modbender Feature Specification (Meta-Skill)
Bridge persona documentation and development. This skill translates user needs, pain points, and journeys identified in persona docs into structured, implementable feature specifications with clear acceptance criteria.
Installation
OpenClaw / Moltbot / Clawbot
npx clawhub@latest install feature-specification
Purpose
Persona docs define who and why. Feature specs define what and how well. This skill closes the gap:
- Extracts actionable features from persona pain points and journeys
- Structures requirements so developers know exactly what to build
- Defines acceptance criteria so QA knows exactly what to verify
- Prevents scope ambiguity before a single line of code is written
When to Use
- After persona docs exist (
docs/PERSONA.mdordocs/personas/) - Before development begins on a new feature or product
- When a feature request lacks clear acceptance criteria
- When stakeholders disagree on what "done" means
- When converting user feedback into development work
Feature Spec Template
Use this structure for every feature specification. Place specs in docs/specs/ or docs/features/.
# Feature: [Feature Name]
## Metadata
- **Priority:** [Must / Should / Could / Won't]
- **Target Persona:** [Persona name from persona docs]
- **Status:** Draft | Review | Approved | In Progress | Complete
- **Estimated Effort:** [T-shirt size: XS / S / M / L / XL]
## Problem Statement
[Directly reference the persona pain point this feature addresses.
Quote or link to the relevant section of persona docs.]
## Solution Description
[High-level description of what the feature does and how it solves
the problem. 2-4 sentences. No implementation details.]
## User Stories
- As a [persona], I want [action], so that [benefit].
- As a [persona], I want [action], so that [benefit].
## Acceptance Criteria
### Scenario: [Happy path description]
- **Given** [precondition]
- **When** [action]
- **Then** [expected result]
### Scenario: [Alternative path description]
- **Given** [precondition]
- **When** [action]
- **Then** [expected result]
### Scenario: [Error case description]
- **Given** [precondition]
- **When** [invalid action]
- **Then** [error handling result]
## Edge Cases
- [ ] [Edge case 1 — description and expected behavior]
- [ ] [Edge case 2 — description and expected behavior]
## Non-Functional Requirements
- **Performance:** [Response time, throughput, load targets]
- **Accessibility:** [WCAG level, keyboard nav, screen reader support]
- **Security:** [Auth requirements, data sensitivity, input validation]
- **Browser/Device:** [Support matrix]
## Dependencies
- [Feature or system this depends on]
- [External API or service required]
## Out of Scope
- [Explicitly list what this feature does NOT include]
- [Prevents scope creep during development]
## Design References
- [Link to mockups, wireframes, or design system components]
- [Screenshots or diagrams if available]
Writing Effective User Stories
User stories connect persona needs to developer tasks. Apply the INVEST criteria:
| Criterion | Meaning | Test Question |
|---|---|---|
| Independent | No ordering dependency on others | Can this be built and released alone? |
| Negotiable | Details can be discussed | Is this a conversation starter, not a contract? |
| Valuable | Delivers value to the persona | Would the persona care about this? |
| Estimable | Team can estimate effort | Is the scope clear enough to size? |
| Small | Fits in a single iteration | Can this ship in one sprint? |
| Testable | Clear pass/fail verification | Can QA write a test for this? |
Good vs Bad User Stories
| Bad | Why It's Bad | Good |
|---|---|---|
| "Users can log in" | No persona, no benefit | "As a returning customer, I want to log in with my email, so that I can access my order history" |
| "Make it fast" | Vague, untestable | "As a mobile user on 3G, I want the product list to load in under 2s, so that I don't abandon the page" |
| "Add admin panel" | Solution-first, no problem | "As a store manager, I want to update product prices without developer help, so that I can respond to market changes daily" |
| "Handle errors" | No specificity | "As a checkout user, I want clear feedback when my payment fails, so that I know whether to retry or use a different card" |
| "Implement caching" | Implementation detail, not a story | "As a repeat visitor, I want previously viewed pages to load instantly, so that browsing feels responsive" |
Acceptance Criteria Patterns
Pattern 1: Happy Path
Given a logged-in customer with items in their cart
When they click "Checkout"
Then they are taken to the payment page with their cart summary visible
Pattern 2: Boundary Conditions
Given a cart with 100 items (maximum allowed)
When the user tries to add another item
Then they see "Cart limit reached — remove an item to add a new one"
And the item is NOT added to the cart
Pattern 3: Error Cases
Given a user submitting the registration form
When the email field contains "not-an-email"
Then the form shows inline validation: "Enter a valid email address"
And the form is NOT submitted
And focus moves to the email field
Pattern 4: State Transitions
Given an order with status "Processing"
When the warehouse marks it as shipped
Then the order status changes to "Shipped"
And the customer receives a shipping confirmation email within 5 minutes
And the tracking number is visible on the order detail page
Pattern 5: Negative / Security
Given a user who is NOT the account owner
When they attempt to access /account/settings via direct URL
Then they receive a 403 Forbidden response
And the access attempt is logged
Priority Framework
Apply MoSCoW prioritization, anchored to persona impact:
| Priority | Label | Definition | Persona Alignment |
|---|---|---|---|
| P0 | Must | Product is unusable without this | Blocks the persona's primary goal |
| P1 | Should | Significant value, painful to defer | Addresses a top-3 pain point |
| P2 | Could | Nice to have, enhances experience | Improves a secondary journey |
| P3 | Won't | Explicitly deferred (this release) | Low-frequency need or niche scenario |
Prioritization process:
- List all candidate features
- Map each to a persona pain point or journey step
- Assign MoSCoW based on persona impact, not technical interest
- Validate: Do all P0s together form a usable product for the target persona?
- Cut scope until P0s are achievable in the timeline
Specification Anti-Patterns
| Anti-Pattern | Example | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Vague requirement | "System should be user-friendly" | Define measurable criteria: "Task completion in < 3 clicks" |
| Missing edge cases | Only specifying the happy path | Add boundary, error, and concurrent-use scenarios |
| No acceptance criteria | "Implement search" | Add Given/When/Then for each scenario |
| Solution masquerading as need | "Use Redis for caching" | State the need: "Repeat queries return in < 50ms" |
| Missing personas | "Users can export data" | Specify which persona and why they export |
| Unbounded scope | "Support all file formats" | List exact formats: "PDF, CSV, XLSX" |
| Implicit assumptions | Assuming auth exists without stating it | List all dependencies explicitly |
Integration with Workflow
Feature specs connect to the broader development process:
- Persona docs (
docs/PERSONA.md) — Source of truth for user needs - Feature specs (
docs/specs/) — This skill's output; the development contract - Task creation — Each spec becomes one or more development tasks
- Implementation — Developers reference the spec for scope and criteria
- Testing — QA derives test cases directly from acceptance criteria
- Review — PR reviews check that acceptance criteria are met
When using with the /new-feature command or similar workflows:
- Read the relevant persona doc first
- Generate the spec using this template
- Validate acceptance criteria cover happy path, errors, and edge cases
- Confirm priority with stakeholders before development begins
NEVER Do
- NEVER write a spec without referencing a persona — every feature exists for a user
- NEVER skip acceptance criteria — "obvious" requirements cause the most bugs
- NEVER use vague qualifiers as requirements — "fast", "easy", "intuitive" are not testable
- NEVER combine multiple features in one spec — one spec, one feature, one clear scope
- NEVER specify implementation details in user stories — describe the what, not the how
- NEVER mark a spec as Approved without edge cases documented — happy paths are the easy part
- NEVER assume dependencies are obvious — list every system, API, feature, and data source the spec relies on