# 05 Spike

> Produces an evidence-bounded spike for an uncertainty blocking estimation, feasibility, or design. Use when the user wants to frame, investigate, resume, or conclude one. Not for general research or implementation.

- Skill: `ai-driven-dev/05-spike` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 11 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add ai-driven-dev/05-spike`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/ai-driven-dev/05-spike/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Research & Search
- Author: ai-driven-dev (https://skillmd.com/u/ai-driven-dev)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/ai-driven-dev/05-spike

---


# Spike

```mermaid
flowchart LR
  source([question or Spike]) --> create
  source -->|"already persisted"| investigate
  create -->|"save for later"| done
  create -->|"investigate now"| investigate --> conclude
  conclude -->|"inconclusive"| investigate
  conclude --> done([Spike])
```

## Actions

Run the flow above. Read only the next action file.

| Action      | Does                                  |
| ----------- | ------------------------------------- |
| create      | qualify and persist                    |
| investigate | collect evidence                       |
| conclude    | write outcome and sync parents         |

## Transversal rules

- Keep product and lifecycle decisions with the user.
- Separate evidence, decisions, and assumptions.
- Preserve source links and existing edits.
- Ask natural questions; never expose actions, references, or unchanged state.
- Require explicit approval or caller-provided bounded authority before any write.
- Bound the question; never answer beyond its stop condition.