planning-with-files

davila7/claude-code-templates · updated Apr 8, 2026

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$npx skills add https://github.com/davila7/claude-code-templates --skill planning-with-files
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summary

Work like Manus: Use persistent markdown files as your "working memory on disk."

skill.md

Planning with Files

Work like Manus: Use persistent markdown files as your "working memory on disk."

Important: Where Files Go

When using this skill:

  • Templates are stored in the skill directory at ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/templates/
  • Your planning files (task_plan.md, findings.md, progress.md) should be created in your project directory — the folder where you're working
Location What Goes There
Skill directory (${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/) Templates, scripts, reference docs
Your project directory task_plan.md, findings.md, progress.md

This ensures your planning files live alongside your code, not buried in the skill installation folder.

Quick Start

Before ANY complex task:

  1. Create task_plan.md in your project — Use templates/task_plan.md as reference
  2. Create findings.md in your project — Use templates/findings.md as reference
  3. Create progress.md in your project — Use templates/progress.md as reference
  4. Re-read plan before decisions — Refreshes goals in attention window
  5. Update after each phase — Mark complete, log errors

Note: All three planning files should be created in your current working directory (your project root), not in the skill's installation folder.

The Core Pattern

Context Window = RAM (volatile, limited)
Filesystem = Disk (persistent, unlimited)

→ Anything important gets written to disk.

File Purposes

File Purpose When to Update
task_plan.md Phases, progress, decisions After each phase
findings.md Research, discoveries After ANY discovery
progress.md Session log, test results Throughout session

Critical Rules

1. Create Plan First

Never start a complex task without task_plan.md. Non-negotiable.

2. The 2-Action Rule

"After every 2 view/browser/search operations, IMMEDIATELY save key findings to text files."

This prevents visual/multimodal information from being lost.

3. Read Before Decide

Before major decisions, read the plan file. This keeps goals in your attention window.

4. Update After Act

After completing any phase:

  • Mark phase status: in_progresscomplete
  • Log any errors encountered
  • Note files created/modified

5. Log ALL Errors

Every error goes in the plan file. This builds knowledge and prevents repetition.

## Errors Encountered
| Error | Attempt | Resolution |
|-------|---------|------------|
| FileNotFoundError | 1 | Created default config |
| API timeout | 2 | Added retry logic |

6. Never Repeat Failures

if action_failed:
    next_action != same_action

Track what you tried. Mutate the approach.

The 3-Strike Error Protocol

ATTEMPT 1: Diagnose & Fix
  → Read error carefully
  → Identify root cause
  → Apply targeted fix

ATTEMPT 2: Alternative Approach
  → Same error? Try different method
  → Different tool? Different library?
  → NEVER repeat exact same failing action

ATTEMPT 3: Broader Rethink
  → Question assumptions
  → Search for solutions
  → Consider updating the plan

AFTER 3 FAILURES: Escalate to User
  → Explain what you tried
  → Share the specific error
  → Ask for guidance

Read vs Write Decision Matrix

Situation Action Reason
Just wrote a file DON'T read Content still in context
Viewed image/PDF Write findings NOW Multimodal → text before lost
Browser returned data Write to file Screenshots don't persist
Starting new phase Read plan/findings Re-orient if context stale
Error occurred Read relevant file Need current state to fix
Resuming after gap Read all planning files Recover state

The 5-Question Reboot Test

If you can answer these, your context management is solid:

Question Answer Source
Where am I? Current phase in task_plan.md
Where am I going? Remaining phases
What's the goal? Goal statement in plan
What have I learned? findings.md
What have I done? progress.md

When to Use This Pattern

Use for:

  • Multi-step tasks (3+ steps)
  • Research tasks
  • Building/creating projects
  • Tasks spanning many tool calls
  • Anything requiring organization

Skip for:

  • Simple questions
  • Single-file edits
  • Quick lookups

Templates

Copy these templates to start:

Scripts

Helper scripts for automation:

  • scripts/init-session.sh — Initialize all planning files
  • scripts/check-complete.sh — Verify all phases complete

Advanced Topics

Anti-Patterns

Don't Do Instead
Use TodoWrite for persistence Create task_plan.md file
State goals once and forget Re-read plan before decisions
Hide errors and retry silently Log errors to plan file
Stuff everything in context Store large content in files
Start executing immediately Create plan file FIRST
Repeat failed actions Track attempts, mutate approach
Create files in skill directory Create files in your project
how to use planning-with-files

How to use planning-with-files 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 planning-with-files
2

Execute installation command

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

$npx skills add https://github.com/davila7/claude-code-templates --skill planning-with-files

The skills CLI fetches planning-with-files from GitHub repository davila7/claude-code-templates 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/planning-with-files

Reload or restart Cursor to activate planning-with-files. Access the skill through slash commands (e.g., /planning-with-files) 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)
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general reviews

Ratings

4.771 reviews
  • Chaitanya Patil· Dec 28, 2024

    Solid pick for teams standardizing on skills: planning-with-files is focused, and the summary matches what you get after install.

  • Meera Chen· Dec 20, 2024

    planning-with-files has been reliable in day-to-day use. Documentation quality is above average for community skills.

  • Meera Yang· Dec 16, 2024

    Registry listing for planning-with-files matched our evaluation — installs cleanly and behaves as described in the markdown.

  • Evelyn Khanna· Dec 16, 2024

    Keeps context tight: planning-with-files is the kind of skill you can hand to a new teammate without a long onboarding doc.

  • Min Chawla· Dec 16, 2024

    Solid pick for teams standardizing on skills: planning-with-files is focused, and the summary matches what you get after install.

  • Min Jain· Dec 8, 2024

    planning-with-files is among the better-maintained entries we tried; worth keeping pinned for repeat workflows.

  • Ira Desai· Nov 27, 2024

    Useful defaults in planning-with-files — fewer surprises than typical one-off scripts, and it plays nicely with `npx skills` flows.

  • Sakura Bhatia· Nov 23, 2024

    planning-with-files reduced setup friction for our internal harness; good balance of opinion and flexibility.

  • Piyush G· Nov 19, 2024

    We added planning-with-files from the explainx registry; install was straightforward and the SKILL.md answered most questions upfront.

  • Soo Abbas· Nov 11, 2024

    planning-with-files fits our agent workflows well — practical, well scoped, and easy to wire into existing repos.

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