scope-guard

Score feature worthiness and enforce branch size constraints during planning.

326|35|Updated Nov 23, 2025
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/athola/claude-night-market --skill scope-guard
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: scope-guard
Source: https://github.com/athola/claude-night-market/tree/main/plugins/imbue/skills/scope-guard
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/athola/claude-night-market --skill scope-guard

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve?

Prevents unnecessary complexity by evaluating feature worthiness, comparing against backlog, and enforcing branch size discipline.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Worthiness scoring to justify work
  • Backlog comparison against existing priorities
  • Branch budget monitoring and control
  • Clear decision documentation to prevent scope creep

Quick Start

Quick decisions should be documented with scores and budget impact before starting new work.

Frequently Asked Questions about scope-guard

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

FAQPage Schema
How do I prevent scope creep and overengineering during feature planning?

Scope creep prevention starts with worthiness scoring that weighs business value, time criticality, and risk reduction against complexity, token cost, and scope drift. Document decisions with backlog and branch-budget implications before starting work to enforce discipline and justify trade-offs.

What's the best way to evaluate whether a proposed feature is worth implementing?

Evaluate feature worthiness by scoring business value, time criticality, and risk reduction divided by complexity, token cost, and scope drift. This framework surfaces overengineered proposals and ensures only justified work enters the backlog.

How do I monitor and enforce branch size constraints during development?

Branch-budget monitoring applies threshold constraints to track scope drift as work progresses. Record decision documentation and budget implications at brainstorming and planning stages so branches stay within acceptable size and complexity bounds.

Why should I compare new features against my existing backlog?

Backlog comparison surfaces duplicate or lower-priority work before it consumes resources. This comparison step prevents committing to features that conflict with existing priorities or repeat work already planned.

Can I use this approach for brainstorming and planning phases specifically?

Yes. Scope-guard applies across brainstorming, planning, and branch-threshold monitoring phases. It's designed to catch overengineering decisions early when course correction is lowest-cost, before implementation begins.

What happens if a proposed feature fails the worthiness scoring test?

Features failing worthiness scoring are flagged as low-value or overengineered and documented with decision rationale. This prevents them from entering the backlog or branch work without explicit stakeholder override and clear risk acknowledgment.