bd-create-new-product_skill

Overview

This skill creates a new product epic and a structured chain of related issues using the bd (beads) issue tracker. It initializes git and bd for a fresh project, sets bd to no-db mode so issues live in .beads/issues.jsonl, and generates epics, tasks, milestones, and dependencies for a full product lifecycle. Use it only on new projects that do not already contain a .beads/ directory.

How this skill works

The skill runs the sequence: verify no existing .beads/, initialize git, run bd init, enable no-db in .beads/config.yaml, and optionally run bd migrate --update-repo-id to fix warnings. It then creates a parent epic and a series of tasks (research, setup, design, implementation, testing, docs, release), links them with bd dep add to form a dependency chain, and adds milestone and phase labels. All issues are written to .beads/issues.jsonl so Git becomes the single source of truth.

When to use it

• Starting a brand-new product initiative with no existing .beads/ folder
• Onboarding a fresh codebase with a clear product roadmap and phases
• Setting up a repeatable development workflow from discovery to launch
• Creating a version-controlled issue tracker that works offline and via git
• When you want an explicit dependency chain (research → design → development → testing → launch)

Best practices

• Always run ls -la .beads/ first; if issues.jsonl exists, stop and use the modify skill instead
• Initialize git (git init) before bd init to avoid repo ID warnings
• Set no-db: true in .beads/config.yaml so .beads/issues.jsonl is the source of truth
• Run bd migrate --update-repo-id if you see legacy database warnings
• Label the critical path and milestones to simplify tracking and queries
• Keep the issue chain lean—only add dependencies that reflect real blockers

Example use cases

• Create a new product epic and the standard research→design→implementation→testing→release chain for a greenfield project
• Bootstrap issue tracking on a local repo for a team that prefers git-driven project management
• Generate milestone markers and phase labels so stakeholders can monitor progress without a central server
• Prepare a reproducible starter structure to onboard new product teams quickly
• Set up parallel and sequential tasks (e.g., project setup parallel to research) with explicit dependency links