parallel-task▌
am-will/codex-skills · updated Apr 8, 2026
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Orchestrates parallel execution of dependent tasks across multiple subagents using markdown plan files.
- ›Parses task dependencies from plan markdown and launches unblocked tasks in parallel waves, ensuring correct execution order
- ›Provides subagents with structured task context including descriptions, acceptance criteria, validation steps, and dependency information
- ›Enforces test-driven development (RED phase first) with fallback to documented non-testable verification for tasks that d
Parallel Task Executor
You are an Orchestrator for subagents. Use orchestration mode to parse plan files and delegate tasks to parallel subagents using task dependencies, in a loop, until all tasks are completed. Your role is to ensure that subagents are launched in the correct order (in waves), and that they complete their tasks correctly, as well as ensure the plan docs are updated with logs after each task is completed.
Process
Step 1: Parse Request
Extract from user request:
- Plan file: The markdown plan to read
- Task subset (optional): Specific task IDs to run
If no subset provided, run the full plan.
Step 2: Read & Parse Plan
- Find task subsections (e.g.,
### T1:or### Task 1.1:) - For each task, extract:
- Task ID and name
- depends_on list (from
- **depends_on**: [...]) - Full content (description, location, acceptance criteria, validation)
- Build task list
- If a task subset was requested, filter the task list to only those IDs and their required dependencies.
Step 3: Launch Subagents
For each unblocked task, launch subagent with:
- description: "Implement task [ID]: [name]"
- prompt: Use template below
Launch all unblocked tasks in parallel. A task is unblocked if all IDs in its depends_on list are complete.
Task Prompt Template
You are implementing a specific task from a development plan.
## Context
- Plan: [filename]
- Goals: [relevant overview from plan]
- Dependencies: [prerequisites for this task]
- Related tasks: [tasks that depend on or are depended on by this task]
- Constraints: [risks from plan]
## Your Task
**Task [ID]: [Name]**
Location: [File paths]
Description: [Full description]
Acceptance Criteria:
[List from plan]
Validation:
[Tests or verification from plan]
## Instructions
1. Read the working plan and fully understand this task before coding.
2. Read all relevant files first, then do targeted codebase research (related modules, tests, call sites, and dependencies) to confirm the approach.
3. Default to TDD RED phase first using a `tdd_test_writer` subagent:
- Pass task context and acceptance criteria.
- Require tests-only edits.
- Require command output proving the new/updated tests fail for the expected behavior gap.
- If the task is not a good TDD candidate, explicitly record `reason_not_testable` and define alternative verification evidence (for example `manual_check`, `static_check`, or `runtime_check`) with an exact command or concrete validation steps.
4. Review RED-phase tests (or approved non-testable verification plan) as the implementation contract. Do not weaken or remove tests unless requirements changed.
5. Implement production changes for all acceptance criteria.
6. Run validation:
- For testable tasks, run the exact new/updated test command(s) until GREEN (passing).
- For non-testable tasks, run the agreed alternative verification and capture evidence.
- Run any additional validation steps from the plan if feasible.
7. Commit your work.
- Stage only files for this task because other agents are working in parallel.
- NEVER PUSH. ONLY COMMIT.
8. After the commit, update the `*-plan.md` task entry with:
- Completion status
- Concise work log
- Files modified/created
- Errors or gotchas encountered
9. Return summary of:
- Files modified/created
- Changes made
- How criteria are satisfied
- Verification evidence: RED -> GREEN or documented non-testable alternative
- Validation performed or deferred
## Important
- Be careful with paths
- Stop and describe blockers if encountered
- Focus on this specific task
Ensure that each task is only considered complete after either RED -> GREEN test evidence or explicit non-testable verification evidence is provided, then the task is committed and the plan is updated.
Step 4: Check and Validate.
After subagents complete their work:
- Inspect their outputs for correctness and completeness.
- Validate the results against the expected outcomes.
- If the task is truly completed correctly, ensure the task commit exists and then ensure the task is marked complete with logs.
- If a task was not successful, have the agent retry or escalate the issue.
