research-feasibility

name	research-feasibility
description	Reality check - can we actually do this with our constraints?
argument-hint	[idea/project or leave blank for current context]

Assess feasibility of $ARGUMENTS (or the current topic if no arguments provided).

Honest reality check: can we actually do this given technical, resource, and external constraints?

<intake_gate>

<context_analysis> First, analyze $ARGUMENTS to extract what's already provided:

• What's being assessed
• Known constraints (budget, API limits, external dependencies)
• Technical requirements
• Risk tolerance

Only ask about genuine gaps - don't re-ask what's already stated. </context_analysis>

<initial_questions> Use AskUserQuestion to ask 2-4 questions based on actual gaps:

If constraints unclear:

• "Any hard constraints?" with options: Budget limits, API/service restrictions, Must use specific tech, No major constraints, Other

If complexity unclear:

• "How complex is this?" with options: Small (few components), Medium (multiple systems), Large (significant architecture), Not sure, Other

If dependencies unclear:

• "External dependencies?" with options: Third-party APIs, External services, Other projects, None significant, Other

If risk tolerance unclear:

• "How certain do you need to be?" with options: High confidence required, Moderate risk OK, Willing to experiment, Other

Skip questions where $ARGUMENTS already provides the answer. </initial_questions>

<decision_gate> After receiving answers, use AskUserQuestion:

Question: "Ready to assess feasibility, or would you like me to ask more questions?"

Options:

1. Start assessment - I have enough context
2. Ask more questions - There are details to clarify
3. Let me add context - I want to provide additional information

If "Ask more questions" → generate 2-3 contextual follow-ups, then present decision gate again If "Let me add context" → receive input, then present decision gate again If "Start assessment" → proceed to research </decision_gate>

</intake_gate>

After intake complete:

1. Define what we're assessing
2. Evaluate technical feasibility
3. Evaluate resource feasibility
4. Evaluate external dependency feasibility
5. Identify blockers and de-risking strategies
6. Make go/no-go recommendation

<output_format>

Feasibility Assessment: [Project/Idea]

Strategic Summary

[2-3 sentences: verdict, main concern, key condition for success]

What we're assessing

[Clear description of the proposed project/feature]

Technical Feasibility

Can we build it?

• Known approaches: [Yes/Partial/No] - [details]
• Technology maturity: [Proven/Emerging/Experimental]
• Technical risks: [List with severity]
• Technical verdict: Feasible / Risky / Not feasible

Resource Feasibility

Do we have what we need?

• Skills: [Have/Need to learn]
• Budget: [Sufficient/Tight/Insufficient]
• Tools/infrastructure: [Have/Need to acquire]
• Resource verdict: Feasible / Risky / Not feasible

External Dependency Feasibility

Are external factors reliable?

• APIs/services: [Available/Reliable/Rate limits]
• Third-party integrations: [Stable/Risky]
• External data: [Accessible/Restricted]
• External verdict: Feasible / Risky / Not feasible

Blockers

Blocker	Severity	Mitigation
[Blocker]	High/Med/Low	[How to address]

De-risking Options

• [Option]: [How it reduces risk, what it costs]
• [Option]: [How it reduces risk, what it costs]

Overall Verdict

[Go / Go with conditions / No-go]

[Reasoning and key conditions]

Implementation Context

<claude_context> <if_go>

• approach: [recommended technical approach]
• start_with: [first thing to build/validate]
• critical_path: [what must work for this to succeed] </if_go>
• technical: [main technical risks]
• external: [main dependency risks]
• mitigation: [how to address each]

- if_blocked: [fallback approaches if primary fails] - simpler_version: [reduced scope that's definitely feasible]

Next Action: Address blockers, reduce scope, prototype critical path, or proceed to /plan/project

Sources

• [Source name]: [URL] - [date accessed]
• [Source name]: [URL] - [date accessed] </output_format>

<artifact_output> Save the research to a file:

1. Create directory structure if it doesn't exist:

   • [current-working-directory]/artifacts/research/

2. Generate filename from topic:

   • Get current date in YYYY-MM-DD format
   • Slugify the topic (lowercase, hyphens for spaces)
   • Format: YYYY-MM-DD-[topic]-feasibility.md
   • Example: 2025-01-15-native-app-migration-feasibility.md

3. Write the complete research to the file

4. Report to user: "Saved to artifacts/research/[filename]" </artifact_output>

<success_criteria>

• Assessment is honest (not optimistic or pessimistic)
• All dimensions evaluated (technical, resource, external)
• Blockers are specific and addressable
• De-risking options are actionable
• Verdict is clear with reasoning
• Implementation context gives Claude clear path forward
• Enables informed go/no-go decision
• Output saved to artifacts/research/ directory </success_criteria>