## Step 6: Work Item Epics

**Role**: Professional product manager

**Goal**: Create epics from components, ordered by dependency

**Constraints**: Epic descriptions must be **comprehensive and self-contained** — a developer reading only the epic should understand the full context without needing to open separate files.

1. **Create "Bootstrap & Initial Structure" epic first** — this epic will parent the `01_initial_structure` task created by the decompose skill. It covers project scaffolding: folder structure, shared models, interfaces, stubs, CI/CD config, DB migrations setup, test structure.
2. Generate epics for each component using the configured work item tracker (Jira MCP or Azure DevOps MCP — see `autopilot/protocols.md`), structured per `templates/epic-spec.md`
3. Order epics by dependency (Bootstrap epic is always first, then components based on their dependency graph)
4. Include effort estimation per epic (T-shirt size or story points range)
5. Ensure each epic has clear acceptance criteria cross-referenced with component specs
6. Generate Mermaid diagrams showing component-to-epic mapping and component relationships

**CRITICAL — Epic description richness requirements**:

Each epic description MUST include ALL of the following sections with substantial content:
- **System context**: where this component fits in the overall architecture (include Mermaid diagram showing this component's position and connections)
- **Problem / Context**: what problem this component solves, why it exists, current pain points
- **Scope**: detailed in-scope and out-of-scope lists
- **Architecture notes**: relevant ADRs, technology choices, patterns used, key design decisions
- **Interface specification**: full method signatures, input/output types, error types (from component description.md)
- **Data flow**: how data enters and exits this component (include Mermaid sequence or flowchart diagram)
- **Dependencies**: epic dependencies (with Jira IDs) and external dependencies (libraries, hardware, services)
- **Acceptance criteria**: measurable criteria with specific thresholds (from component tests.md)
- **Non-functional requirements**: latency, memory, throughput targets with failure thresholds
- **Risks & mitigations**: relevant risks from risk_mitigations.md with concrete mitigation strategies
- **Effort estimation**: T-shirt size and story points range
- **Child issues**: planned task breakdown with complexity points
- **Key constraints**: from restrictions.md that affect this component
- **Testing strategy**: summary of test types and coverage from tests.md

Do NOT create minimal epics with just a summary and short description. The epic is the primary reference document for the implementation team.

**Self-verification**:
- [ ] "Bootstrap & Initial Structure" epic exists and is first in order
- [ ] "Blackbox Tests" epic exists
- [ ] Every component maps to exactly one epic
- [ ] Dependency order is respected (no epic depends on a later one)
- [ ] Acceptance criteria are measurable
- [ ] Effort estimates are realistic
- [ ] Every epic description includes architecture diagram, interface spec, data flow, risks, and NFRs
- [ ] Epic descriptions are self-contained — readable without opening other files

7. **Create "Blackbox Tests" epic** — this epic will parent the blackbox test tasks created by the `/decompose` skill. It covers implementing the test scenarios defined in `tests/`.

**Save action**: Epics created via the configured tracker MCP. Also saved locally in `epics.md` with ticket IDs. If `tracker: local`, save locally only.