bd-what-to-work-on-next

What I Do

• Analyze the current state of issues using bd commands
• Identify what work is ready (no blockers, open or in-progress)
• Show blocked issues that need attention
• List stale issues that haven't been updated recently
• Present the issue dependency graph to understand relationships
• Display priority issues based on dependencies and state

When to Use Me

Use this skill when you need to:

• Start a new work session and need to prioritize
• Check what's currently ready to work on
• Identify blockers and dependencies that need resolution
• Review stale issues that may need attention
• Understand the overall project status before planning

Git + JSONL: How bd Works

No database servers. No cloud APIs. Just Git + JSONL.

All issues live in .beads/issues.jsonl — a simple JSON Lines file that git tracks like any other code. This means:

• Pull → see updates: git pull brings down everyone's issue changes
• Push → share yours: git push publishes your issue updates to the team
• Merge conflicts are possible: If two people edit the same issue simultaneously, you'll get a classic git merge conflict (just like with code)
• Hash IDs reduce conflicts: Every issue has a unique hash ID, making simultaneous edits on different issues seamless

This is version control for your project management — fully distributed, offline-capable, and conflict-aware.

bd Commands to Use

Check Ready Work (No Blockers)

bd ready

Shows all issues that are ready to work on - no blockers, in open or in-progress state.

Check Blocked Issues

bd blocked

Lists all issues that are currently blocked by dependencies.

List Open Issues

bd list --state open

Shows all open issues with basic details.

Check Dependencies

bd dep list <issue-id>

Shows what a specific issue depends on or what depends on it.

View Dependency Graph

bd graph

Displays a visual graph of issue dependencies to understand relationships.

Check Stale Issues

bd stale

Shows issues that haven't been updated recently and may need attention.

Check Overall Status

bd status

Shows issue database overview and statistics.

Activity Feed

bd activity

Shows real-time molecule state feed of recent changes.

View Epic Structure

bd epic list

Lists all epics to see high-level work streams.

Search for Specific Issues

bd search "<query>"

Search for issues by text query when looking for something specific.

Workflow

1. Start with overview: Run bd status and bd ready to understand current state
2. Identify blockers: Run bd blocked to see what's stuck
3. Check context: Run bd graph to visualize dependencies
4. Review stale items: Run bd stale to find neglected issues
5. Prioritize: Based on the data, recommend the highest priority issue to work on next

Decision Framework

When recommending what to work on next, consider:

• Issues in ready state are immediate candidates
• Blocked issues may need dependency resolution first
• Stale issues might indicate forgotten work
• Issues with many dependents should be prioritized (unblock others)
• Consider the user's role and expertise when making recommendations