requirements-clarity

name	requirements-clarity
description	Clarify ambiguous requirements through focused dialogue before implementation. Use when requirements are unclear, features are complex (>2 days), or involve cross-team coordination. Ask two core questions - Why? (YAGNI check) and Simpler? (KISS check) - to ensure clarity before coding.

Requirements Clarity Skill

Description

Automatically transforms vague requirements into actionable PRDs through systematic clarification with a 100-point scoring system.

Instructions

When invoked, detect vague requirements:

1. Vague Feature Requests

   • User says: "add login feature", "implement payment", "create dashboard"
   • Missing: How, with what technology, what constraints?

2. Missing Technical Context

   • No technology stack mentioned
   • No integration points identified
   • No performance/security constraints

3. Incomplete Specifications

   • No acceptance criteria
   • No success metrics
   • No edge cases considered
   • No error handling mentioned

4. Ambiguous Scope

   • Unclear boundaries ("user management" - what exactly?)
   • No distinction between MVP and future enhancements
   • Missing "what's NOT included"

Do NOT activate when:

• Specific file paths mentioned (e.g., "auth.go:45")
• Code snippets included
• Existing functions/classes referenced
• Bug fixes with clear reproduction steps

Core Principles

1. Systematic Questioning

   • Ask focused, specific questions
   • One category at a time (2-3 questions per round)
   • Build on previous answers
   • Avoid overwhelming users

2. Quality-Driven Iteration

   • Continuously assess clarity score (0-100)
   • Identify gaps systematically
   • Iterate until ≥ 90 points
   • Document all clarification rounds

3. Actionable Output

   • Generate concrete specifications
   • Include measurable acceptance criteria
   • Provide executable phases
   • Enable direct implementation

Clarification Process

Step 1: Initial Requirement Analysis

Input: User's requirement description

Tasks:

1. Parse and understand core requirement
2. Generate feature name (kebab-case format)
3. Determine document version (default 1.0 unless user specifies otherwise)
4. Ensure ./docs/prds/ exists for PRD output
5. Perform initial clarity assessment (0-100)

Assessment Rubric:

Functional Clarity: /30 points
- Clear inputs/outputs: 10 pts
- User interaction defined: 10 pts
- Success criteria stated: 10 pts

Technical Specificity: /25 points
- Technology stack mentioned: 8 pts
- Integration points identified: 8 pts
- Constraints specified: 9 pts

Implementation Completeness: /25 points
- Edge cases considered: 8 pts
- Error handling mentioned: 9 pts
- Data validation specified: 8 pts

Business Context: /20 points
- Problem statement clear: 7 pts
- Target users identified: 7 pts
- Success metrics defined: 6 pts

Initial Response Format:

I understand your requirement. Let me help you refine this specification.

**Current Clarity Score**: X/100

**Clear Aspects**:
- [List what's clear]

**Needs Clarification**:
- [List gaps]

Let me systematically clarify these points...

Step 2: Gap Analysis

Identify missing information across four dimensions:

1. Functional Scope

• What is the core functionality?
• What are the boundaries?
• What is out of scope?
• What are edge cases?

2. User Interaction

• How do users interact?
• What are the inputs?
• What are the outputs?
• What are success/failure scenarios?

3. Technical Constraints

• Performance requirements?
• Compatibility requirements?
• Security considerations?
• Scalability needs?

4. Business Value

• What problem does this solve?
• Who are the target users?
• What are success metrics?
• What is the priority?

Step 3: Interactive Clarification

Question Strategy:

1. Start with highest-impact gaps
2. Ask 2-3 questions per round
3. Build context progressively
4. Use user's language
5. Provide examples when helpful

Question Format:

I need to clarify the following points to complete the requirements document:

1. **[Category]**: [Specific question]?
   - For example: [Example if helpful]

2. **[Category]**: [Specific question]?

3. **[Category]**: [Specific question]?

Please provide your answers, and I'll continue refining the PRD.

After Each User Response:

1. Update clarity score
2. Capture new information in the working PRD outline
3. Identify remaining gaps
4. If score < 90: Continue with next round of questions
5. If score ≥ 90: Proceed to PRD generation

Score Update Format:

Thank you for the additional information!

**Clarity Score Update**: X/100 → Y/100

**New Clarified Content**:
- [Summarize new information]

**Remaining Points to Clarify**:
- [List remaining gaps if score < 90]

[If score < 90: Continue with next round of questions]
[If score ≥ 90: "Perfect! I will now generate the complete PRD document..."]

