home / skills / thebushidocollective / han / start

start skill

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This skill starts work on a Jira ticket by transitioning it to In Progress and revealing acceptance criteria for clarity.

npx playbooks add skill thebushidocollective/han --skill start

Review the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.

Files (1)

SKILL.md

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---
name: start
description: Start work on a Jira ticket (transition to In Progress)
---

# start

## Name

jira:start - Start work on a Jira ticket (transition to In Progress)

## Synopsis

```
/start [arguments]
```

## Description

Start work on a Jira ticket (transition to In Progress)

## Implementation

Start work on a Jira ticket by transitioning it to "In Progress" and displaying acceptance criteria.

**Usage**: `/start PROJ-123`

**Steps**:

1. Use `atlassian_get_issue` to fetch ticket details
2. Display ticket summary and current status
3. Extract and highlight acceptance criteria
4. Use `atlassian_transition_issue` to transition to "In Progress"
5. Use `atlassian_add_comment` to add: "Starting work on this ticket"
6. Optionally use `atlassian_update_issue` to assign to current user if unassigned

**Display Format**:

```
▶️  Starting work on PROJ-123

Summary: {ticket summary}
Status: {old status} → In Progress
Assignee: {assignee}

📋 Acceptance Criteria:
{list all acceptance criteria as checklist}

Link: {ticket URL}
```

If ticket is already In Progress, just display current status and acceptance criteria without transitioning.

Overview

This skill starts work on a Jira ticket by transitioning the issue to In Progress and surfacing key context like summary, assignee, and acceptance criteria. It automates the common setup steps so engineers can begin work with a single command. The output includes a clear checklist of acceptance criteria and a link to the ticket.

How this skill works

The skill fetches the ticket, shows the current status and summary, extracts acceptance criteria into a checklist, and transitions the issue to In Progress when appropriate. It posts a comment noting that work has started and can assign the ticket to the current user if it is unassigned. If the ticket is already In Progress, it only displays status and acceptance criteria.

When to use it

Before opening your local branch to confirm scope and acceptance criteria
At the moment you start hands-on work to record status and ownership
When triaging a backlog item to move it into active work
For daily standups to verify which tickets were started
When you want an automated comment and clear acceptance checklist on the ticket

Best practices

Run the command from the ticket ID (e.g., /start PROJ-123) to ensure exact targeting
Review the acceptance checklist and confirm understanding before coding
Let the skill assign the ticket if it's unassigned to keep ownership clear
Avoid transitioning tickets that require a separate pre-start state (e.g., blocked)
Use the generated comment to add any additional context or blockers

Example use cases

A developer begins implementation and wants the issue moved to In Progress and assigned to them
A team member checks acceptance criteria quickly before creating a branch
A product manager verifies that the ticket shows the correct assignee and status during handoff
An engineer documents start-of-work with an automated comment for auditing
A sprint board cleanup where multiple tickets need to be transitioned when work begins

FAQ

What happens if the ticket is already In Progress?

The skill will not transition the ticket again; it will display the current status, summary, and acceptance criteria.

Will the skill change the assignee automatically?

It can optionally assign the current user if the ticket is unassigned; otherwise it preserves the existing assignee.