scope-guard

SKILL.md

---
name: scope-guard
description: |
  Scores feature worthiness and enforces branch-size limits against overengineering
version: 1.9.8
triggers:
  - anti-overengineering
  - scope
  - YAGNI
  - prioritization
  - backlog
  - evaluating whether a feature belongs in the current scope or branch
metadata: {"openclaw": {"homepage": "https://github.com/athola/claude-night-market/tree/master/plugins/imbue", "emoji": "\ud83e\udd9e"}}
source: claude-night-market
source_plugin: imbue
---

> **Night Market Skill** — ported from [claude-night-market/imbue](https://github.com/athola/claude-night-market/tree/master/plugins/imbue). For the full experience with agents, hooks, and commands, install the Claude Code plugin.


> Building more than what is needed takes choices away
> from those who work here next. Scope-guard is humility
> and foresight: preserving freedom by building only
> what is earned.

## Table of Contents

- [Philosophy](#philosophy)
- [When to Use](#when-to-use)
- [When NOT to Use](#when-not-to-use)
- [Quick Start](#quick-start)
- [1. Score the Feature](#1-score-the-feature)
- [2. Check Against Backlog](#2-check-against-backlog)
- [3. Verify Branch Budget](#3-verify-branch-budget)
- [4. Monitor Thresholds](#4-monitor-thresholds)
- [Core Workflow](#core-workflow)
- [Step 1: Calculate Worthiness (`scope-guard:worthiness-scored`)](#step-1:-calculate-worthiness-(scope-guard:worthiness-scored))
- [Step 2: Compare Against Backlog (`scope-guard:backlog-compared`)](#step-2:-compare-against-backlog-(scope-guard:backlog-compared))
- [Step 3: Check Branch Budget (`scope-guard:budget-checked`)](#step-3:-check-branch-budget-(scope-guard:budget-checked))
- [Step 4: Document Decision (`scope-guard:decision-documented`)](#step-4:-document-decision-(scope-guard:decision-documented))
- [Anti-Overengineering Rules](#anti-overengineering-rules)
- [Backlog Management](#backlog-management)
- [Directory Structure](#directory-structure)
- [Queue Rules](#queue-rules)
- [Adding to Queue](#adding-to-queue)
- [Integration Points](#integration-points)
- [With superpowers:brainstorming](#with-superpowers:brainstorming)
- [With superpowers:writing-plans](#with-superpowers:writing-plans)
- [During superpowers:executing-plans](#during-superpowers-executing-plans)
- [Required TodoWrite Items](#required-todowrite-items)
- [Related Skills](#related-skills)
- [Module Reference](#module-reference)


# Scope Guard

Prevents overengineering by both Claude and human during the
brainstorm, plan, and execute workflow. Forces explicit evaluation of
every proposed feature against business value, opportunity cost, and
branch constraints.

## Philosophy

**Core Belief:** Not all features deserve implementation. Most ideas should be deferred to backlog until proven necessary.

**Three Pillars:**
1. **Worthiness Scoring** - Quantify value vs cost before building
2. **Opportunity Cost** - Compare against existing backlog
3. **Branch Discipline** - Respect size thresholds

## When To Use

- During brainstorming sessions before documenting designs
- During planning sessions before finalizing implementation plans
- When evaluating "should we add this?" decisions
- Automatically via hooks when branches approach thresholds
- When proposing new features, abstractions, or patterns

## When NOT To Use

- Bug fixes with clear, bounded scope
- Documentation-only changes
- Trivial single-file edits (< 50 lines)
- Emergency production fixes

## Quick Start

### 1. Score the Feature

Use the Worthiness formula:
```
(Business Value + Time Criticality + Risk Reduction) / (Complexity + Token Cost + Scope Drift)
```
**Verification:** Run the command with `--help` flag to verify availability.

See [decision-framework.md](modules/decision-framework.md) for details.

**Thresholds:**
- **> 2.0** → Implement now
- **1.0 - 2.0** → Discuss first
- **< 1.0** → Defer to backlog

### 2. Check Against Backlog

Compare against `docs/backlog/queue.md`:
- Does it beat top queued items?
- Is there room in branch budget?

### 3. Verify Branch Budget

**Default: 3 major features per branch**

If at capacity, must drop existing feature, split to new branch, or justify override.

### 4. Monitor Thresholds

Watch for Yellow/Red zones:
- **Lines:** 1000/1500/2000
- **Commits:** 15/25/30
- **Days:** 3/7/7+

See [branch-management.md](modules/branch-management.md) for monitoring.

