Defining Issues

Explores the codebase and converts a vague request into a grounded definition. For complex tasks, researches industry solutions and produces a design.

Does NOT implement code, create PRs, or make architectural changes. Output is definition (always) and design (L-scope only).

Phase 1: Definition

NO SOLUTION LANGUAGE — DEFINE THE PROBLEM, NOT THE FIX

Step 1: Background & Context

• Describe the domain, system, or user scenario
• Include history or prior attempts if known
• Keep factual — no editorializing or solution advocacy

Step 2: Issue Statement

• Precise engineering language and codebase terminology
• No subjective, aspirational, or solution-proposing language
• Single paragraph

Step 3: Current State

• List exact file paths (verify with Glob or Read)
• Include line numbers for specific functions or definitions
• Describe current behavior, not desired behavior
• If section exceeds 30 lines, summarize and move details to a reference appendix
• If nothing relevant exists: "No existing implementation found."

Step 4: Non-Goals

When in doubt, mark it a non-goal.

• What is explicitly out of scope
• What parts of the system must NOT be redesigned
• What adjacent issues are intentionally excluded

Step 5: Open Questions

Each item must include a default so downstream work can proceed.

Format: Question? (default: answer)

Step 6: Scope

Assess the size of the work:

• S — single file, <30 lines, known pattern, clear solution
• M — 2-3 files, some ambiguity but existing patterns apply
• L — new subsystem, novel problem, multiple viable approaches

State the scope with a one-sentence justification referencing the current state.

Step 7: Validate Definition

Check	Criteria
Background & Context	Factual, no editorializing or solution advocacy
Issue Statement	Precise, single paragraph, no solution words ("should", "need to", "by adding X")
Current State	Real file paths verified with Glob/Read, current behavior only
Non-Goals	Specific exclusions, conservative scope
Open Questions	Each has a (default: answer)
Scope	S/M/L with justification referencing current state

If any check fails, return to the failing step and revise.

Save Definition

Save to docs/plans/YYYY-MM-DD-<slug>/definition.md:

## Background & Context

## Issue Statement

## Current State

## Non-Goals

## Open Questions

## Scope

Missing any section invalidates the output.

If scope is S or M: definition is complete. Proceed to executing-tasks.

If scope is L: continue to Phase 2.

---

Phase 2: Design (L-scope only)

NO DESIGN DECISION WITHOUT A CITED REFERENCE

Step 8: Research

1. Web search: Engineering blogs, technical articles, documentation
2. GitHub: Open-source implementations, issues, PRs showing patterns

Prioritize primary sources from companies that have solved this at scale. Use at least 3 distinct search queries.

Rules:

• At least 3 references, each with a URL you actually visited
• Verify each URL loads via WebFetch before including — if verification fails after 2 attempts, note as "unverified" and move on
• Do NOT fabricate URLs
• Quality over quantity — 3 highly relevant references beat 5 tangential ones

Step 9: Industry Baseline

• Common/default solution and widely adopted patterns
• Trade-offs and known limitations
• Cite references by title

Step 10: Research Summary

• Key patterns across sources
• Which approaches fit the current issue and codebase
• What research suggests about the issue's open questions

Step 11: Design Goals & Non-Goals

Design Goals — derive from issue statement, order by priority. Each must be verifiable: a measurable metric or testable assertion.

Non-Goals — inherit all from definition, add any discovered during research.

Step 12: Proposed Design

• Reference specific files/modules from definition's current state
• Explain key decisions and why alternatives were rejected (cite research)
• Include interface definitions or data flows where helpful
• Every decision traces to a design goal
• Pseudocode acceptable; implementation code is not

Step 13: Validate Design

Check	Criteria
References	3+ entries with URLs (verified or marked "unverified")
Industry Baseline	Cites references by title, no speculation
Design Goals	Verifiable, trace to issue statement
Non-Goals	All inherited items from definition included
Proposed Design	Every decision traces to a goal, no implementation code

If any check fails, return to the failing step and revise.

Save Design

Save to docs/plans/YYYY-MM-DD-<slug>/design.md:

## References

## Industry Baseline

## Research Summary

## Design Goals

## Non-Goals

## Proposed Design

Missing any section invalidates the output.

---

Anti-patterns

Definition

• ❌ "We need to add X" → ✓ "No X exists"
• ❌ "The system lacks X" (solution wearing a mask) → ✓ "Behavior Y occurs because Z"
• ❌ "There is no caching layer" (implies one is needed) → ✓ "Queries hit the database on every request; p95 latency is Nms"
• ❌ Listing systems not affected → ✓ only code paths exhibiting the issue
• ❌ "Not changing unrelated code" → ✓ specific exclusions
• ❌ "Should we log?" → ✓ "Should we log? (default: no)"

Solution language test: Re-read the Issue Statement. If removing it would make a reader think "so what?", it describes a problem. If removing it would make a reader think "OK, so we won't build that" — it describes a solution. Rewrite.

Design

• ❌ "Most apps probably use X" → ✓ "PDF.js uses X (PR #7793)"
• ❌ keys.filter(k => ...) → ✓ "Collect keys ending with suffix"
• ❌ Unverified URLs → ✓ every URL visited via WebFetch
• ❌ Features not traced to goals → ✓ every decision references a goal

Red Flags - STOP

If you catch yourself thinking:

• "I'll suggest a solution in the background section"
• "This issue is obvious, I can skip the codebase scan"
• "The open questions don't need defaults"
• "This is clearly L-scope" (without checking current state for existing patterns)
• "This pattern is common enough, I don't need a reference"
• "I'll skip URL verification, it's a well-known source"
• "The definition didn't mention this, but I'll add it to the design"
• "I'll include implementation code to make it clearer"

All of these mean: STOP. Revisit the step and follow the process.

Related Skills

• executing-tasks — next stage: plans and executes tasks from definition/design
• syncing-linear — push artifacts to Linear at any point