Vertical Slicing with TDD

Violating the letter of the rules is violating the spirit of the rules.

Overview

Transform requirements into implementation tasks organized as vertical slices with strict TDD discipline. Each slice (called a "cycle") delivers observable, testable value and follows test-first principles.

This is a discipline-enforcing skill. The test-first structure exists because tests written after code verify implementation, not requirements. Skipping or reordering undermines the entire purpose.

When to Use

• Transforming user stories into implementation tasks
• Creating task-mapping.md from a specification
• Structuring tasks.md with proper TDD ordering
• When implementation approach needs vertical slice organization
• Breaking down large features into testable increments
• When the task architect agent generates implementation artifacts