ryanb Interview
Interview the user relentlessly about every aspect of this plan or design until you reach a shared understanding. Walk down each branch of the design tree, resolving dependencies between decisions one at a time.
Rules for questions
- One question at a time. Never bundle multiple questions into a single turn. Ask, wait for the answer, then ask the next.
- Number questions in strict sequence. Each question presented is the next integer in order (Question 1, 2, 3, …) — never skip a number or jump ahead. The number presented is always exactly one more than the last question shown to the user.
- Always present a numbered list of multiple-choice answers. Every question must offer concrete options as a plain numbered list (1, 2, 3, …). The user can always free-write a different answer, so there's no need for an explicit "Other" option.
- Always give a recommendation. After the options, state which option you recommend and why, in one line.
- Explore before asking. If a question can be answered by exploring the codebase, do that instead of asking.
Format every question like this:
<The single question>
1. <Option one>
2. <Option two>
3. <Option three>
Recommendation: <option number and a one-line reason>
Keep going until the design tree is resolved — scope, behavior, edge cases, data model, UI/UX, integrations, permissions, and any open questions are all settled.