-specific epic patterns to accelerate epic identification. Use these patterns as starting points, adapting them to your specific product context.
+
+---
+
+## Universal Epic Patterns
+
+These patterns appear across most software products regardless of domain.
+
+### User Management & Identity
+
+| Epic | Description |
+|------|-------------|
+| User Onboarding & Registration | Sign-up flows, account creation, initial setup |
+| Authentication & Authorization | Login, SSO, MFA, session management |
+| User Profile Management | Profile editing, preferences, settings |
+| Role & Permission Management | Access control, role assignment, permissions |
+
+### Core User Experience
+
+| Epic | Description |
+|------|-------------|
+| Search & Discovery | Finding content, filtering, navigation |
+| Notifications & Alerts | In-app, email, push notifications |
+| Help & Support | Documentation, tooltips, support tickets |
+| Personalization | User preferences, customization, themes |
+
+### Data & Content
+
+| Epic | Description |
+|------|-------------|
+| Data Import/Export | Bulk import, export formats, migrations |
+| Content Creation & Editing | Create, edit, version content |
+| Content Organization | Tags, folders, categories, hierarchies |
+| File Management | Upload, storage, preview, download |
+
+### Collaboration & Social
+
+| Epic | Description |
+|------|-------------|
+| Team/Organization Management | Teams, workspaces, organizations |
+| Sharing & Permissions | Share content, access levels |
+| Comments & Discussions | Threaded comments, mentions, reactions |
+| Activity Feeds & History | Audit logs, activity streams, notifications |
+
+### Integration & Platform
+
+| Epic | Description |
+|------|-------------|
+| Third-party Integrations | Connect external services |
+| Public API | REST/GraphQL API for developers |
+| Webhooks & Events | Event-driven integrations |
+| Single Sign-On (SSO) | Enterprise identity providers |
+
+### Analytics & Reporting
+
+| Epic | Description |
+|------|-------------|
+| Dashboards & Visualization | Charts, graphs, real-time displays |
+| Report Generation | Scheduled reports, exports |
+| Usage Analytics | User behavior, engagement metrics |
+| Audit & Compliance | Audit trails, compliance reports |
+
+### Infrastructure
+
+| Epic | Description |
+|------|-------------|
+| Performance & Scalability | Optimization, caching, load handling |
+| Security & Compliance | Encryption, security audits, certifications |
+| Data Migration | Legacy system migration, data transformation |
+| Offline Support | Offline-first, sync, conflict resolution |
+
+---
+
+## Domain-Specific Patterns
+
+### E-commerce / Marketplace
+
+| Epic | Typical Scope |
+|------|---------------|
+| Product Catalog Management | Products, categories, inventory, pricing |
+| Shopping Cart & Checkout | Cart, checkout flow, guest checkout |
+| Payment Processing | Payment gateways, refunds, invoicing |
+| Order Management | Order tracking, fulfillment, returns |
+| Customer Accounts | Order history, saved addresses, wishlists |
+| Marketing & Promotions | Discounts, coupons, campaigns |
+| Seller/Vendor Management | Multi-vendor support, seller tools |
+| Reviews & Ratings | Product reviews, seller ratings |
+
+### SaaS / B2B Platform
+
+| Epic | Typical Scope |
+|------|---------------|
+| Subscription Management | Plans, billing, upgrades/downgrades |
+| Multi-tenancy | Tenant isolation, tenant administration |
+| Admin Console | System configuration, tenant management |
+| Usage Metering & Billing | Usage tracking, invoicing, quotas |
+| Onboarding & Activation | Trial setup, guided tours, activation |
+| Customer Success Tools | Health scores, usage insights |
+| White-labeling | Custom branding, domains |
+| Enterprise Features | SSO, advanced security, SLAs |
+
+### Mobile Application
+
+| Epic | Typical Scope |
+|------|---------------|
+| Mobile Authentication | Biometrics, device trust, secure storage |
+| Offline Mode | Local storage, sync, conflict resolution |
+| Push Notifications | Notification management, deep linking |
+| Device Features | Camera, GPS, contacts integration |
+| App Performance | Startup time, memory, battery optimization |
+| App Store Presence | Listings, ratings, updates |
+| Cross-platform Sync | State sync across devices |
+| Accessibility | Screen readers, dynamic type, VoiceOver |
+
+### API / Developer Platform
