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estimation-helper

Breaks down features into tasks and produces structured story point estimates with risks and assumptions.

1|Updated May 19, 2026
Search Tags:#task breakdown#agile#estimation#sprint planning#story points#user story#fibonacci
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/thomasmartinsen/talks --skill estimation-helper-thomasmartinsen
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: estimation-helper
Source: https://github.com/thomasmartinsen/talks/tree/main/20260519%20-%20Agentic%20engineering/primitives/skills/dev-docs/skills/estimation-helper
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/thomasmartinsen/talks --skill estimation-helper-thomasmartinsen

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? Answering "how long will this take" is hard to do consistently. This Skill turns a feature or user story into a defensible, structured estimate with a task breakdown, story points, risks, and assumptions that you can paste into a ticket, Confluence page, or email. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Task Decomposition: Splits a feature into concrete subtasks grouped by backend, frontend, and cross-cutting concerns. - Story Point Estimation: Assigns Fibonacci-scale points (1–21) per task with rationale, flags tasks of 13+ points for splitting, and adds a Phased Delivery plan when totals exceed 20 points. - Risk and Assumption Surfacing: Documents risks, assumptions, and out-of-scope items so estimates stay credible. - Use Case: Before sprint planning, paste a user story and receive a ready-to-share estimate document with a task table, total points, and phased milestones. ## Quick Start Ask the assistant to estimate a feature or user story, for example: "Estimate the work to add SSO login to our app."

Frequently Asked Questions about estimation-helper

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I estimate a user story with story points?▼

Provide the feature or user story and the Skill decomposes it into subtasks, assigns Fibonacci points (1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21) with a one-sentence rationale per task, and sums the total. Tasks scoring 13 or higher are flagged for splitting.

How to break down a feature into estimable tasks?▼

The Skill groups work by layer: backend (domain model, application handlers, infrastructure, API endpoints), frontend (components, state, API integration), and cross-cutting items like tests, documentation, and deployment changes.

What happens when an estimate total is too large?▼

When the total exceeds 20 points, the Skill flags the feature as large and adds a Phased Delivery section splitting the work into 2–3 sprint-sized milestones, with an offer to produce separate sub-estimates per phase.

Can I convert story points into days or sprints?▼

Yes. If you provide team velocity, the estimate is translated into calendar time and sprint fractions. Without velocity, a point-to-day guide is added: 1 pt ≈ 0.5 day, 3 pts ≈ 1 day, 5 pts ≈ 2–3 days, 8 pts ≈ 1 week.

What if I give minimal context for an estimate?▼

The Skill makes reasonable assumptions, states them in the Context line and Assumptions section, and proceeds rather than stalling. It only asks questions when missing information would materially change the estimate.

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