Task Hygiene + Naming Cleanup Proposal (Tasks SSOT)

Run: run_01c1da2e
HQ Agent: agt_admin
Scope: Propose a lightweight naming + column policy for tasks.json to reduce “inbox” sprawl. No edits required.

Goals (what “clean” looks like)

1. Inbox stays small: the inbox is a temporary holding pen, not a workspace.
2. Every task is immediately classifiable: owner (agent), project/lane, and next action are obvious.
3. Columns mean “state,” not “priority.” Priority is encoded via tags and a small “Today” set.
4. Naming makes scanning effortless: titles are consistent so duplicates and stale items are visible.

Column policy (simple, enforceable)

Use only these columns as canonical states:

• inbox — Untriaged. Must be clarified + assigned + moved within 24 hours.
• today — Chosen for execution today (max 3–5 per agent, max 10 total if you want a global cap).
• doing — Actively being worked now (hard cap 1–2 per agent to prevent “fake progress”).
• waiting — Blocked on someone/something external (client response, editor deliverable, credentials, approval).
• done — Finished.

Rules:

• No task lives in inbox without at least: projectId + tags + clear next action.
• If a task cannot be executed because it needs info/approval, it goes to waiting and the title/notes must say what it’s waiting on.
• “Someday/maybe” does not belong in inbox. Create a separate backlog project/column only if absolutely needed; otherwise keep as inbox→triage→waiting/today.

Naming convention (titles that prevent clutter)

Title template

Use this template in tasks[].title:

<LANE/PROJECT>: <Verb> <Object> — <Qualifier/Timebox>

Examples:

• GROWIQ: Lock front-door offer — v1 (15 min)
• EQT: Audit pipelines/automations — punchlist only
• ENVOTRADES: Editor brief — week of 2026-03-02
• CLIENT DEMO: Send preview — link + deadline

Prefix rules

• Always start with a stable prefix:
  • Lane/product: GROWIQ, EQT, BABA, FAIRLINE, ENVOTRADES, TRADING
  • Client work: CLIENT <Name>
  • Ops: OPS, ADMIN, FINANCE

Verb rules

• Start with an action verb: Draft, Build, Audit, Ship, Fix, Decide, Send, Review.
• Avoid vague verbs: Handle, Work on, Do, Stuff.

Time qualifier rules (optional but powerful)

Add a suffix if it reduces ambiguity:

• — v1 / — v2
• — week of YYYY-MM-DD
• — (15 min) / — (60 min)
• — draft/off when the task must not go live

Notes policy (what belongs in notes vs title)

Put in notes:

• Links, credentials references (never paste secrets), file paths
• Definition of done (3 bullets max)
• Constraints (e.g., “no outbound sends until approval”)
• Context for handoff

Keep the title for scan speed.

Mini template for notes:

• Outcome: …
• DoD: (1)… (2)… (3)…
• Constraints: …
• Links/Paths: …

Tag policy (small controlled vocabulary)

Minimize tags and make them composable:

• Type: build, audit, content, ops, client, planning
• Risk/constraint: approval-gated, draft-off, no-outbound, no-delete
• Channel/system: ghl, replit, youtube, instagram, tradingview

Rule: if a tag appears once, it’s probably noise. Promote only tags that recur.

Anti-sprawl operating rules (the real fix)

1. Daily triage (10 minutes):
   • Empty inbox: clarify, assign agentId if applicable, move to today/doing/waiting.
2. Weekly hygiene (30 minutes):
   • Merge duplicates (or mark one “superseded” in notes and move to done).
   • Add missing prefixes.
   • Convert multi-step monsters into 3–7 smaller tasks.
3. WIP limit:
   • Per agent: max doing = 2.
   • Anything else must be today or waiting.
4. Waiting tasks require a “next check” line:
   • e.g., “Next check: Tue” or “Next check after editor delivers v1.”

Quick cleanup pass you can do without changing data structure

If you do one manual sweep, do it in this order:

1. Normalize prefixes in titles for anything in inbox.
2. Move anything that depends on someone else to waiting (and add what it’s waiting on).
3. Pick a short list for today.
4. Enforce WIP: move non-active “doing” tasks back to today or waiting.

Optional (future) structure improvements (no requirement)

If you later want to reduce ambiguity further, consider adding fields to task objects:

• owner (string) separate from agentId when humans are involved
• dueAtMs for real deadlines
• blockedBy (string)

Keep it optional—process discipline should solve 80% first.