discovering

name	discovering
description	Use when idea is vague, multiple interpretations exist, scope is undefined, or stakeholders need alignment before technical work begins

Discovering Skill

Use when the what/why is unclear; output is a direction, not a solution.

When to Use vs Researching

What's unclear?
├── What/Why (goal, scope, requirements) → Discovering
└── How (technical approach, implementation) → Researching

When to Use

• Idea is vague or underspecified
• Multiple interpretations exist
• Need to align on scope and goals
• Stakeholders have different expectations

Skip if: request is clear and decision-ready (use researching skill instead).

Quick Reference

Phase	Focus	Output
Context	Code, docs, recent changes	Current state
Intent	Purpose, constraints, criteria	Requirements
Directions	2-3 approaches + trade-offs	Recommendation
Confirm	Sign-off	Discovery brief

Core Rules

• Gather project context first
• One question at a time
• Prefer multiple choice
• High-level directions, not technical solutions

Flow

1. Context — Check code, docs, recent changes

2. Intent — Purpose, constraints, success criteria, scope

3. Directions — 2-3 high-level approaches with trade-offs; recommend one

4. Confirm & Output — Discovery brief:

   • Goal (1 sentence)
   • Non-goals
   • Direction/approach
   • Open questions (1-3 bullets)

Get sign-off before proceeding.

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Fix
Jumping to technical solutions	Stay high-level; how comes later
Asking multiple questions at once	One question, wait for answer
Skipping context gathering	Always check existing code/docs first
No clear recommendation	Always pick one direction and explain why
Proceeding without sign-off	Get explicit confirmation

Delegate

• Use explorer subagent for a breadth-first repo map and evidence from code/docs/recent history (Context phase)

After Discovery

• Technical uncertainty? → Use researching skill
• Direction clear? → Use blueprinting skill

Pipeline: discovering → researching → blueprinting → implementing → code-review