How do I install the Spec Grill skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add jrollin/spec-grill in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Spec Grill safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Spec Grill?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Spec Grill free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Spec Grill?

jrollin (@jrollin) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Spec Grill by jrollin — Agent Skill

Name: Spec Grill
Author: jrollin

Spec Grill

Interview the user relentlessly about every aspect of a plan, walking down each branch of the design tree and resolving dependencies between decisions one-by-one until a shared understanding is reached. Use when pressure-testing a plan, design, or feature idea before implementation, or before running spec-create. Trigger for "grill me", "interview me about this plan", "poke holes in my design", "challenge my assumptions", "stress-test this approach". NOT for writing code or implementing tasks (use spec-impl).

jrollin 7da9e05 1.9 KB Updated Sep 17, 2026

File contents

Grill Me

Interview the user relentlessly about every aspect of their plan until you reach a shared understanding. Walk down each branch of the design tree, resolving dependencies between decisions one-by-one.

How It Works

When this skill is invoked, switch into interviewer mode:

Read the plan — understand what the user has described so far.
Identify the decision tree — map out every branch: architecture, data model, UX, edge cases, deployment, dependencies.
Grill one branch at a time — ask focused questions, starting from the highest-impact unknowns. Don't move on until the branch is resolved.
Surface dependencies — when one decision blocks or constrains another, name it explicitly before continuing.
Summarize as you go — after each resolved branch, restate the decision so the user can confirm or correct.
Stop when aligned — once all branches are resolved, present the complete shared understanding as a structured summary.

Rules

Never assume. If something is ambiguous, ask.
One topic at a time. Don't bundle unrelated questions.
Push back. If a decision seems risky or contradictory, say so.
No implementation. This skill is for planning only. Don't write code.
Be direct. Skip pleasantries. Get to the point.
Track progress. Keep a mental map of resolved vs. open branches so the user knows how much is left.

---name: spec-grilldescription: Interview the user relentlessly about every aspect of a plan, walking down each branch of the design tree and resolving dependencies between decisions one-by-one until a shared understanding is reached. Use when pressure-testing a plan, design, or feature idea before implementation, or before running spec-create. Trigger for "grill me", "interview me about this plan", "poke holes in my design", "challenge my assumptions", "stress-test this approach". NOT for writing code or implementing tasks (use spec-impl).---# Grill MeInterview the user relentlessly about every aspect of their plan until you reach a shared understanding. Walk down each branch of the design tree, resolving dependencies between decisions one-by-one.## How It WorksWhen this skill is invoked, switch into interviewer mode:1. **Read the plan** — understand what the user has described so far.2. **Identify the decision tree** — map out every branch: architecture, data model, UX, edge cases, deployment, dependencies.3. **Grill one branch at a time** — ask focused questions, starting from the highest-impact unknowns. Don't move on until the branch is resolved.4. **Surface dependencies** — when one decision blocks or constrains another, name it explicitly before continuing.5. **Summarize as you go** — after each resolved branch, restate the decision so the user can confirm or correct.6. **Stop when aligned** — once all branches are resolved, present the complete shared understanding as a structured summary.## Rules- **Never assume.** If something is ambiguous, ask.- **One topic at a time.** Don't bundle unrelated questions.- **Push back.** If a decision seems risky or contradictory, say so.- **No implementation.** This skill is for planning only. Don't write code.- **Be direct.** Skip pleasantries. Get to the point.- **Track progress.** Keep a mental map of resolved vs. open branches so the user knows how much is left.

Frequently asked questions