224 lines
6.9 KiB
Markdown
224 lines
6.9 KiB
Markdown
---
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name: spec-planner
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description: Dialogue-driven spec development through skeptical questioning and iterative refinement. Triggers: "spec this out", feature planning, architecture decisions, "is this worth it?" questions, RFC/design doc creation, work scoping. Invoke Librarian for unfamiliar tech/frameworks/APIs.
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---
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# Spec Planner
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Produce implementation-ready specs through rigorous dialogue and honest trade-off analysis.
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## Core Philosophy
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- **Dialogue over deliverables** - Plans emerge from discussion, not assumption
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- **Skeptical by default** - Requirements are incomplete until proven otherwise
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- **Second-order thinking** - Consider downstream effects and maintenance burden
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## Workflow Phases
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```
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CLARIFY --[user responds]--> DISCOVER --[done]--> DRAFT --[complete]--> REFINE --[approved]--> DONE
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+--[still ambiguous]--<------+-------------------+----[gaps found]------+
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```
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**State phase at end of every response:**
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```
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---
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Phase: CLARIFY | Waiting for: answers to questions 1-4
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```
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---
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## Phase 1: CLARIFY (Mandatory)
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**Hard rule:** No spec until user has responded to at least one round of questions.
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1. **STOP.** Do not proceed to planning.
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2. Identify gaps in: scope, motivation, constraints, edge cases, success criteria
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3. Ask 3-5 pointed questions that would change the approach. USE YOUR QUESTION TOOL.
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4. **Wait for responses**
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**IMPORTANT: Always use the `question` tool to ask clarifying questions.** Do NOT output questions as freeform text. The question tool provides structured options and better UX. Example:
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```
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question({
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questions: [{
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header: "Scope",
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question: "Which subsystems need detailed specs?",
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options: [
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{ label: "VCS layer", description: "jj-lib + gix unified interface" },
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{ label: "Review workflow", description: "GitHub PR-style local review" },
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{ label: "Event system", description: "pub/sub + persistence" }
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],
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multiple: true
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}]
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})
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```
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| Category | Example |
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|----------|---------|
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| Scope | "Share where? Social media? Direct link? Embed?" |
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| Motivation | "What user problem are we actually solving?" |
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| Constraints | "Does this need to work with existing privacy settings?" |
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| Success | "How will we know this worked?" |
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**Escape prevention:** Even if request seems complete, ask 2+ clarifying questions. Skip only for mechanical requests (e.g., "rename X to Y").
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**Anti-patterns to resist:**
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- "Just give me a rough plan" -> Still needs scope questions
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- "I'll figure out the details" -> Those details ARE the spec
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- Very long initial request -> Longer != clearer; probe assumptions
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**Transition:** User answered AND no new ambiguities -> DISCOVER
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---
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## Phase 2: DISCOVER
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**After clarification, before planning:** Understand existing system.
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Launch explore subagents in parallel:
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```
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Task(
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subagent_type="explore",
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description="Explore [area name]",
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prompt="Explore [area]. Return: key files, abstractions, patterns, integration points."
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)
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```
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| Target | What to Find |
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|--------|--------------|
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| Affected area | Files, modules that will change |
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| Existing patterns | How similar features are implemented |
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| Integration points | APIs, events, data flows touched |
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**If unfamiliar tech involved**, invoke Librarian:
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```
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Task(
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subagent_type="librarian",
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description="Research [tech name]",
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prompt="Research [tech] for [use case]. Return: recommended approach, gotchas, production patterns."
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)
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```
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**Output:** Brief architecture summary before proposing solutions.
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**Transition:** System context understood -> DRAFT
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---
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## Phase 3: DRAFT
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Apply planning framework from [decision-frameworks.md](./references/decision-frameworks.md):
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1. **Problem Definition** - What are we solving? For whom? Cost of not solving?
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2. **Constraints Inventory** - Time, system, knowledge, scope ceiling
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3. **Solution Space** - Simplest -> Balanced -> Full engineering solution
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4. **Trade-off Analysis** - See table format in references
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5. **Recommendation** - One clear choice with reasoning
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Use appropriate template from [templates.md](./references/templates.md):
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- **Quick Decision** - Scoped technical choices
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- **Feature Plan** - New feature development
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- **ADR** - Architecture decisions
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- **RFC** - Larger proposals
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**Transition:** Spec produced -> REFINE
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---
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## Phase 4: REFINE
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Run completeness check:
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| Criterion | Check |
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|-----------|-------|
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| Scope bounded | Every deliverable listed; non-goals explicit |
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| Ambiguity resolved | No "TBD" or "to be determined" |
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| Acceptance testable | Each criterion pass/fail verifiable |
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| Dependencies ordered | Clear what blocks what |
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| Types defined | Data shapes specified (not "some object") |
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| Effort estimated | Each deliverable has S/M/L/XL |
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| Risks identified | At least 2 risks with mitigations |
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| Open questions | Resolved OR assigned owner |
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**If any criterion fails:** Return to dialogue. "To finalize, I need clarity on: [failing criteria]."
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**Transition:** All criteria pass + user approval -> DONE
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---
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## Phase 5: DONE
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### Final Output
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```
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=== Spec Complete ===
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Phase: DONE
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Type: <feature plan | architecture decision | refactoring | strategy>
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Effort: <S/M/L/XL>
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Status: Ready for task breakdown
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Discovery:
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- Explored: <areas investigated>
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- Key findings: <relevant architecture/patterns>
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Recommendation:
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<brief summary>
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Key Trade-offs:
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- <what we're choosing vs alternatives>
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Deliverables (Ordered):
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1. [D1] (effort) - depends on: -
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2. [D2] (effort) - depends on: D1
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Open Questions:
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- [ ] <if any remain> -> Owner: [who]
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```
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### Write Spec to File (MANDATORY)
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1. Derive filename from feature/decision name (kebab-case)
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2. Write spec to `specs/<filename>.md`
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3. Confirm: `Spec written to: specs/<filename>.md`
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---
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## Effort Estimates
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| Size | Time | Scope |
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|------|------|-------|
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| **S** | <1 hour | Single file, isolated change |
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| **M** | 1-3 hours | Few files, contained feature |
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| **L** | 1-2 days | Cross-cutting, multiple components |
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| **XL** | >2 days | Major refactor, new system |
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## Scope Control
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When scope creeps:
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1. **Name it:** "That's scope expansion. Let's finish X first."
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2. **Park it:** "Added to Open Questions. Revisit after core spec stable."
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3. **Cost it:** "Adding Y changes effort from M to XL. Worth it?"
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**Hard rule:** If scope changes, re-estimate and flag explicitly.
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## References
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| File | When to Read |
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|------|--------------|
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| [templates.md](./references/templates.md) | Output formats for plans, ADRs, RFCs |
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| [decision-frameworks.md](./references/decision-frameworks.md) | Complex multi-factor decisions |
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| [estimation.md](./references/estimation.md) | Breaking down work, avoiding underestimation |
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| [technical-debt.md](./references/technical-debt.md) | Evaluating refactoring ROI |
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## Integration
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| Agent | When to Invoke |
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|-------|----------------|
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| **Librarian** | Research unfamiliar tech, APIs, frameworks |
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| **Oracle** | Deep architectural analysis, complex debugging |
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