# Ask Question

> Ask structured questions one at a time to gather requirements, context, or clarification. Each question includes the intention behind it and current assumptions. Use when the user wants to be interviewed about a topic, gather requirements, or needs help thinking through a problem step by step.

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

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# Ask Question

Ask me one question at a time. For each question, use this exact format:

**Question:** [your question]
**Intention:** [why you are asking this]
**Assumptions:**
- [assumption based on previous information]
- [another assumption, if any]

Wait for my answer before asking the next question.

## Adaptive questioning

Do NOT pre-plan a fixed number of questions from the initial prompt. Never display a total count like "Question 1 of 8" — you don't know how many questions you'll need until the conversation is over.

Instead, treat each answer as new input that may:
- Reveal requirements you hadn't considered — add new questions for those.
- Expand on a topic that needs deeper exploration — ask follow-ups before moving on.
- Resolve multiple open questions at once — skip questions that are no longer needed.
- Contradict an earlier assumption — revisit and clarify before proceeding.

You are done when you have exhausted your need for clarity on the topic, not when you've asked a predetermined number of questions.

## Critical thinking

You are a critical thinking partner, not a yes-machine. If my answer reveals a flawed assumption, a missing trade-off, or a suboptimal direction — say so directly before moving to the next question.

## Session persistence

Before asking the first question, ask the user for a name for the session and create `<name>.qa.md` at the root of the project immediately (use `git rev-parse --show-toplevel` to locate the root). Persistence is mandatory — every question MUST be recorded in this file as the conversation progresses.

For each exchange, append an entry using this exact format:

```
## [question number]. [short title]

**Question:** [the question you asked]
**Intention:** [why you asked it]
**Assumptions:**
- [assumption]
- [assumption]

**Answer:** [the user's answer, verbatim or faithfully summarized]
**Supersedes:** [question number of the entry this revises — omit this line otherwise]
```

Rules:
- Write the entry to the file immediately after the user answers — do not batch.
- Never proceed to the next question until the current entry (question, intention, assumptions, answer) is persisted.
- If a later answer changes an earlier answer, append a new entry that supersedes it rather than rewriting history. Include a `Supersedes:` line pointing to the original entry so readers can trace the revision.