ask
Ask
Purpose
Gather the information needed to proceed with a task through structured, focused dialogue.
This skill is for asking only. Do not plan, implement, or produce any artifacts.
Scope Gate (Required Before Starting)
Use this skill only when:
- The task is underspecified — key requirements, constraints, or decisions are missing
- User input is required — the task cannot proceed without answers from the user
- No assumptions are safe — guessing would risk wasted effort or wrong direction
If the task is clear enough to act on, use brainstorm, write-plan, or quick-implement instead.
Workflow
Step 1: Gather Project Context
Load project context per the shared Context Loading Protocol. Only gather what is relevant to the current task. Skip if no docs exist.
Step 2: Identify Information Gaps
Determine exactly what is missing before a task can proceed:
- Objective and user value
- Scope boundaries and non-goals
- Constraints (technical, UX, performance, timeline)
- Success criteria
- Key decisions with multiple valid options
Step 3: Ask Questions (One at a Time)
Ask targeted questions sequentially to close each gap.
Rules:
- Ask exactly one question per message
- Prefer multiple-choice options when practical (2–4 choices)
- Use open-ended questions only when no reasonable options exist
- Do not ask questions already answered by project documentation
- Do not ask about implementation details prematurely
- Do not bundle multiple questions into one message
Step 4: Confirm and Hand Off
Once all gaps are closed:
- Summarize the collected answers concisely
- Confirm with the user that the summary is correct
- Recommend the appropriate next skill based on complexity:
- Simple, clear task →
quick-implement - Complex or risky task →
write-plan - Ambiguous, high-risk, or exploratory →
brainstorm
- Simple, clear task →
Rules
- Do not write code or modify any files
- Do not produce plans, designs, or implementation artifacts
- Do not make assumptions; ask instead
- Keep questions short and focused
- Apply YAGNI: only ask what is strictly necessary to proceed
- Feeds into:
brainstorm,write-plan,quick-implement
More from buiducnhat/agent-skills
write-plan
Create detailed, execution-ready implementation plans for complex or high-risk changes without coding. Use when scope is large, requirements are mostly known, and work should be broken into validated phases before execution.
350execute-plan
Execute an approved implementation plan exactly and safely. Use when a plan already exists and work must be carried out phase-by-phase with verification checkpoints, status tracking, and final execution reporting.
347brainstorm
Collaborative discovery and design framing for ambiguous or high-risk work. Use when requirements are unclear, multiple approaches are possible, or you need to turn an idea into a validated design brief before planning or coding.
317docs
Create or refresh project documentation in `docs/`. Use when a project needs docs initialized or existing docs synced to the current codebase.
311quick-implement
Rapid implementation for small, low-risk, well-defined changes. Use when the task is narrow in scope, has clear acceptance criteria, and can be completed safely without a formal multi-phase plan.
308bootstrap
Initialize and scaffold a new project with structured requirements gathering. Use when starting a project from scratch, after running a framework initializer (npm init, create-next-app, etc.), or when an existing minimal project needs proper structure, documentation, and conventions. Triggers on: 'bootstrap project', 'start new project', 'scaffold project', 'initialize project', 'setup new project', or when the user wants to go from zero to a well-structured project foundation.
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