Match Workflow Weight to Task Size

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Sources verified Dec 27, 2025

workflowlightweightefficiencydecision-guide

Scenario

Context: You're about to start work on different sized tasks and need to decide how much process to use

Goal: Learn to match workflow weight to task size—avoiding both over-engineering small tasks and under-engineering large ones

Anti-pattern: Using the same heavy documentation process for a 10-line bug fix that you'd use for a multi-day feature

Tools: Any AI coding assistant

Conversation

The Problem

Many AI workflow guides prescribe heavy processes: 'Document in a spec file, clear context, resume with progress notes...'

This is overkill for a quick bug fix. But it's underkill for a multi-day feature.

The answer: Match workflow weight to task size.

The Decision Framework

Task Size	Duration	Workflow	Context Approach
Trivial	< 30 min	None	Inline in prompt
Small	30 min - 2 hr	Light	Brief context block
Medium	2 hr - 1 day	Standard	Project rules file
Large	Multi-day	Full	Spec + progress docs

---

Trivial Tasks (< 30 min)

Examples: Fix typo, add console.log, simple CSS tweak, rename variable

Workflow: None—just prompt and go

👤 You

Fix the typo in src/utils/format.ts line 42—'recieve' should be 'receive'

For trivial tasks, one-liner prompts are fine. No setup needed.

---

Small Tasks (30 min - 2 hr)

Examples: Bug fix with investigation, add form validation, refactor single function

Workflow: Light—use inline context block

👤 You

Project: E-commerce checkout flow
Issue: Cart total doesn't update when quantity changes
Stack: React 18, Zustand for state
Constraint: Can't change CartItem interface (shared with mobile)

Debug why quantity changes don't update the total. Start in src/store/cartStore.ts

For small tasks, a brief context block provides enough background without creating separate files.

---

Medium Tasks (2 hr - 1 day)

Examples: New API endpoint, multi-file refactor, add feature to existing component

Workflow: Standard—use project rules file

👤 You

I'm adding user preferences to our API. Context is in .cursorrules and docs/api-patterns.md.

Create a new /users/:id/preferences endpoint following our existing patterns. Start by reading:

1. src/routes/users.ts (see existing patterns)
2. .cursorrules (coding standards)
3. docs/api-patterns.md (API conventions)

For medium tasks, reference existing project context files rather than repeating everything inline.

---

Large Tasks (Multi-day)

Examples: New feature spanning multiple systems, architectural change, major refactor

Workflow: Full—spec file + progress tracking

👤 You

I'm implementing real-time notifications across our app. This is a multi-day feature.

Read first:

• docs/notifications-spec.md (full requirements)
• docs/notifications-progress.md (what's done)
• .cursorrules (standards)

Continue from where we left off in notifications-progress.md. Update the progress file before ending.

For large tasks, use dedicated spec and progress files. This enables context handoff between sessions.

---

Key Heuristic

If you won't remember the context tomorrow, write it down.

If you'll forget by tomorrow, you need at least a progress file.
If it spans days, you need a spec.
If it's done in an hour, inline context is fine.

Key Takeaways

• Match workflow weight to task size—don't over-engineer small tasks
• Trivial (< 30 min): Just prompt and go, no setup needed
• Small (30 min - 2 hr): Use inline context blocks in your prompt
• Medium (2 hr - 1 day): Reference project rules files
• Large (multi-day): Use spec files + progress tracking
• Heuristic: If you won't remember context tomorrow, write it down

Try It Yourself

Prompt Template

Before your next task, estimate duration:
- < 30 min → just prompt
- 30 min - 2 hr → add context block
- 2 hr - 1 day → reference rules files
- Multi-day → create spec + progress files

Copy template

Variations to Try

• Try upgrading a task mid-stream if it turns out larger than expected
• Create a reusable context block template for common small-task types
• Start tracking which task sizes actually need which workflow weight

Related Content

📖 Context Curation 📖 The AI Productivity Paradox 📖 Document & Clear Pattern 🏋️ prompt construction

Sources

✓ Anthropic: Context Management ⓘ

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Claude Code: Best practices for agentic coding

Anthropic

Official best practices for Claude Code agentic development. Key for agentic_supervision dimension - demonstrates multi-file autonomous editing capabilities and supervision approaches.

Key Findings:

• Claude Code is a command line tool for agentic coding
• CLAUDE.md provides project-specific context and instructions
• Plan mode shows intentions before making changes

Credibility: high

Referenced by:

Agentic Workflows Multi-Day Sessions: Maintaining Context Across Days Scoped Task Delegation: Giving AI the Right Level of Autonomy Build Your Own Slash Commands: The Prompt Templates Behind the Magic Good vs Bad Context: A Side-by-Side Comparison Iterative Specification: Refining Your Request Quick Context Patterns for Small Tasks Repository Onboarding: The Golden Prompt from GitHub Docs Spec-Driven Development with Real Slash Commands Match Workflow Weight to Task Size

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