Shape Up

pmprompt/claude-plugin-product-management

If you're tired of estimates that slip and projects that drag, this skill walks you through Basecamp's Shape Up methodology. Instead of asking "how long will this take," you set a fixed time budget (the appetite) upfront, then shape a solution that fits. It's especially useful when you're past the tiny startup phase but drowning in Scrum ceremonies and want to give teams real autonomy beyond ticket execution. The approach came from Basecamp's constraint of having their only engineer work 10 hours a week, forcing brutal clarity about scope. Best when you can actually get engineering involved in shaping, not just handed shaped work.

skills.sh installs: 393
GitHub stars: 58
last updated: Aug 21, 2026

View on GitHub

Install

$ npx -y skills add pmprompt/claude-plugin-product-management --skill shape-up --agent claude-code

Installs into .claude/skills of the current project.

Files

Domain Context

This skill implements a proven product management framework. The approach combines best practices from industry leaders and is designed for practical application in day-to-day PM work.

Input Requirements

Context about your product, feature, or problem
Relevant data, research, or constraints (recommended but optional)
Clear articulation of what you're trying to achieve

Shape Up

What It Is

Shape Up is a product development methodology built on one core insight: you cannot estimate your way to shipping—you must shape your way there.

Traditional approaches ask "How long will this take?" and then try to hit that estimate. Shape Up flips this: decide upfront how much time you're willing to spend (the appetite), then shape a version of the solution that fits within that constraint.

The methodology emerged from 17 years of building Basecamp, where the founding team faced an unusual constraint: their only engineer (DHH) worked just 10 hours per week. This forced extreme clarity about what to build and ruthless scoping to ensure every hour counted.

SKILL.md on GitHub