+
+| Epic | Typical Scope |
+|------|---------------|
+| API Design & Documentation | OpenAPI specs, interactive docs |
+| Developer Portal | Registration, API keys, documentation |
+| Authentication & Security | OAuth, API keys, rate limiting |
+| SDKs & Client Libraries | Language-specific SDKs |
+| Sandbox Environment | Test environment, mock data |
+| Usage Analytics | API metrics, endpoint analytics |
+| Versioning & Deprecation | Version management, migration guides |
+| Developer Support | Forums, tickets, status page |
+
+### Content Management / Publishing
+
+| Epic | Typical Scope |
+|------|---------------|
+| Content Authoring | Rich text editor, media embedding |
+| Content Workflow | Draft, review, publish states |
+| Media Library | Image/video management, optimization |
+| Content Scheduling | Scheduled publishing, content calendar |
+| Multi-language Support | Localization, translation management |
+| SEO & Metadata | Meta tags, sitemaps, structured data |
+| Content Distribution | RSS, social sharing, syndication |
+| Templates & Layouts | Page templates, component library |
+
+### Healthcare / Clinical
+
+| Epic | Typical Scope |
+|------|---------------|
+| Patient Management | Patient records, demographics |
+| Clinical Documentation | Notes, orders, results |
+| Appointment Scheduling | Calendar, booking, reminders |
+| Medication Management | Prescriptions, drug interactions |
+| Care Coordination | Referrals, care plans, handoffs |
+| Compliance & Privacy | HIPAA, consent management, audit |
+| Patient Portal | Patient access, messaging, records |
+| Clinical Decision Support | Alerts, guidelines, protocols |
+
+### Financial Services / Fintech
+
+| Epic | Typical Scope |
+|------|---------------|
+| Account Management | Accounts, balances, statements |
+| Transaction Processing | Transfers, payments, scheduling |
+| Identity Verification | KYC, document verification |
+| Fraud Detection | Monitoring, alerts, investigation |
+| Regulatory Compliance | Reporting, audits, regulations |
+| Financial Reporting | Statements, tax documents |
+| Notifications & Alerts | Transaction alerts, balance notifications |
+| Secure Authentication | MFA, device binding, biometrics |
+
+---
+
+## Using Patterns Effectively
+
+### Pattern Selection Process
+
+1. **Identify your domain**: Which domain-specific pattern set applies?
+2. **Start with universals**: Most products need user management, notifications, etc.
+3. **Add domain patterns**: Layer in domain-specific epics
+4. **Customize names**: Adapt generic names to your product's language
+5. **Validate against vision**: Ensure patterns align with your specific vision
+
+### Avoiding Pattern Pitfalls
+
+- **Don't force-fit**: Not every pattern applies to every product
+- **Customize scope**: Adjust epic scope to match your product size
+- **Combine when small**: Merge related patterns if your product is simpler
+- **Split when large**: Break patterns into multiple epics for complex products
+- **Validate value**: Each epic should deliver user or business value
+
+### Pattern Adaptation Example
+
+**Generic Pattern**: "User Onboarding & Registration"
+
+| Product Type | Adapted Epic |
+|--------------|--------------|
+| Consumer app | "Social Sign-up & Profile Setup" |
+| Enterprise SaaS | "Organization Provisioning & Admin Setup" |
+| Developer tool | "Account & API Key Setup" |
+| Healthcare | "Patient Registration & Consent" |
+
+---
+
+## Quick Reference: Epic Starter Sets
+
+### Minimum Viable Product (5-7 epics)
+
+1. User Authentication
+2. Core Workflow (product-specific)
+3. Data Management
+4. Basic Notifications
+5. Settings & Profile
+
+### Standard Product (10-15 epics)
+
+All MVP epics plus:
+
+- Advanced User Management
+- Search & Discovery
+- Collaboration Features
+- Analytics Dashboard
+- Integrations
+- Help & Support
+
+### Enterprise Product (15-25 epics)
+
+All Standard epics plus:
+
+- Multi-tenancy
+- Advanced Security
+- Compliance & Audit
+- Admin Console
+- SSO & Enterprise Auth
+- Advanced Analytics
+- API & Developer Tools

skills/epic-identification/references/discovery-techniques.md

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+# Epic Discovery Techniques
+
+This reference provides detailed guidance on six techniques for identifying epics from a product vision. Use these techniques individually or in combination to ensure comprehensive epic coverage.
