Agile Product Owner
alirezarezvani/claude-skills
Writes INVEST-checked user stories with acceptance criteria, splits epics, plans sprints from velocity and ranks the backlog with a weighted score.
Splits a too-large epic into user stories using Richard Lawrence's nine Humanizing Work splitting patterns while keeping each story a vertical slice of user value.
Install Epic Breakdown Advisor
$ npx skills add deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills --skill epic-breakdown-advisor -a claude-codeProject install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.
$ gh skill install deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills epic-breakdown-advisor --agent claude-codeProject scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/epic-breakdown-advisor .claude/skills/epic-breakdown-advisor && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.
Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/
Install the "epic-breakdown-advisor" agent skill from https://github.com/deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills/tree/main/skills/epic-breakdown-advisor into .claude/skills/epic-breakdown-advisor/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "epic-breakdown-advisor", then confirm the skill loads.Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$skill-installer install https://github.com/deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills/tree/main/skills/epic-breakdown-advisorType this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.
$ npx skills add deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills --skill epic-breakdown-advisor -a codexProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.
$ gh skill install deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills epic-breakdown-advisor --agent codexProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/epic-breakdown-advisor .agents/skills/epic-breakdown-advisor && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.
Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/
Install the "epic-breakdown-advisor" agent skill from https://github.com/deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills/tree/main/skills/epic-breakdown-advisor into .agents/skills/epic-breakdown-advisor/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "epic-breakdown-advisor", then confirm the skill loads.Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills --skill epic-breakdown-advisor -a cursorProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.
$ gh skill install deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills epic-breakdown-advisor --agent cursorProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/epic-breakdown-advisor .cursor/skills/epic-breakdown-advisor && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.
Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/
Install the "epic-breakdown-advisor" agent skill from https://github.com/deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills/tree/main/skills/epic-breakdown-advisor into .cursor/skills/epic-breakdown-advisor/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "epic-breakdown-advisor", then confirm the skill loads.Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gemini skills install https://github.com/deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills.git --path skills/epic-breakdown-advisor--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.
$ npx skills add deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills --skill epic-breakdown-advisor -a gemini-cliProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.
$ gh skill install deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills epic-breakdown-advisor --agent gemini-cliProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/epic-breakdown-advisor .gemini/skills/epic-breakdown-advisor && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.
Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "epic-breakdown-advisor" agent skill from https://github.com/deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills/tree/main/skills/epic-breakdown-advisor into .gemini/skills/epic-breakdown-advisor/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "epic-breakdown-advisor", then confirm the skill loads.Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gh skill install deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills epic-breakdown-advisorInstalls for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ npx skills add deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills --skill epic-breakdown-advisor -a github-copilotProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/epic-breakdown-advisor .github/skills/epic-breakdown-advisor && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.
GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "epic-breakdown-advisor" agent skill from https://github.com/deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills/tree/main/skills/epic-breakdown-advisor into .github/skills/epic-breakdown-advisor/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "epic-breakdown-advisor", then confirm the skill loads.GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills --skill epic-breakdown-advisor -a opencodeOpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.
$ gh skill install deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills epic-breakdown-advisor --agent opencodeProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/epic-breakdown-advisor .opencode/skills/epic-breakdown-advisor && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.
OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "epic-breakdown-advisor" agent skill from https://github.com/deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills/tree/main/skills/epic-breakdown-advisor into .opencode/skills/epic-breakdown-advisor/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "epic-breakdown-advisor", then confirm the skill loads.OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
Facts
- Skill name
epic-breakdown-advisor- GitHub stars
- 7.2k
- Used in
- 1 other repo
- Token cost
- ~6k tokens
- SKILL.md length
- 2,760 words
- Files
- 1
- Skills in repo
- 75
- Repo updated
- First seen
- Licence
- Custom licence
At a glance
Splits a too-large epic into user stories using Richard Lawrence's nine Humanizing Work splitting patterns while keeping each story a vertical slice of user value.
- Works in 4 steps: Provide Epic Context → Pre-Split Validation (INVEST Check) → Apply Splitting Patterns Sequentially → …
- A backlog item is too large to estimate or deliver safely
- SKILL.md covers Purpose, Input, Key Concepts and Application, plus 1 more section
- Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md
What it does
The advisor first checks the story against the INVEST criteria, leaving out the Small test, then works through the nine splitting patterns in order until one fits, starting with workflow steps, operations (CRUD), business rule variations and data variations. Splits must be vertical slices that cross architectural layers and deliver observable user value, not horizontal slices such as a front-end story plus a back-end story.
Candidate splits are judged by what they reveal: the preferred split exposes low-value work you can drop or yields stories of similar size. You paste the epic as written in the backlog, optionally with sprint length, estimation ceiling and what blocks delivery. Starting with nothing also works, since the advisor asks for the epic text and then walks the pattern flowchart against it.
When your agent uses it
- A backlog item is too large to estimate or deliver safely
- Choosing between splitting by workflow step, operation or business rule
- Replacing technical-layer stories with end-to-end slices
Example prompts
- “Break this down: 'As a finance admin, I can export any report to Excel, PDF, or CSV with custom date ranges and saved templates.'”
- “Split this epic so each story can ship within a single sprint.”
- “Check whether our checkout story passes INVEST before we split it.”
Workflow steps
4 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.
- Provide Epic Context
- Pre-Split Validation (INVEST Check)
- Apply Splitting Patterns Sequentially
- Evaluate Split Quality
What it can do on your machine
Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 1b5a524. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.
Tool permissions
Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.
