What Makes a Good Task

Time: ~5 minutes | Difficulty: Beginner

What You'll Learn

• Characteristics of well-defined tasks
• The SMART criteria for tasks
• Common task mistakes

The Big Idea

Not all tasks are created equal. A good task sets you up for success. A vague task leaves you spinning.

The Good Task Formula

A good task is:

1. Small

Completable in one focused session (5-30 minutes)

2. Measurable

You know exactly when it's done

3. Actionable

Starts with a verb — something you can DO

4. Relevant

Contributes to a user story

5. Testable

You can verify it works

Examples: Bad vs Good

Example 1

❌ Bad: "Work on the login"

What does "work on" mean? When are you done?

✅ Good: "Create LoginForm component with email and password inputs"

Clear action, clear deliverable.

Example 2

❌ Bad: "Fix bugs"

Which bugs? What counts as fixed?

✅ Good: "Fix bug where logout button doesn't redirect to login page"

Specific problem, testable solution.

Example 3

❌ Bad: "Make it better"

Better how? According to whom?

✅ Good: "Add loading spinner while notes are being fetched"

Specific improvement, visible result.

The Verb Test

Good tasks start with action verbs:

Verb	Example Task
Create	Create NotesListPage component
Add	Add email validation to form
Implement	Implement logout function
Connect	Connect login form to Firebase Auth
Fix	Fix broken navigation link
Update	Update header to show user email
Remove	Remove unused imports
Write	Write saveNote function

Avoid:

• "Think about..."
• "Consider..."
• "Work on..."
• "Look at..."

The Done Definition

Each task should have an implicit "Done when..."

Task	Done When...
Create LoginForm component	Component renders with inputs
Add email validation	Invalid emails show error
Connect to Firebase Auth	Successful login redirects
Add loading spinner	Spinner visible during load

If you can't define "done," the task is too vague.

Task Dependencies

Some tasks depend on others:

Create registration page route
    └─► Create RegistrationForm component
            └─► Connect to Firebase Auth

Can't connect Firebase if there's no form. Can't add form if there's no route.

Rule: Start with tasks that have no dependencies.

Task Ordering Strategy

1. Infrastructure first — Routes, page shells
2. Core features second — Main functionality
3. Polish last — Error handling, loading states

For authentication:

1. Create login page (infrastructure)
2. Create login form (feature)
3. Connect to Firebase (feature)
4. Add error messages (polish)

Common Mistakes

1. Tasks Too Big

"Build the dashboard" → Break into: layout, navigation, content sections

2. Tasks Too Vague

"Handle errors" → Specify: "Show error message when login fails"

3. Tasks Mixed

"Create form and connect to database" → Split: "Create form" + "Connect to database"

4. Non-Actionable Tasks

"Research best practices" → Make it concrete: "Decide on form validation library"

Quick Test

For each task, ask:

• [ ] Can I complete this in 30 minutes or less?
• [ ] Do I know exactly what "done" looks like?
• [ ] Does it start with a verb?
• [ ] Can I test that it works?
• [ ] Does it result in a single commit?

If no to any of these, refine the task.

Check Your Understanding

• [ ] Good tasks are small, specific, and verifiable
• [ ] Tasks should start with action verbs
• [ ] "Done" should be clearly definable
• [ ] Dependencies determine order

Phase 3 Complete!

You understand how to break big work into manageable tasks.

Now fill in your initial backlog!

Complete the Backlog Worksheet →