requirement-gathering

Requirement Gathering

Structured interview process that turns vague requests into clear, actionable requirements.

When to use

• A new task arrives from a stakeholder (feature, bugfix, refactor)
• The request has ambiguous or missing acceptance criteria
• Existing specs don't cover the requested change
• Before running spec-writer to create or update specs

Rules

• Ask ONE question at a time (see one-question-at-a-time rule)
• Never begin implementation until requirements are confirmed
• Base questions on gaps found in existing specs, not assumptions

Inputs

• The stakeholder's initial request
• Existing specs in the project's specs/ folder (if any)

Steps

1. Review existing specs. Scan the specs/ directory for any specs related to the request. Note what's already documented and what's missing.

2. Identify gaps. List the ambiguous or underspecified areas:

   • Unclear scope boundaries (what's in vs. out)
   • Missing edge cases or error handling expectations
   • Unspecified behavior for boundary conditions
   • Unclear integration points with existing functionality
   • Missing non-functional requirements (performance, security)

3. Interview the stakeholder. Ask ONE question at a time. Wait for the answer before asking the next question. Prioritize questions by impact — ask about scope and core behavior first, edge cases second.

   Good questions are specific and bounded:

   • "Should the API return a 404 or an empty list when no results match?"
   • "Is this endpoint authenticated, and if so, which roles have access?"

   Bad questions are open-ended or bundled:

   • "What should the API do?" (too vague)
   • "What about errors, pagination, auth, and rate limits?" (too many at once)

4. Summarize requirements. After all questions are answered, present a concise summary of the clarified requirements back to the stakeholder for confirmation.

5. Get explicit approval. Do not proceed until the stakeholder confirms the summary is accurate. If they correct anything, update the summary and re-confirm.