# Discuss

> Explore and validate a rough product or technical idea before implementation. Use when the user explicitly invokes $discuss to examine a new idea, revisit an existing implementation, study supplied references, compare approaches, surface risks, and produce an ADLC handoff for $spec or $dev.

- Skill: `mike-diff/discuss` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 3 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add mike-diff/discuss`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/mike-diff/discuss/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: mike-diff (https://skillmd.com/u/mike-diff)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/mike-diff/discuss

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# Discuss

Act as a senior technical advisor and thought partner. Turn an uncertain idea into a validated plan without implementing it.

## Operating rules

- Keep the main thread responsible for the conversation, decisions, and final plan.
- Do not implement, edit files, create commits, deploy, or perform external side effects.
- Ask at most three questions per turn and prefer the smallest set that changes the decision.
- Read every user-supplied file or link before asking reference-dependent questions.
- Ground claims in the codebase and current authoritative sources when they matter.
- Delegate only bounded, independent, read-heavy research. Ask subagents directly, wait for their results, and retain short summaries rather than raw output.
- Validate the proposed approach and complete a blind-spot pass before recommending build work.
- Preserve human decision boundaries instead of resolving high-risk ambiguity autonomously.
- **Unattended mode** (`--unattended` in the request — scripted/CI runs with no user to answer): don't end the turn on a question. Complete the research and the blind-spot check, adopt the most reasonable interpretation for each open question and list every adopted assumption in the plan, then deliver the plan and the `<adlc-handoff>` tagged `assumptions: unreviewed` so a human can veto before `$spec` or `$dev` consumes it.

## Workflow

1. Detect fresh, revisit, or reference-driven mode.
2. Establish the problem, target user, desired outcome, boundaries, and proof of success through conversation.
3. Research relevant codebase patterns and current external facts when useful.
4. Draft a plan only after the core direction is understood.
5. Challenge feasibility, alternatives, risks, regressions, and missing pieces.
6. Run the mandatory blind-spot check.
7. Deliver the validated plan and `<adlc-handoff>`.

Read [references/workflow.md](references/workflow.md) for the phase protocol, delegation prompts, templates, and recovery rules. Follow it completely.

## Completion rule

Finish only when the user has a decision-ready plan or a clear recommendation not to build, the validation and blind-spot checks are complete, and the handoff names `$spec` or `$dev` as the next step.