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Guide · Agent skill

How to use the VPE Engineering Review agent skill (vpe-review)

Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data

The vpe-review skill is an agent skill that makes Claude review an engineering plan the way a throughput-focused VP of Engineering would, using six pointed questions. It is useful for engineering managers, leads, founders and CTOs who are preparing a delivery commitment, approving a hiring wave or reorg, or looking at rising incidents and slipping velocity. After this guide you will know what the skill does, how to install it, how to ask for it in natural language, and what it needs to run properly.

VPE Engineering Reviewalirezarezvani/claude-skills · MIT

Quick start

  1. 1Download the skill ZIP. Get the vpe-review ZIP from the page where you found this guide.
  2. 2Unzip the skill folder. Extract the archive so the folder contains SKILL.md.
  3. 3Place it where Claude can find it. Move the folder into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or into .claude/skills/ in a project. In the Claude apps, upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills instead.
  4. 4Prepare your metrics files. Create sprint_metrics.json, funnel.json and team.json if you want a full diagnosis. The skill's rules expect DORA or sprint data.
  5. 5Make the helper scripts available. Confirm the c-level-advisor plugin files exist at the referenced vendor path and that Python can run the scripts.
  6. 6Ask for the review. Run /c-level-agents:vpe-review with your plan, or describe it in plain language with the trigger situation.
  7. 7Act on the verdict. Work through the three next steps, starting with the top fix in the worst-performing area.

What the vpe-review skill makes the agent do

An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file with instructions that Claude loads when a request matches them. This skill covers plans that touch delivery, engineering hiring, team structure or production discipline. Its command form is /c-level-agents:vpe-review followed by the plan.

The agent works through six questions: cycle time and where work waits, the DORA performance level across all four metrics, where the hiring funnel leaks, whether team structure fits the headcount, production discipline maturity, and whether a separate VP of Engineering is needed. It then produces a structured report with a verdict of SHIP, SHARPEN or BLOCK and three next steps.

  • Verdict options: SHIP (green), SHARPEN (amber), BLOCK (red)
  • Sections in the report cover only the areas that apply to your plan
  • Routing suggestions point to related reviews such as cto-review and cfo-review

Install the vpe-review skill

Download the ZIP of the skill from the page where you found it, then unzip it. For a personal install, place the skill folder in ~/.claude/skills/. For a single project, place it in that project's .claude/skills/ folder.

If you use the Claude apps instead, upload the skill under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.

  • Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/
  • Project install: .claude/skills/ inside your project folder
  • Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload

Trigger the skill with natural requests

You can use the slash command directly with a plan, or describe what you want in plain language. The skill's description says to use it when cycle time balloons, DORA metrics slide, or before committing to an eng hiring wave or a reorg, so requests phrased that way are the most likely to match.

Give the agent the plan itself: the hiring numbers, the reorg proposal, or the delivery commitment you are about to make.

  • /c-level-agents:vpe-review we want to hire 12 engineers next quarter
  • Before we commit to this OKR, review our delivery plan with the vpe-review skill
  • Cycle time has doubled since May; run a VPE review on our delivery process
  • Should we split our 30-person engineering team into three squads? Review it first
/c-level-agents:vpe-review <plan>

Supply the metrics files for a full diagnosis

The skill's first rule is 'no DORA, no diagnosis'. The workflow runs three helper Python scripts against JSON files you provide: sprint_metrics.json for delivery throughput, funnel.json for hiring, and team.json for team structure. The SKILL.md itself only describes the process and output format, so the scripts must be present in your environment for these steps to run.

Without metrics, the review cannot be grounded in your data. Prepare the files before you ask for the review.

  • sprint_metrics.json: delivery throughput data
  • funnel.json: hiring funnel data
  • team.json: team structure data
  • The scripts expect the c-level-advisor plugin files at the vendor path referenced in the skill
python ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/vendor/c-level-advisor/vpe-advisor/scripts/delivery_throughput_analyzer.py sprint_metrics.json python ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/vendor/c-level-advisor/vpe-advisor/scripts/eng_hiring_funnel_calculator.py funnel.json python ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/vendor/c-level-advisor/vpe-advisor/scripts/eng_team_structure_designer.py team.json

Read the report and act on it

The report opens with the decision being made, then fills in the sections that apply: delivery throughput, hiring funnel, team structure and production discipline. Each section gives specific fields such as the worst DORA metric, the weakest hiring stage, and whether the manager or director trigger fired. The verdict and the three next steps are the parts to act on first.

The skill's own guidance adds specific thresholds you can check against your numbers, such as 5-9 ICs per squad, 5-8 ICs per engineering manager, and an offer-to-accept rate below 70% signalling a compensation or close problem.

  • Fix lead time first, according to the skill's DORA guidance
  • Use the cto-review skill for architectural causes of throughput problems
  • Use the cfo-review skill for cost-per-hire and engineering budget questions
  • Log the verdict with the decide command, if you use it

What people use it for

  • Checking a hiring wave against funnel conversion before approving headcount
  • Reviewing a proposed team reorg for manager and director trigger points
  • Diagnosing a rising incident trend and checking production discipline
  • Pressure-testing a quarterly delivery commitment before sprint planning
  • Deciding whether a separate VP of Engineering is needed alongside a CTO

Frequently asked questions

How do I install the vpe-review skill?

Download the ZIP from the page where you found it and unzip it. Put the folder in ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or in a project's .claude/skills/ folder. In the Claude apps, upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.

What do I need to run vpe-review?

You need Python to run the referenced helper scripts and input JSON files such as sprint_metrics.json, funnel.json and team.json that you supply yourself. The c-level-advisor plugin files at the referenced vendor path are also required, because they are not included in the SKILL.md.

Is the vpe-review skill free?

The skill is listed under the MIT licence. The source does not mention pricing for the Claude apps or any other service, so check those separately.

Does vpe-review use the internet?

The listing says it does not use the network. It does run scripts, so review the scripts yourself before running them on sensitive metrics.

Can I use vpe-review without DORA metrics?

The skill's first rule is 'no DORA, no diagnosis', so it is designed around delivery metrics. Without DORA or sprint data the output would be generic advice, and the scripts need data files to work.

What is the difference between vpe-review and cto-review?

vpe-review focuses on delivery throughput, hiring, team structure, production discipline and whether a VP of Engineering is needed. The skill routes architectural causes of throughput problems to cto-review.

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Our verdict

Use vpe-review if you have DORA or sprint metrics and want a structured, threshold-based check before a hiring wave, reorg or delivery commitment. Pick something else if you lack metrics, need legal, compensation or employment advice, or cannot install the plugin scripts it depends on.

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