Use this skill to guide a user from a rough idea to a clear design/spec by asking targeted questions, one at a time, after first inspecting the project state.
Review the working directory to understand the current state, constraints, and any existing docs or code.
Summarize what you saw in 2-4 sentences only if it helps frame the next question.
Ask refining questions (one per message)
Ask exactly one question per response.
Prefer multiple-choice questions with 3-5 options; include an "Other: ____" option when helpful.
For multiple-choice questions, mark exactly one option as recommended so the user has a clear default.
In Codex
request_user_input
, mark the recommended choice by suffixing the label with
(Recommended)
. In Claude
AskUserQuestion
, use an explicit
recommended
flag when available or clearly label one option as recommended.
Use open-ended questions only when options would be misleading.
Sequence questions from highest-uncertainty to lowest-uncertainty.
Do not ask questions that can be trivially answered by inspecting the repo or using available tools; look it up first.
Keep each question tightly scoped and decision-oriented.
For Claude, ask questions via AskUserQuestion.
Converge on understanding
Once the idea is clear enough to describe a design/spec, stop asking questions.
Explicitly indicate you are switching from questions to describing the design.
Describe the design in sections
Provide the design/spec in sections of ~200-300 words each.
After each section, ask whether it looks right so far before continuing.
Incorporate feedback and revise the next section accordingly.
Beads + planning handoff
After the final spec section is approved, summarize the spec into bead fields: title, description, design, acceptance.
Ask one multiple-choice question covering the next step (beads and/or plan), and mark one option as recommended. Example choices: create a single bead, create an epic + milestones, proceed to plan only, or pause.
If beads are requested and granularity is unclear, ask a single follow-up question to choose between a single bead vs an epic with milestone beads.
Decision rule for granularity:
Single bead: 1-3 sessions, cohesive flow, minimal handoffs.
Epic + milestones: longer work or clear checkpoints, even if sequential. Use linear dependencies if steps must be done in order.
If a plan is requested, provide a concise spec recap (goals, non-goals, UX, data/logic, constraints, acceptance) to seed the plan.
If a plan is created later, link it in the bead design field.