## Core Workflow

### Step 1: Calculate Worthiness (`scope-guard:worthiness-scored`)

Score each factor (1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13):
- **Value Factors:** Business Value, Time Criticality, Risk Reduction
- **Cost Factors:** Complexity, Token Cost, Scope Drift

Details: [decision-framework.md](modules/decision-framework.md)

### Step 2: Compare Against Backlog (`scope-guard:backlog-compared`)

1. Check `docs/backlog/queue.md` for existing items
2. Compare Worthiness Scores
3. New item must beat top queued item OR fit within branch budget

### Step 3: Check Branch Budget (`scope-guard:budget-checked`)

Count current features in branch. If at budget (default: 3), new feature requires:
- Dropping an existing feature, OR
- Splitting to new branch, OR
- Explicit override with justification

### Step 4: Document Decision (`scope-guard:decision-documented`)

Record outcome:
- **Implementing:** Note Worthiness Score and budget slot
- **Deferring (MANDATORY STEPS):**
  1. **Create GitHub issue immediately** - See
     [github-integration.md](modules/github-integration.md)
     Steps 1-3
  2. Mark `scope-guard:github-issue-created` complete
  3. **Create Discussion** - See
     [github-integration.md](modules/github-integration.md)
     Step 4.
     Prompt: "Creating a Discussion with full reasoning context. [Y/n]"
     Publishing is the default. If the user explicitly declines,
     skip Discussion creation. If publishing fails, continue.
  4. Optionally add to `docs/backlog/queue.md` with issue link
- **Rejecting:** Document why (low value, out of scope)

**IMPORTANT:** Deferral is NOT complete until a GitHub issue exists. This prevents context loss when branches are merged or abandoned.

## Anti-Overengineering Rules

**Key Principles:**
- Ask clarifying questions BEFORE proposing solutions
- No abstraction until 3rd use case
- Defer "nice to have" features
- Stay within branch budget

See [anti-overengineering.md](modules/anti-overengineering.md) for full rules and red flags.

## Backlog Management

### Directory Structure

```
**Verification:** Run the command with `--help` flag to verify availability.
docs/backlog/
├── queue.md              # Active ranked queue
└── archive/
    ├── ideas.md          # Deferred feature ideas
    ├── optimizations.md  # Deferred performance work
    ├── refactors.md      # Deferred cleanup
    └── abstractions.md   # Deferred patterns
```
**Verification:** Run the command with `--help` flag to verify availability.

### Queue Rules

- Max 10 items in active queue
- Items older than 30 days without pickup → move to archive
- Re-score monthly or when project context changes

### Adding to Queue

When deferring, add to `docs/backlog/queue.md`:

```markdown
| Rank | Item | Worthiness | Added | Branch/Epic | Category |
|------|------|------------|-------|-------------|----------|
| 1 | [New item description] | 1.8 | 2025-12-08 | current-branch | idea |
```
**Verification:** Run the command with `--help` flag to verify availability.

Re-rank by Worthiness Score after adding.

## Integration Points

### With superpowers:brainstorming

At end of brainstorming, before documenting design:
1. List all proposed features/components
2. Score each with Worthiness formula
3. Defer items scoring < 1.0 to backlog
4. Check branch budget for remaining items

**Self-invoke prompt:** "Before documenting this design, let me evaluate the proposed features with scope-guard."

### With superpowers:writing-plans

Before finalizing implementation plan:
1. Verify all planned items have Worthiness > 1.0
2. Compare against backlog queue
3. Confirm within branch budget
4. Document any deferrals

**Self-invoke prompt:** "Before finalizing this plan, let me verify scope with scope-guard."

### During superpowers:executing-plans

Periodically during execution:
1. Run threshold check: lines, files, commits, days
2. Warn if Yellow zone reached
3. Require justification if Red zone reached

**Self-invoke prompt:** "This branch has grown significantly. Let me check scope-guard thresholds."

## Required TodoWrite Items

When evaluating a feature, create these todos:

1. `scope-guard:worthiness-scored`
2. `scope-guard:backlog-compared`
3. `scope-guard:budget-checked`
4. `scope-guard:github-issue-created` (MANDATORY if deferring - blocks step 5)
5. `scope-guard:decision-documented`

**Note:** Step 4 (`github-issue-created`) is REQUIRED when deferring items. You cannot mark `decision-documented` complete without first completing `github-issue-created` for deferrals.

## Related Skills

- `superpowers:brainstorming` - Ideation workflow this guards
- `superpowers:writing-plans` - Planning workflow this validates
- `imbue:review-core` - Review methodology pattern
- `imbue:karpathy-principles` - Compact four-principle synthesis covering scope, simplicity, surgical edits, and verifiable goals
- See `docs/quality-gates.md#skill-level-quality-gate-composition` for the full gate-skill federation graph

## Module Reference

- **[decision-framework.md](modules/decision-framework.md)** - Worthiness formula, scoring, thresholds
- **[github-integration.md](modules/github-integration.md)** - MANDATORY issue creation for deferrals
- **[anti-overengineering.md](modules/anti-overengineering.md)** - Rules, patterns, red flags
- **[branch-management.md](modules/branch-management.md)** - Thresholds, monitoring, zones
- **[baseline-scenarios.md](modules/baseline-scenarios.md)** - Testing scenarios and validation