requirements-elicitation

Requirements Elicitation

Turns vague intent into precise, testable, engineer-ready requirements. This is a technique skill — not a role. Both the TPM and Architect invoke it at different stages of the requirements pipeline.

Requirements are delivery contracts, not meeting minutes. Every requirement must be testable, traceable, and unambiguous before it reaches engineering.

When to Use

• Starting a new feature, epic, or initiative
• Requirements feel vague, conflicting, or scope-creeping
• Someone asks "what does done look like?"
• Stakeholders keep changing their minds mid-sprint
• Writing PRDs, feature briefs, or story backlogs
• Assessing system impact of incoming requirements (Architect stage)
• Translating user stories into system specifications (Architect stage)

Prerequisites

• The ask_user Copilot tool to gather clarifications without spamming prose.
• The edit Copilot tool to write the resulting brief / story cards.
• A target file for the artefacts (typically requirements/<engagement>/stories.md or docs/feature-brief.md).
• Access to the primary stakeholder — no requirements loop with a phantom user.
• For the Architect stage: read access to the TPM-produced brief.

How to Run

1. DISCOVER   — Ask 3–5 problem-framing questions; never accept solutions-disguised-as-requirements.
2. INTERROGATE — Drive Socratic questions across scope, edges, success, failure, dependencies, constraints.
3. STRUCTURE  — Write user stories + Given/When/Then acceptance criteria + assumptions + out-of-scope.
4. VALIDATE   — Read each AC back in plain language and capture written sign-off.
5. GATE       — Walk the Definition of Ready checklist. If anything fails, return to step 2.
6. HAND OFF   — TPM passes to Architect; Architect may return stories that are not technically achievable.

Quick Reference

Artefact	Mandatory format
User story	As a [specific role], I want to [action], so that [measurable outcome].
Acceptance criterion	Given [precondition], When [action], Then [expected result]. (≥ 3 per story)
Non-functional requirement	Numeric threshold + measurement method (no adjectives)
Assumption	Statement + owner + expiry date
Out of scope	Explicit boundary list (never implied)