+
+---
+
+## 1. User Journey Mapping
+
+Map the end-to-end journeys users will take through your product to identify the major capabilities needed at each stage.
+
+### When to Use
+
+- Product has clear user workflows or processes
+- Multiple user touchpoints exist
+- User experience is a primary concern
+
+### Process
+
+1. **Identify Key User Types**: List the primary personas who will use the product
+2. **Map Entry Points**: How do users first encounter or access the product?
+3. **Trace Core Workflows**: What steps do users take to achieve their goals?
+4. **Identify Exit Points**: How do users complete their journey or leave?
+5. **Note Pain Points**: Where might users struggle or need support?
+
+### Epic Extraction
+
+Each major stage or transition in the journey often maps to an epic:
+
+- **Onboarding Journey** → "User Onboarding & Registration" epic
+- **Core Activity** → "Content Creation" or "Data Entry" epic
+- **Review/Analysis** → "Analytics & Reporting" epic
+- **Sharing/Export** → "Collaboration & Sharing" epic
+
+### Example
+
+For a project management tool:
+
+| Journey Stage | Epic Candidate |
+|---------------|----------------|
+| Sign up and setup | User Onboarding |
+| Create first project | Project Management |
+| Add team members | Team Collaboration |
+| Track progress | Progress Tracking & Reporting |
+| Complete and archive | Project Lifecycle Management |
+
+---
+
+## 2. Capability Decomposition
+
+Break down the vision into the 5-10 major things the product must do, grouping related functionality into logical capabilities.
+
+### When to Use
+
+- Vision describes what the product should accomplish
+- Product has distinct functional areas
+- Technical and business stakeholders need alignment
+
+### Process
+
+1. **List Vision Outcomes**: What does the vision say the product will enable?
+2. **Identify Required Capabilities**: What must the product DO to deliver those outcomes?
+3. **Group Related Functions**: Cluster similar or dependent capabilities together
+4. **Name the Groups**: Give each cluster a capability name (noun phrase)
+5. **Validate Coverage**: Does each vision outcome map to at least one capability?
+
+### Epic Extraction
+
+Each capability group becomes an epic candidate:
+
+- Group of authentication functions → "User Authentication & Authorization" epic
+- Group of data handling functions → "Data Import/Export" epic
+- Group of team features → "Collaboration Features" epic
+
+### Example
+
+Vision: "Enable small businesses to manage customer relationships effectively"
+
+| Capability Group | Functions Included | Epic |
+|------------------|-------------------|------|
+| Contact Management | Add, edit, search, segment contacts | Customer Data Management |
+| Communication | Email, call logging, notes | Customer Communication |
+| Pipeline | Deals, stages, forecasting | Sales Pipeline |
+| Reporting | Dashboards, exports, analytics | Analytics & Reporting |
+
+---
+
+## 3. Stakeholder Needs Analysis
+
+Examine what different user types and stakeholders need from the product to identify role-specific capabilities.
+
+### When to Use
+
+- Multiple user roles exist (admin, end-user, manager)
+- Different stakeholders have different needs
+- Access control or permissions are important
+
+### Process
+
+1. **List All Stakeholders**: End users, admins, managers, external parties
+2. **Document Each Role's Needs**: What does each stakeholder need to accomplish?
+3. **Identify Unique Capabilities**: What capabilities are specific to certain roles?
+4. **Find Shared Capabilities**: What do multiple roles need?
+5. **Map to Epics**: Group needs into capability-based epics
+
+### Epic Extraction
+
+Role-specific needs often reveal epics:
+
+- Admin needs → "User Management", "System Configuration" epics
+- Manager needs → "Reporting & Analytics", "Team Oversight" epics
+- End-user needs → "Core Workflow", "Personal Settings" epics
+
+### Example
+
+| Stakeholder | Key Needs | Epic Candidates |
+|-------------|-----------|-----------------|
+| End User | Create content, collaborate | Content Creation, Collaboration |
+| Team Lead | Monitor progress, assign work | Team Management, Reporting |
+| Admin | Manage users, configure system | User Management, System Settings |
+| External Partner | View shared content | External Sharing & Access |
+
+---
+
+## 4. Technical Enablers Identification
+
+Identify infrastructure, platform, or foundational capabilities required to support user-facing features.
