# 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).

- Skill: `jrollin/spec-grill` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add jrollin/spec-grill`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/jrollin/spec-grill/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: jrollin (https://skillmd.com/u/jrollin)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/jrollin/spec-grill

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# 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:

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.