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Linear · Personal Productivity / AGENT SKILL
start-next-task
0
Select the next Linear issue and update local task tracking automatically.
Use when you want to pick the next Linear issue to work on. Fetches unstarted todo issues from Linear, displays them, lets you select one, and auto-updates your local task tracking. Provides implementation guidance.
Understand the trade-offs.
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The full skill.
Original instructions from the publisher’s SKILL.md
# 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
---
## How to Use
In VS Code chat, type:
```
/select-next-issue
```
Or ask:
```
Pick the next issue I should work on from Linear.
```
---
## 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
---
## 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.
```
---
## 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.