Skip to content

docs: add epic t-shirt sizing guide to CLAUDE.md #172

New issue

Have a question about this project? Sign up for a free GitHub account to open an issue and contact its maintainers and the community.

Sign up for GitHub

By clicking “Sign up for GitHub”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy statement. We’ll occasionally send you account related emails.

Already on GitHub? Sign in to your account

Merged
noahwhite merged 2 commits into from
Feb 18, 2026
Merged

docs: add epic t-shirt sizing guide to CLAUDE.md #172

Changes from all commits
Commits
Show all changes
2 commits
Select commit Hold shift + click to select a range
fcaed18
docs: add epic t-shirt sizing guide to CLAUDE.md
noahwhite Feb 18, 2026
bbb982b
docs: use comprehensive epic sizing framework
noahwhite Feb 18, 2026
File filter

Filter by extension

Filter by extension
Conversations
Failed to load comments.
Loading
Jump to
Jump to file
Failed to load files.
Loading
Diff view
Diff view
21 changes: 17 additions & 4 deletions CLAUDE.md
View file
Open in desktop
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -61,10 +61,7 @@ Do NOT proceed until the title prefix is verified.
When creating epics (Linear projects):
- **Name must be prefixed with `[EPIC]`** (e.g., `[EPIC] Ghost Stack Backup & Recovery`)
- Apply the **"Epic"** label to identify it as an epic
- Apply a **t-shirt size label** based on total story points:
- T-Shirt Size Small: ~5-10 story points
- T-Shirt Size Medium: ~15-25 story points
- T-Shirt Size Large: ~30+ story points
- Apply a **t-shirt size label** based on complexity (see sizing guide below)
- **Always set Noah White as the project lead**

### Epic Template
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -104,6 +101,22 @@ All epics must follow this standard template format (see `[EPIC] Secure Remote M

**Important:** Do NOT include "Issues / Stories" or "Related Projects or Epics" sections - these are visible via Linear's UI.

### Epic T-Shirt Sizing

Sizes represent **complexity and uncertainty**, not duration. Higher complexity tends to correlate with longer duration, but the size itself measures "how hard is this to figure out and implement" rather than "how many days/weeks."

| Size | Complexity / Effort Description | Typical Time Mapping |
|------|--------------------------------|----------------------|
| **Small (S)** | Well-understood, minor dependencies, low risk | 1-2 sprints (2-4 weeks) |
| **Medium (M)** | Standard feature, some integration, moderate unknowns | 3-4 sprints (1.5-2 months) |
| **Large (L)** | Complex logic, multiple team touchpoints, significant risk | 1 full quarter (~3 months) |
| **Extra Large (XL)** | Cross-departmental, massive architectural shifts | Multiple quarters (needs breakdown) |

**Notes:**
- Time mappings are guidelines derived from historical velocity, not prescriptive targets
- XL epics should be broken down into smaller epics before starting
- Actual duration depends on unknowns discovered during implementation

### User Story Template

All user stories must follow this standard template format (see GHO-21 for reference):
Expand Down
Loading