Find what a spec does not decide
Lists the open questions before you build, so they are not filled in by guesswork.
| Category | Development › Technical writing |
|---|---|
| Tags | ReviewingQuestion generationDeveloper |
Review this spec for what it does not decide. Produce three groups: **A. Blocking** — cannot start without an answer. For each: the question, why it blocks, and **a recommended default so it can be answered with a yes.** **B. Will surface during build** — answerable later, but note them now so they are not silently decided by whoever hits them first. **C. Assumed** — things the spec treats as settled that may not be. *These are the dangerous ones: nobody asks, because nobody noticed there was a choice.* Look specifically for: - Error and empty states. Specs describe the success path and stop. - Permissions — who can do this, and who can see the result - What happens to existing data - Limits — how many, how large, how often - Concurrency — two people doing this at once - Undo, edit, delete after the fact - Where the boundary with the existing system sits Then: - Requirements that conflict with each other or with how the existing system behaves. - Anything specified in a way that is far more expensive than an adjacent alternative. *Say so before building it* — the spec author often does not know the cost. - What the spec asks for that is not testable as written. Rules: - *Ask only what genuinely blocks or risks rework.* A long question list gets ignored entirely. - Do not redesign the feature. Report what is undecided.
After pasting, fill in the fields at the bottom (Spec · Existing system)
What this prompt does
Specs always omit something, and a developer guessing means rework later. This isolates only the questions that block implementation and attaches a recommended default to each.
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