| name | obstacle-analysis |
| description | Identify what blocks the user from pursuing their chosen direction, assess severity, propose mitigations with search-validated evidence, and get user acceptance. Use after direction-narrowing has identified a specific direction. |
| dependencies | {"sops":["ask-obstacle-acceptance","assess-obstacle-severity","identify-obstacles","propose-mitigations"]} |
Obstacle Analysis
Identify barriers, assess severity, propose mitigations, get acceptance.
Available SOPs
| SOP | Purpose | Execution |
|---|
| identify-obstacles | Identify obstacles from ActorProfile + chosen direction | subagent (search optional) |
| assess-obstacle-severity | Rate severity of each obstacle | subagent (search optional) |
| propose-mitigations | Propose evidence-backed mitigations | subagent (search required) |
| ask-obstacle-acceptance | Present obstacles + mitigations, get user decision | dialogue (search optional) |
Search Tools Available (for all SOPs)
- web-search (web-browsing): Quick web scanning, snippets
- web-research (web-browsing): Full page reading + analysis
- literature-overview (literature-engine): Paper landscape scan
- literature-search (literature-engine): Medium-depth paper search (AI summaries)
- literature-research (literature-engine): Deep paper reading (raw full text + PDF queries)
Methodology Guidance
- SOPs can iterate within this tactic (re-assess after new information)
- You decide whether additional search is needed to evaluate obstacles
Hard Constraint
- Maximum 2 rounds of the full identify → assess → propose → ask cycle
- After 2 rounds of
ask-obstacle-acceptance with unresolved obstacles: return to present-candidates (direction-narrowing tactic)
Output (Tactic-Level Aggregation)
ObstacleReport { obstacles[], mitigations[], accepted: bool }
Available SOPs
Optional, no fixed order; the final leaf is always a sop.
| SOP | When to use |
|---|
| ask-obstacle-acceptance | Present obstacles with their severity assessments and proposed mitigations to the user. Ask whether they can accept these obstacles. If unacceptable after 2 rounds, return to present-candidates. |
| assess-obstacle-severity | Rate each identified obstacle's difficulty — overcomability, time cost, workaround existence. May optionally use search tools to validate assessments. |
| identify-obstacles | Enumerate barriers to pursuing the chosen research direction — knowledge barriers, resource barriers, capability barriers, competition barriers. May optionally use search tools to discover obstacles the user hasn't mentioned. |
| propose-mitigations | Propose concrete mitigation strategies for severe obstacles. MUST use search tools to validate that proposed mitigations are realistic — no armchair theorizing. Each mitigation must have evidence of feasibility. |
