Feature Kickoff Workflow¶

Quick-start workflow for feature development

Feature Kickoff is a streamlined workflow for developing well-understood features where requirements are relatively clear and deep discovery isn't needed. It gets you from problem to launch efficiently.

Workflow Metadata¶

Field	Value
Workflow	Feature Kickoff
Command	`/workflow-feature-kickoff`
Skills	`define-problem-statement` → `define-hypothesis` → `deliver-prd` → `deliver-user-stories` → `deliver-launch-checklist`
Phases Covered	Define, Deliver
Estimated Duration	4-6 hours
Prerequisite Inputs	A feature idea or customer request
Final Output	Sprint-ready user stories with launch plan

Overview¶

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                                                              │
│  problem-statement → hypothesis → prd → user-stories → launch│
│                                                              │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

graph LR
    A["problem-statement"] --> B["hypothesis"]
    B --> C["prd"]
    C --> D["user-stories"]
    D --> E["launch-checklist"]

This workflow assumes: - The problem space is understood - Users/customers are known - Solution direction is clear - Focus is on execution, not exploration

When to Use¶

Use Feature Kickoff when:

Building incremental features on existing products
Requirements are clear from customer requests or internal needs
Team has context on the problem space
Similar features have been built before
Time-to-market is a priority

Don't use Feature Kickoff when:

Entering new markets or user segments → Use Triple Diamond
High uncertainty about problem or solution → Use Lean Startup
Strategic pivots or major direction changes → Use Triple Diamond
Complex stakeholder alignment needed → Add discovery phase

Core Sequence¶

Step 1: Problem Statement¶

Skill: define-problem-statement

Purpose: Ensure everyone agrees on what problem we're solving before diving into solutions.

Time: 30 minutes - 1 hour

Key Outputs: - Clear problem framing - User impact articulated - Success criteria defined - Scope boundaries set

Example output:

Mobile users abandon checkout 73% of the time because the 4-step process is too long. Success means reducing abandonment to under 60% within 3 months.

Step 2: Hypothesis¶

Skill: define-hypothesis

Purpose: State what we believe will solve the problem and how we'll know if we're right.

Time: 15-30 minutes

Key Outputs: - Testable hypothesis statement - Primary success metric - Secondary/guardrail metrics

Example output:

We believe that simplifying checkout to a single page for returning users will reduce abandonment from 73% to 55% as measured by checkout completion rate, without negatively impacting average order value.

Step 3: PRD¶

Skill: deliver-prd

Purpose: Specify what we're building in enough detail for engineering to execute.

Time: 1-2 hours

Key Outputs: - Requirements specification - Scope (in/out) - Technical considerations - Success metrics - Dependencies and risks

Tip: For Feature Kickoff, keep the PRD concise. Focus on what's needed to build and ship, not exhaustive documentation.

Step 4: User Stories¶

Skill: deliver-user-stories

Purpose: Break the PRD into implementable, estimable stories for sprint planning.

Time: 30 minutes - 1 hour

Key Outputs: - User stories with acceptance criteria - INVEST-compliant stories - Story points/estimates - Dependencies identified

Story format:

As a [persona], I want [action] so that [benefit]

Acceptance Criteria:
- Given [context], when [action], then [result]

Step 5: Launch Checklist¶

Skill: deliver-launch-checklist

Purpose: Ensure nothing is forgotten before shipping.

