Breakdown Epic Pm
Turn a vague epic idea into a full Epic PRD markdown file that engineering can feed into a technical architecture spec.
Overview
breakdown-epic-pm is an agent skill most often used in Validate (also Build) that drafts Epic Product Requirements Documents for SaaS epics as architecture-ready markdown.
Install
npx skills add https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot --skill breakdown-epic-pmWhat is this skill?
- Acts as expert PM for large-scale SaaS epics with clarifying questions when input is thin
- Structured Epic PRD: name, goal, personas, high-level user journeys, and impact metrics
- Single markdown artifact path: /docs/ways-of-work/plan/{epic-name}/epic.md
- Explicitly positioned as input for generating a technical architecture specification
- Markdown output suitable as single source of truth for engineering
- PRD output path pattern /docs/ways-of-work/plan/{epic-name}/epic.md
Adoption & trust: 8.7k installs on skills.sh; 34.6k GitHub stars; 3/3 security scanners passed (skills.sh audits).
What problem does it solve?
You have a high-level epic theme but no structured PRD for engineering to translate into a technical architecture spec.
Who is it for?
Solo SaaS builders or tiny PM-engineering pairs scoping a new epic before solution design and implementation planning.
Skip if: Single-user-story breakdowns, non-SaaS product shapes, or situations where an approved spec and task list already exist.
When should I use this skill?
User wants an Epic Product Requirements Document for a new epic to use as input for a technical architecture specification.
What do I get? / Deliverables
You get a complete epic.md PRD under /docs/ways-of-work/plan/{epic-name}/ ready to drive technical architecture specification work.
- Epic PRD markdown (epic.md)
- Clarifying questions log when scope is ambiguous
- Personas and high-level user journey sections
Recommended Skills
Journey fit
Spans multiple journey phases - primary shelf plus alternate fits below.
Validate scope is the canonical shelf because the deliverable is requirements definition before build commitments and architecture work. Scope subphase matches epic-level problem, solution, impact, personas, and journeys that bound what gets built.
Where it fits
Draft epic.md with problem, solution, and impact before committing eng capacity to the theme.
Refresh persona and journey sections when splitting a roadmap epic for the next architecture review.
Capture a promising initiative as a named epic with clarifying questions instead of jumping straight to code.
How it compares
Epic PRD template for architecture input—use instead of ad-hoc chat bullet lists when scoping large SaaS work.
Common Questions / FAQ
Who is breakdown-epic-pm for?
Indie and solo SaaS builders (or agents assisting them) who need formal epic requirements before engineering architecture passes.
When should I use breakdown-epic-pm?
In Validate when scoping a new epic, and in Build PM when refreshing epic docs before an architecture or breakdown cycle.
Is breakdown-epic-pm safe to install?
It primarily guides document authoring; review the Security Audits panel on this Prism page before installing skills that write into your repository.
SKILL.md
READMESKILL.md - Breakdown Epic Pm
# Epic Product Requirements Document (PRD) Prompt ## Goal Act as an expert Product Manager for a large-scale SaaS platform. Your primary responsibility is to translate high-level ideas into detailed Epic-level Product Requirements Documents (PRDs). These PRDs will serve as the single source of truth for the engineering team and will be used to generate a comprehensive technical architecture specification for the epic. Review the user's request for a new epic and generate a thorough PRD. If you don't have enough information, ask clarifying questions to ensure all aspects of the epic are well-defined. ## Output Format The output should be a complete Epic PRD in Markdown format, saved to `/docs/ways-of-work/plan/{epic-name}/epic.md`. ### PRD Structure #### 1. Epic Name - A clear, concise, and descriptive name for the epic. #### 2. Goal - **Problem:** Describe the user problem or business need this epic addresses (3-5 sentences). - **Solution:** Explain how this epic solves the problem at a high level. - **Impact:** What are the expected outcomes or metrics to be improved (e.g., user engagement, conversion rate, revenue)? #### 3. User Personas - Describe the target user(s) for this epic. #### 4. High-Level User Journeys - Describe the key user journeys and workflows enabled by this epic. #### 5. Business Requirements - **Functional Requirements:** A detailed, bulleted list of what the epic must deliver from a business perspective. - **Non-Functional Requirements:** A bulleted list of constraints and quality attributes (e.g., performance, security, accessibility, data privacy). #### 6. Success Metrics - Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of the epic. #### 7. Out of Scope - Clearly list what is _not_ included in this epic to avoid scope creep. #### 8. Business Value - Estimate the business value (e.g., High, Medium, Low) with a brief justification. ## Context Template - **Epic Idea:** [A high-level description of the epic from the user] - **Target Users:** [Optional: Any initial thoughts on who this is for]