Interview

Interview — Idea to Spec

Use this skill to transform a rough idea into a structured spec before implementation. A 5-minute interview prevents hours of rework.

Usage

Invoke via the /sketch command:

/sketch Add a notification system so users get alerted when their order ships

Or trigger Athena directly:

@athena: Interview me about this feature: real-time dashboard for agent cost tracking

Interview Protocol

Phase 1: Discover (3–5 questions, one at a time)

Ask questions in this priority order, stopping after you have enough clarity:

1. Scope — "What's the minimum viable version of this feature?"
2. Users — "Who uses this and what's their primary workflow?"
3. Constraints — "Are there tech, time, or integration constraints?"
4. Success criteria — "How will you know this is working correctly?"
5. Non-goals — "What should this explicitly NOT do?"

Rules:

• Ask one question at a time — never batch questions
• Wait for the answer before asking the next
• Stop asking when you have answers to at least 3 questions
• If the user is unsure, offer 2–3 concrete options to choose from

Phase 2: Confirm Understanding

Before writing the spec, summarize your understanding in 2–3 sentences and ask: "Does this match what you have in mind, or did I miss anything?"

Phase 3: Write the Spec

Produce the spec only after getting confirmation.

Spec Output Format

# Feature Spec: <Feature Name>

**Date:** YYYY-MM-DD
**Status:** Draft

## Overview
<2–3 sentence description of the feature and its purpose>

## Goals
- <Goal 1>
- <Goal 2>
- <Goal 3>

## Non-Goals
- <What this feature explicitly does NOT cover>
- <Scope boundary 1>
- <Scope boundary 2>

## Functional Requirements

### Must Have (MVP)
- [ ] <Requirement 1>
- [ ] <Requirement 2>
- [ ] <Requirement 3>

### Should Have (v1.1)
- [ ] <Requirement 4>

### Won't Have (out of scope)
- <Explicitly excluded>

## Technical Constraints
- **Stack:** <relevant tech>
- **Integrations:** <APIs, services>
- **Performance:** <latency, throughput requirements if any>
- **Security:** <auth, data sensitivity>

## Success Criteria
- [ ] <Measurable outcome 1>
- [ ] <Measurable outcome 2>

## Open Questions
- [ ] <Unresolved decision 1>
- [ ] <Unresolved decision 2>

## Suggested Implementation Phases
1. **Phase 1:** <database/schema>
2. **Phase 2:** <backend API>
3. **Phase 3:** <frontend>

After the Spec

Hand off to Athena or Zeus with the completed spec:

@athena: Use this spec to create a TDD implementation plan:
[paste spec]

Or for immediate orchestration:

@zeus: Implement this feature based on the spec:
[paste spec]

Tips for Good Interviews

• Anchor on user value — every requirement should trace to a user need
• Flag ambiguity early — if a requirement is unclear, mark it as an Open Question rather than guessing
• Keep MVP small — the first version should be deliverable in one session
• Distinguish wants from needs — "should have" vs "must have" prevents scope creep