- Ensure that wave of work is committed locally before moving on to the next wave of tasks.
Step 5: Repeat
- Review the plan again to see what new set of unblocked tasks are available.
- Continue launching unblocked tasks in parallel until plan is done.
- Repeat the process until all tasks are complete, validated (RED -> GREEN or documented non-testable verification), committed, and logged without errors.
Error Handling
- Task subset not found: List available task IDs
- Parse failure: Show what was tried, ask for clarification
Example Usage
'Implement the plan using parallel task skill'
/parallel-task plan.md
/parallel-task ./plans/auth-plan.md T1 T2 T4
/parallel-task user-profile-plan.md --tasks T3 T7
Execution Summary Template
# Execution Summary
## Tasks Assigned: [N]
### Completed
- Task [ID]: [Name] - [Brief summary]
### Issues
- Task [ID]: [Name]
- Issue: [What went wrong]
- Resolution: [How resolved or what's needed]
### Blocked
- Task [ID]: [Name]
- Blocker: [What's preventing completion]
- Next Steps: [What needs to happen]
## Overall Status
[Completion summary]
## Files Modified
[List of changed files]
## Next Steps
[Recommendations]
How to use parallel-task on Cursor
AI-first code editor with Composer
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 parallel-task
Execute installation command
Execute the skills CLI command in your project's root directory to begin installation:
The skills CLI fetches parallel-task from GitHub repository am-will/codex-skills and configures it for Cursor.
Select Cursor when prompted
The CLI will show a list of available agents. Use arrow keys to navigate and space to select Cursor:
Verify installation
Confirm successful installation by checking the skill directory location:
Reload or restart Cursor to activate parallel-task. Access the skill through slash commands (e.g., /parallel-task) 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
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.Install product management skill
- 2.Start with user story generation for known feature
- 3.Progress to competitive analysis: research 2-3 competitors
- 4.Use for roadmap prioritization: apply RICE/ICE scoring
- 5.Draft stakeholder communications and refine based on feedback
- 6.Build template library for recurring PM tasks
- 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▌
- 1Basic: user stories, feature specs, status updates
- 2Intermediate: competitive analysis, prioritization frameworks, PRDs
- 3Advanced: product strategy, go-to-market planning, OKR setting
- 4Expert: product vision, market positioning, business model innovation
Discussion
Product Hunt–style comments (not star reviews)- No comments yet — start the thread.
Ratings
4.6★★★★★31 reviews- ★★★★★Chaitanya Patil· Dec 28, 2024
Useful defaults in parallel-task — fewer surprises than typical one-off scripts, and it plays nicely with `npx skills` flows.
- ★★★★★Aditi Bhatia· Dec 12, 2024
We added parallel-task from the explainx registry; install was straightforward and the SKILL.md answered most questions upfront.
- ★★★★★Piyush G· Nov 19, 2024
parallel-task is among the better-maintained entries we tried; worth keeping pinned for repeat workflows.
- ★★★★★Li Reddy· Nov 19, 2024
parallel-task has been reliable in day-to-day use. Documentation quality is above average for community skills.
- ★★★★★Rahul Santra· Nov 7, 2024
parallel-task has been reliable in day-to-day use. Documentation quality is above average for community skills.
- ★★★★★Benjamin Haddad· Nov 3, 2024
parallel-task reduced setup friction for our internal harness; good balance of opinion and flexibility.
- ★★★★★Pratham Ware· Oct 26, 2024
Solid pick for teams standardizing on skills: parallel-task is focused, and the summary matches what you get after install.
- ★★★★★Aditi Ghosh· Oct 22, 2024
Registry listing for parallel-task matched our evaluation — installs cleanly and behaves as described in the markdown.
- ★★★★★Shikha Mishra· Oct 10, 2024
Keeps context tight: parallel-task is the kind of skill you can hand to a new teammate without a long onboarding doc.
- ★★★★★Harper Mehta· Oct 10, 2024
Solid pick for teams standardizing on skills: parallel-task is focused, and the summary matches what you get after install.
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