+
+### When to Use
+
+- Product requires significant technical foundation
+- Integrations with external systems are needed
+- Performance, security, or scalability are critical
+
+### Process
+
+1. **Review User-Facing Epics**: What technical capabilities do they require?
+2. **Identify Shared Infrastructure**: What technical needs appear across multiple epics?
+3. **List External Dependencies**: What third-party systems must be integrated?
+4. **Consider Non-Functional Requirements**: Security, performance, compliance
+5. **Create Technical Epics**: Group infrastructure needs into coherent epics
+
+### Epic Extraction
+
+Technical needs become infrastructure epics:
+
+- Authentication/authorization needs → "Identity & Access Management" epic
+- External system connections → "Third-party Integrations" epic
+- Data synchronization needs → "Data Pipeline & Sync" epic
+- Performance requirements → "Performance & Scalability" epic
+
+### Example
+
+| Technical Need | Scope | Epic |
+|----------------|-------|------|
+| User authentication | SSO, MFA, session management | Identity & Access Management |
+| Payment processing | Stripe, PayPal integration | Payment Integration |
+| File storage | Upload, CDN, versioning | File Management Infrastructure |
+| Search | Full-text, filters, indexing | Search Infrastructure |
+
+---
+
+## 5. Value Stream Mapping
+
+Trace the flow of value from initial input to final outcome to identify where major capabilities are needed.
+
+### When to Use
+
+- Product transforms inputs into valuable outputs
+- Process efficiency is important
+- Multiple handoffs or stages exist
+
+### Process
+
+1. **Identify Value Input**: What enters the system? (data, requests, content)
+2. **Trace Transformations**: How is the input processed and transformed?
+3. **Map Value Additions**: Where is value added at each stage?
+4. **Identify Outputs**: What valuable outputs are produced?
+5. **Extract Capabilities**: What capabilities enable each value-adding step?
+
+### Epic Extraction
+
+Each value-adding stage suggests an epic:
+
+- Input stage → "Data Ingestion" or "Content Upload" epic
+- Processing stage → "Data Processing" or "Workflow Engine" epic
+- Output stage → "Report Generation" or "Export & Delivery" epic
+
+### Example
+
+For a document processing product:
+
+| Value Stage | Activity | Epic |
+|-------------|----------|------|
+| Input | Upload documents | Document Ingestion |
+| Processing | Extract data, validate | Document Processing |
+| Enrichment | Add metadata, classify | Document Intelligence |
+| Output | Generate reports, export | Reporting & Export |
+| Storage | Archive, retrieve | Document Management |
+
+---
+
+## 6. Gap Analysis
+
+Compare the current state (or competitor offerings) with the desired future state to identify capability gaps that become epics.
+
+### When to Use
+
+- Replacing or improving an existing system
+- Competitive analysis has been done
+- Clear "before and after" vision exists
+
+### Process
+
+1. **Document Current State**: What exists today? What can users do now?
+2. **Define Future State**: What should users be able to do?
+3. **Identify Gaps**: What's missing between current and future?
+4. **Prioritize Gaps**: Which gaps are most critical to close?
+5. **Convert to Epics**: Each significant gap becomes an epic
+
+### Epic Extraction
+
+Gaps become epics:
+
+- Missing capability → New epic for that capability
+- Insufficient capability → Enhancement epic
+- Broken capability → Fix/rebuild epic
+
+### Example
+
+| Current State | Future State | Gap | Epic |
+|---------------|--------------|-----|------|
+| Manual data entry | Automated import | Automation | Data Import Automation |
+| Basic reports | Interactive dashboards | Visualization | Analytics Dashboard |
+| Email notifications | Multi-channel alerts | Channels | Notification System |
+| No mobile access | Full mobile app | Platform | Mobile Application |
+
+---
+
+## Combining Techniques
+
+For comprehensive epic identification, use multiple techniques:
+
+1. **Start with User Journey Mapping** to understand the user perspective
+2. **Apply Capability Decomposition** to ensure technical completeness
+3. **Use Stakeholder Needs** to catch role-specific requirements
+4. **Add Technical Enablers** for infrastructure epics
+5. **Validate with Gap Analysis** to ensure nothing is missed
+
+Cross-reference results from different techniques to validate epic completeness and identify any gaps.