From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Runs code
No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md (its code samples are markdown).
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
Links to these hosts (documentation or services it may open):
humanizingwork.com
From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.
Credentials
Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.
From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.
Context cost
Epic Breakdown Advisor loads about 6k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 43 tokens; SKILL.md has 2,760 words of instructions outside code blocks.
Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.
Safety
Auto-check passed
The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.
Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.
SKILL.md
Its licence (Custom licence) doesn't allow us to republish the file, so here is its outline and opening line. It has 2,760 words (~6,019 tokens).
“Guide product managers through breaking down epics into user stories using Richard Lawrence's complete Humanizing Work methodology—a systematic, flowchart-driven approach that applies 9 splitting patterns sequentially. Use this to identify which pattern applies, split while preserving user value, and evaluate…”
- name
- epic-breakdown-advisor
- argument-hint
- [epic to split]
- intent
- Guide product managers through breaking down epics into user stories using Richard Lawrence's complete Humanizing Work methodology—a systematic…
- type
- interactive
- best_for
- Splitting epics into smaller vertical slices, Choosing the right story split pattern for a large backlog item, Turning vague feature blobs into sprint-sized…
- scenarios
- Break this onboarding epic into smaller user stories, Help me split a large reporting feature before sprint planning, Which story-splitting pattern should I…
- theme
- pm-artifacts
- estimated_time
- 20-30 min
Files
Just SKILL.md in skills/epic-breakdown-advisor of deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills.
Open the folder on GitHubat commit 1b5a524
Used in 1 other repository
We found 1 copy of this SKILL.md (exact, near-identical or edited) in other folders, from 1 other GitHub owner. This page covers the copy in deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills, which our catalogue first saw on October 7, 2026.
Compare with similar skills
Epic Breakdown Advisor next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.
| Skill | Stars | Used in | Tokens | Auto-check | Licence | Repo updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Epic Breakdown Advisor this skilldeanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills | 7.2k | 1 repos | ~6k | Automated safety check: Pass | Custom licence | |
| Agile Product Owneralirezarezvani/claude-skills | 28k | 3 repos | ~3.2k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Project Planneradrianpuiu/claude-skills-marketplace | 100 | 1 repos | ~6k | Automated safety check: Pass | None | |
| Backlog Builderopen-mercato/skills | 231 | — | ~3k | Automated safety check: Notes | MIT | |
| New FeaturePolymathWizard/BHIL-AI-First-Development-Toolkit | 132 | — | ~1.1k | Automated safety check: Pass | None | |
| Walking Skeleton Roadmap Scopingprime-radiant-inc/iterative-development | 181 | — | ~1.7k | Automated safety check: Pass | Apache-2.0 |
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New Feature
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Create a complete feature artifact scaffold — PRD slice, technical spec, and task breakdown.
Walking Skeleton Roadmap Scoping
prime-radiant-inc/iterative-development
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GitHub Project Management Swarm
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Related
Categories
Questions about Epic Breakdown Advisor
What does Epic Breakdown Advisor do?
Splits a too-large epic into user stories using Richard Lawrence's nine Humanizing Work splitting patterns while keeping each story a vertical slice of user value. The advisor first checks the story against the INVEST criteria, leaving out the Small test, then works through the nine splitting patterns in order until one fits, starting with workflow steps, operations (CRUD), business rule variations and data variations. Splits must be vertical slices that cross architectural layers and deliver observable user value, not horizontal slices such as a front-end story plus a back-end story.
When should I use Epic Breakdown Advisor?
Epic Breakdown Advisor fits situations like: A backlog item is too large to estimate or deliver safely; choosing between splitting by workflow step, operation or business rule; replacing technical-layer stories with end-to-end slices.
How do I install Epic Breakdown Advisor in Claude Code?
Run `npx skills add deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills --skill epic-breakdown-advisor -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/epic-breakdown-advisor in deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills) into .claude/skills/epic-breakdown-advisor in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.
How do I install Epic Breakdown Advisor in Codex?
Run `npx skills add deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills --skill epic-breakdown-advisor -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/epic-breakdown-advisor in deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills) into .agents/skills/epic-breakdown-advisor in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.
Can I use Epic Breakdown Advisor in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?
Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills --skill epic-breakdown-advisor -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/epic-breakdown-advisor, .gemini/skills/epic-breakdown-advisor, .github/skills/epic-breakdown-advisor and .opencode/skills/epic-breakdown-advisor in your project.
What does Epic Breakdown Advisor need to run?
SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Epic Breakdown Advisor is instructions for the agent only.
Does Epic Breakdown Advisor access the network?
SKILL.md names 1 domain. As links in the text: humanizingwork.com. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.
Is Epic Breakdown Advisor safe to install?
Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.
What licence does Epic Breakdown Advisor use?
Epic Breakdown Advisor has a licence file (the repository's licence) that doesn't match a standard licence. Read it on GitHub before reusing the skill.
How many tokens does Epic Breakdown Advisor use?
About 6k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 24k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.
What are the alternatives to Epic Breakdown Advisor?
Skills that share tags, products or a category with Epic Breakdown Advisor: Agile Product Owner (alirezarezvani/claude-skills, 28k stars), Project Planner (adrianpuiu/claude-skills-marketplace, 100 stars), Backlog Builder (open-mercato/skills, 231 stars) and New Feature (PolymathWizard/BHIL-AI-First-Development-Toolkit, 132 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.
Who maintains Epic Breakdown Advisor?
deanpeters (a GitHub user) maintains it in deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills, which has 7,209 GitHub stars. The repository holds 75 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on September 1, 2026.
Source: deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.