Work Next Command

RECOMMENDATION
==============

Next Work Item: feature_auth
Title: Add user authentication
Type: feature | Priority: high

RATIONALE:
- Highest priority unblocked work item
- All dependencies satisfied:
  ✓ feature_database (completed)
  ✓ refactor_models (completed)

CONTEXT:
Ready to Start (3 items):
  🟠 feature_auth: Add user authentication
  🟡 refactor_api: Refactor API error handling
  🟢 feature_dashboard: Add admin dashboard

Blocked (2 items):
  🟠 feature_search: Waiting on feature_auth
  🟡 integration_test_api: Waiting on feature_auth, bug_timeout

In Progress (1 item):
  🔴 bug_timeout: Fix database timeout

QUICK START:
  /sk:start feature_auth

Examples

Standard Recommendation

/sk:work-next

Output:

RECOMMENDATION
==============

Next Work Item: bug_session_timeout
Title: Fix session timeout error
Type: bug | Priority: critical

RATIONALE:
- Critical priority (blocks other work)
- All dependencies satisfied (no dependencies)
- Urgent bug fix needed

CONTEXT:
Ready to Start (4 items):
  🔴 bug_session_timeout: Fix session timeout (RECOMMENDED)
  🟠 feature_auth: Add user authentication
  🟡 refactor_api: Refactor API error handling
  🟢 feature_dashboard: Add admin dashboard

Blocked (0 items)

QUICK START:
  /sk:start bug_session_timeout

Urgent Item (Overrides Everything)

/sk:work-next

Output:

⚠️  URGENT ITEM DETECTED

ID: bug_production_hotfix
Title: Critical production hotfix
Type: bug
Priority: medium

This item requires immediate attention and overrides normal priority.
To start: /start bug_production_hotfix

Note: When an urgent item exists:

It's returned immediately regardless of priority level
It ignores dependencies (can be returned even if dependencies are incomplete)
All other work items are deprioritized until the urgent item is completed
Only ONE work item can be urgent at a time

Multiple High-Priority Items

/sk:work-next

Output:

RECOMMENDATION
==============

Next Work Item: feature_auth
Title: Add user authentication
Type: feature | Priority: high

RATIONALE:
- Tied for highest priority (high) with 2 other items
- Selected: feature_auth (created first)
- Blocks 3 other work items (high impact)

CONTEXT:
Ready to Start (3 items):
  🟠 feature_auth: Add user authentication (RECOMMENDED)
  🟠 feature_payment: Implement payment system
  🟠 feature_notifications: Add email notifications

Blocked (3 items):
  🟠 feature_search: Waiting on feature_auth
  🟡 feature_dashboard: Waiting on feature_auth
  🟡 integration_test_api: Waiting on feature_auth

NOTE: feature_auth blocks 3 other items. Completing it will
      unblock significant downstream work.

QUICK START:
  /sk:start feature_auth

No Ready Items

/sk:work-next

Output:

NO RECOMMENDATION
=================

No work items are ready to start.

Blocked (3 items):
  🟠 feature_search: Waiting on feature_auth (in_progress)
  🟡 refactor_api: Waiting on feature_auth (in_progress)
  🟢 feature_dashboard: Waiting on feature_auth, feature_search (both incomplete)

In Progress (1 item):
  🟠 feature_auth: Add user authentication

NEXT STEPS:
1. Complete feature_auth to unblock 3 dependent items
2. Use /sk:end to complete current work
3. Create new work items: /sk:work-new

All Work Completed

/sk:work-next

Output:

NO RECOMMENDATION
=================

All work items are completed! 🎉

Summary:
  ✓ 15 work items completed
  ✓ 0 work items remaining

NEXT STEPS:
- Create new work items: /sk:work-new
- Review completed work: /sk:work-list --status completed
- Plan next milestone: /sk:work-list --milestone next_phase

Understanding the Context Section

Ready to Start

Work items with:

Status: not_started
All dependencies: completed
Can be started immediately

Sorted by priority (critical → high → medium → low)

Blocked

Work items waiting on dependencies:

Status: blocked or not_started with incomplete dependencies
Shows which dependencies are blocking
Cannot start until dependencies complete

In Progress

Currently active work items:

Status: in_progress
Being worked on in current or recent session
Should be completed before starting new work

Priority Indicators

🔴 critical - Blocking issue, urgent requirement
🟠 high - Important work to be done soon
🟡 medium - Normal priority work
🟢 low - Nice to have, can be deferred

Impact Analysis

The command identifies high-impact work items:

Blocks multiple items:

NOTE: feature_auth blocks 5 other items. Completing it will
      unblock significant downstream work.

Critical path item:

NOTE: feature_database is on the critical path. It determines
      the earliest project completion date.

Milestone critical:

NOTE: This item is required for milestone "Phase 1 MVP" (due soon).

Integration with Other Commands

After Getting Recommendation

/sk:work-next
# See recommendation: feature_auth

/sk:start feature_auth
# Start working on recommended item

Compare with Manual Selection

/sk:work-next
# Algorithm recommendation

/sk:work-list --status not_started
# See all available items

/sk:start <chosen_item>
# Start your choice

Check After Completing Work

/sk:end
# Complete current work item

/sk:work-next
# Get next recommendation automatically

Recommendation Strategies

Strategy 1: Priority-First (Default)

Always picks highest priority unblocked item

Best for: Projects with clear priorities
Pro: Ensures important work gets done first
Con: May ignore high-impact low-priority items

Strategy 2: Impact-Aware

Consider both priority and downstream impact

The command shows impact in rationale
You can manually choose high-impact items
Look for "blocks N items" notes

Strategy 3: Milestone-Driven

Focus on items in current milestone

Use /sk:work-list --milestone current_sprint
Filter by milestone first
Then apply priority sorting

When to Override Recommendation

Consider starting a different item when:

Context Switching Cost
- Recommended item requires different skillset
- Current mental context suits different item better
External Dependencies
- Waiting on stakeholder feedback
- Third-party API access needed
Team Coordination
- Another team member working on related code
- Avoiding merge conflicts
Time Constraints
- Quick wins needed before deadline
- Low-priority but fast items available

Error Handling

No Work Items Exist

/sk:work-next

Output:

NO RECOMMENDATION
=================

No work items found.

Create your first work item:
  /sk:work-new

All Items In Progress

/sk:work-next

Output:

NO RECOMMENDATION
=================

All work items are either completed or in progress.

In Progress (2 items):
  🟠 feature_auth
  🔴 bug_timeout

Complete current work before starting new items:
  /sk:end

Best Practices

1. Check Regularly

# After completing work
/sk:end
/sk:work-next

# Before starting new work
/sk:work-next
/sk:start

2. Review Context

Don't just start recommended item blindly
Review blocked items and their dependencies
Consider downstream impact

3. Update Priorities

# If recommendation doesn't match needs
/sk:work-update <item_id> priority
# Then check again
/sk:work-next

4. Break Down Large Items

If recommended item is too large:

# Create smaller sub-items
/sk:work-new  # Create smaller task
/sk:work-update <new_item> add-dependency
# Add large item as dependency