Step 4: PRD Generation

Once clarity score ≥ 90, generate comprehensive PRD.

Output File:

1. Final PRD: ./docs/prds/{feature_name}-v{version}-prd.md

Use the Write tool to create or update this file. Derive {version} from the document version recorded in the PRD (default 1.0).

PRD Document Structure

# {Feature Name} - Product Requirements Document (PRD)

## Requirements Description

### Background
- **Business Problem**: [Describe the business problem to solve]
- **Target Users**: [Target user groups]
- **Value Proposition**: [Value this feature brings]

### Feature Overview
- **Core Features**: [List of main features]
- **Feature Boundaries**: [What is and isn't included]
- **User Scenarios**: [Typical usage scenarios]

### Detailed Requirements
- **Input/Output**: [Specific input/output specifications]
- **User Interaction**: [User operation flow]
- **Data Requirements**: [Data structures and validation rules]
- **Edge Cases**: [Edge case handling]

## Design Decisions

### Technical Approach
- **Architecture Choice**: [Technical architecture decisions and rationale]
- **Key Components**: [List of main technical components]
- **Data Storage**: [Data models and storage solutions]
- **Interface Design**: [API/interface specifications]

### Constraints
- **Performance Requirements**: [Response time, throughput, etc.]
- **Compatibility**: [System compatibility requirements]
- **Security**: [Security considerations]
- **Scalability**: [Future expansion considerations]

### Risk Assessment
- **Technical Risks**: [Potential technical risks and mitigation plans]
- **Dependency Risks**: [External dependencies and alternatives]
- **Schedule Risks**: [Timeline risks and response strategies]

## Acceptance Criteria

### Functional Acceptance
- [ ] Feature 1: [Specific acceptance conditions]
- [ ] Feature 2: [Specific acceptance conditions]
- [ ] Feature 3: [Specific acceptance conditions]

### Quality Standards
- [ ] Code Quality: [Code standards and review requirements]
- [ ] Test Coverage: [Testing requirements and coverage]
- [ ] Performance Metrics: [Performance test pass criteria]
- [ ] Security Review: [Security review requirements]

### User Acceptance
- [ ] User Experience: [UX acceptance criteria]
- [ ] Documentation: [Documentation delivery requirements]
- [ ] Training Materials: [If needed, training material requirements]

## Execution Phases

### Phase 1: Preparation
**Goal**: Environment preparation and technical validation
- [ ] Task 1: [Specific task description]
- [ ] Task 2: [Specific task description]
- **Deliverables**: [Phase deliverables]
- **Time**: [Estimated time]

### Phase 2: Core Development
**Goal**: Implement core functionality
- [ ] Task 1: [Specific task description]
- [ ] Task 2: [Specific task description]
- **Deliverables**: [Phase deliverables]
- **Time**: [Estimated time]

### Phase 3: Integration & Testing
**Goal**: Integration and quality assurance
- [ ] Task 1: [Specific task description]
- [ ] Task 2: [Specific task description]
- **Deliverables**: [Phase deliverables]
- **Time**: [Estimated time]

### Phase 4: Deployment
**Goal**: Release and monitoring
- [ ] Task 1: [Specific task description]
- [ ] Task 2: [Specific task description]
- **Deliverables**: [Phase deliverables]
- **Time**: [Estimated time]

---

**Document Version**: 1.0
**Created**: {timestamp}
**Clarification Rounds**: {clarification_rounds}
**Quality Score**: {quality_score}/100

Behavioral Guidelines

DO

• Ask specific, targeted questions
• Build on previous answers
• Provide examples to guide users
• Maintain conversational tone
• Summarize clarification rounds within the PRD
• Use clear, professional English
• Generate concrete specifications
• Stay in clarification mode until score ≥ 90

DON'T

• Ask all questions at once
• Make assumptions without confirmation
• Generate PRD before 90+ score
• Skip any required sections
• Use vague or abstract language
• Proceed without user responses
• Exit skill mode prematurely

Success Criteria

• Clarity score ≥ 90/100
• All PRD sections complete with substance
• Acceptance criteria checklistable (using - [ ] format)
• Execution phases actionable with concrete tasks
• User approves final PRD
• Ready for development handoff