+
+---
+
+## Quick Reference
+
+| Technique | Best For | Key Question |
+|-----------|----------|--------------|
+| User Journey Mapping | UX-focused products | "What journey do users take?" |
+| Capability Decomposition | Feature-rich products | "What must the product DO?" |
+| Stakeholder Needs | Multi-role products | "What does each role need?" |
+| Technical Enablers | Complex integrations | "What infrastructure is required?" |
+| Value Stream Mapping | Process-oriented products | "How does value flow?" |
+| Gap Analysis | Replacements/upgrades | "What's missing today?" |

skills/epic-identification/references/epic-template.md

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+# Epic Definition Template
+
+Use this template when creating epic issues in GitHub Projects. Copy the structure below into the issue description, then fill in each section.
+
+---
+
+## Epic: [Epic Name]
+
+### Overview
+
+[Brief description of what this epic delivers—1-2 sentences capturing the essence of this capability]
+
+**Category:** [User-Facing / Infrastructure / Integration / Data & Content / Collaboration]
+
+---
+
+### User Value
+
+**Who benefits:**
+
+[Which user types/personas benefit from this epic]
+
+**Value delivered:**
+
+[What can users do with this capability that they couldn't before? How does it improve their experience or solve their problems?]
+
+**Alignment with Vision:**
+
+[How does this epic contribute to achieving the product vision? Reference specific vision elements]
+
+---
+
+### Scope
+
+**Included in this epic:**
+
+- [Capability 1]
+- [Capability 2]
+- [Capability 3]
+
+[List the major functionality that IS part of this epic]
+
+**Explicitly excluded:**
+
+- [Not included 1]
+- [Not included 2]
+
+[Define boundaries—what related functionality is NOT part of this epic to prevent scope creep]
+
+**Related Epics:**
+
+[List other epics that are related or adjacent to this one]
+
+---
+
+### Success Criteria
+
+**This epic is complete when:**
+
+1. [Criterion 1: Measurable outcome]
+2. [Criterion 2: Measurable outcome]
+3. [Criterion 3: Measurable outcome]
+
+**Acceptance at Epic Level:**
+
+[High-level acceptance criteria for the entire epic—specific acceptance criteria will be defined at the story/task level]
+
+**Metrics:**
+
+[What metrics will indicate this epic is successful?]
+
+- [Metric 1]
+- [Metric 2]
+
+---
+
+### Dependencies
+
+**Prerequisite Epics:**
+
+[Other epics that must be completed (or partially completed) before this epic can be worked on]
+
+- [Epic A: reason why]
+- [Epic B: reason why]
+
+**External Dependencies:**
+
+[Third-party services, APIs, or external factors required for this epic]
+
+- [Dependency 1]
+- [Dependency 2]
+
+**Blocks:**
+
+[Other epics that are blocked waiting for this epic to complete]
+
+- [Epic X]
+- [Epic Y]
+
+---
+
+### Technical Considerations
+
+[Optional: High-level technical notes, architectural considerations, or constraints]
+
+**Key Technical Requirements:**
+
+- [Requirement 1]
+- [Requirement 2]
+
+**Known Constraints:**
+
+- [Constraint 1]
+- [Constraint 2]
+
+**Risks:**
+
+- [Risk 1: and mitigation]
+- [Risk 2: and mitigation]
+
+---
+
+### User Stories
+
+[This section will be populated as stories are created. Each story will be a child issue of this epic]
+
+**Planned Stories:** [Count: TBD]
+
+- Link to Story 1
+- Link to Story 2
+- [Stories will be linked as children when created]
+
+---
+
+### Estimation & Planning
+
+**Effort Estimate:** [T-Shirt size: S / M / L / XL, or story points if known]
+
+**Target Timeline:** [Optional: Target quarter, milestone, or release]
+
+**Team/Owner:** [Optional: Which team or person is responsible]
+
+---
+
+### Notes
+
+[Any additional context, background, or considerations for this epic]
+
+---
+
+### Definition of Done
+
+At epic level, done means:
+
+- [ ] All user stories created and completed
+- [ ] Success criteria met
+- [ ] User testing/validation completed (if applicable)
+- [ ] Documentation updated
+- [ ] Epic reviewed and accepted by stakeholders
+
+---
+
+**Parent:** [Link to Vision Issue]
+**Children:** [User Story Issues will be linked here]