Time: 30 minutes to create, ongoing to complete

Key Outputs: - Cross-functional checklist - Owner assignments - Go/no-go criteria - Rollback plan

Complete Feature Kickoff¶

Day 1:  Problem Statement (team alignment)
        ↓
Day 1:  Hypothesis (testable assumption)
        ↓
Day 1-2: PRD (specification)
        ↓
Day 2:  User Stories (sprint-ready tickets)
        ↓
Sprint: Development
        ↓
Launch: Launch Checklist (pre-launch validation)

Total time to kickoff: 4-6 hours (can be done in one day)

Optional Extensions¶

Add these skills when the situation calls for more depth:

Before PRD¶

Add When	Skill
Complex UX decisions	`develop-design-rationale`
Technical uncertainty	`develop-spike-summary`
Architecture impact	`develop-adr`

During Development¶

Add When	Skill
Complex feature	`deliver-edge-cases`
Needs measurement	`measure-instrumentation-spec`

After Launch¶

Add When	Skill
A/B testing	`measure-experiment-design`
Team reflection	`iterate-retrospective`
Communication	`deliver-release-notes`

Example: Feature Kickoff in Action¶

Context¶

E-commerce platform adding "Save for Later" feature to shopping cart.

Step 1: Problem Statement¶

Problem: Users often leave items in cart that they're not ready to buy today, then forget about them. Cart clutter leads to decision fatigue and abandoned carts.

User Impact: 35% of cart items sit for 7+ days untouched. Users report "cart anxiety" in interviews.

Success Criteria: - Reduce untouched cart items from 35% to 20% - Increase cart-to-purchase conversion by 5%

Step 2: Hypothesis¶

We believe that adding a "Save for Later" section below the cart will help users organize their shopping intentions, reducing cart anxiety, because it separates "ready to buy" from "considering" items.

Primary metric: Cart-to-purchase conversion rate Guardrail: Average order value (should not decrease)

Step 3: PRD Summary¶

In Scope: - "Save for Later" button on each cart item - Separate "Saved Items" section below cart - Move back to cart functionality - Persisted for logged-in users

Out of Scope: - Guest user persistence - Wishlists (separate feature) - Social sharing of saved items

Step 4: User Stories (excerpt)¶

US-001: Save item for later

As a shopper, I want to move an item from my cart to "Saved for Later" so that I can keep it visible without cluttering my active cart.

Acceptance Criteria: - Given I have items in my cart - When I click "Save for Later" on an item - Then the item moves to the Saved Items section - And the cart total updates to exclude that item

US-002: Move saved item to cart

As a shopper, I want to move a saved item back to my cart so that I can purchase it when I'm ready.

Step 5: Launch Checklist (excerpt)¶

Tips for Effective Kickoffs¶

Do¶

Time-box each step to maintain momentum
Include engineering in PRD creation
Define "done" before starting
Keep documents lightweight for simple features

Don't¶

Skip the problem statement ("we know what to build")
Over-document for small features
Forget instrumentation until launch
Treat kickoff as a handoff—it's a collaboration

Quick Reference¶

Step	Skill	Time	Output
1	problem-statement	30-60 min	Problem framing doc
2	hypothesis	15-30 min	Testable hypothesis
3	prd	1-2 hrs	Requirements spec
4	user-stories	30-60 min	Sprint-ready stories
5	launch-checklist	30 min	Pre-launch checklist

Total: ~4-6 hours to kick off a feature

Quality Checklist¶

Before considering this workflow complete, verify:

Problem statement has measurable success criteria
Hypothesis is specific and falsifiable
PRD scope is clear (in/out)
User stories have Given/When/Then acceptance criteria
Launch checklist has owners for every item

Feature Kickoff Workflow¶

Workflow Metadata¶

Overview¶

When to Use¶

Core Sequence¶

Step 1: Problem Statement¶

Step 2: Hypothesis¶

Step 3: PRD¶

Step 4: User Stories¶

Step 5: Launch Checklist¶

Complete Feature Kickoff¶

Optional Extensions¶

Before PRD¶

During Development¶

After Launch¶

Example: Feature Kickoff in Action¶

Context¶

Step 1: Problem Statement¶

Step 2: Hypothesis¶

Step 3: PRD Summary¶

Step 4: User Stories (excerpt)¶

Step 5: Launch Checklist (excerpt)¶

Tips for Effective Kickoffs¶

Do¶

Don't¶

Quick Reference¶

Quality Checklist¶

See Also¶