backlog next

GitHub backlogs often become a graveyard of stale tickets and vague requirements. When you sit down to code, the friction of triaging which issue is actually unblocked and high-priority wastes valuable momentum. This skill automates that triage by analyzing your GitHub Issues alongside your actual local code.

What it does

• Identifies unblocked work by checking GitHub dependency relationships or body text to ensure you do not start blocked tasks.
• Prioritizes by value using labels, P0 markers, and bug status to find what needs immediate attention.
• Analyzes code momentum by comparing issue descriptions against recent git commits to suggest work in active files.
• Surface dependencies by calculating how many other open issues are waiting on a specific ticket to be closed.
• Manages workflow state by automatically applying "in progress" labels to issues once you confirm the start.

How it works

1. Fetch state via the GitHub CLI to list open issues and recent git history for context.
2. Filter blockers by checking the "blocked by" status of the top candidates to prune the list.
3. Rank and verify candidates by reading the specific files mentioned in the issues to confirm technical readiness.
4. Present options with a single recommendation and two alternates, explaining the technical "why" for each.

Frameworks & tools

Requires a local git checkout, the GitHub CLI (gh) authenticated with your account, and access to a repository with Issues enabled.

Why this beats prompting it yourself

Generic prompts cannot check real-time GitHub dependency APIs or correlate issues with your recent local git log. This skill identifies not just what is "important," but what is technically unblocked and ready for a PR right now.

Use cases

• Deciding which bug to squash first during a morning standup.
• Finding a "small win" task when you only have a 30-minute time box.
• Identifying the foundational parser or utility that three other tickets are waiting on.
• Resuming work on a project after a long break by seeing what was left "in progress."

Known limitations

Requires the GitHub CLI to be installed and authenticated. Cannot create issues or edit code without explicit user approval for each step.

One of five backlog skills that work together: suggest, order, next, keeper, cleanup. From the maker of Sideboard, a live GitHub Issues board for Claude Code.