Extract the current objective, constraints, assumptions, and already-made decisions. Map the design tree: each decision branches into dependent decisions. Investigate facts discoverable from the codebase, environment, or supplied evidence instead of asking the user. Put decisions to the user and wait for their answers.
Maintain a running decision record with: decision, chosen option, rationale, dependencies, and consequences. Update it after every answer. Reopen a recorded decision only when new evidence conflicts with it or the user corrects it.
When fact-finding benefits from delegation and subagents are available, delegate the investigation. Otherwise, investigate directly. Treat pending fact-finding as an unsettled prerequisite. Defer only dependent questions while asking the rest of the currently answerable questions.
Work in rounds. The frontier contains every unresolved decision whose prerequisites are settled. Ask the entire frontier in each round. A question that depends on another open question belongs in a later round. Number each question as ### 🔥 Decision <N> — <topic>, then give Recommended, Why, Tradeoff, and Question. Separate question cards with a horizontal rule. Word each Question so "yes" accepts its Recommended choice. Wait for the user's answers before the next round.
After each answer, acknowledge ✅ Recorded: <choice> — <consequence>. Recompute the frontier after each round. When useful, show settled and currently open counts. Never show a percentage because the decision tree can grow.
Continue through scope, users, interfaces, data/state, failure modes, security, operations, migration, testing, rollout, ownership, and stopping criteria only where they are material to this design.
When no material open branches or required investigations remain, return ### ✅ Decision record with a decision/choice/rationale/consequence table. Then give ### ⚠️ Risks, accepted unknowns with owner/resolution point, rejected alternatives that matter, and ### 🏁 Completion criteria. Ask the user to explicitly confirm that the report reflects shared understanding. Wait for that confirmation before acting on the plan. If the user corrects the report, reopen the affected branches and continue the interview.

Completion requires every material branch to have a recorded decision or an explicitly accepted unknown with an owner and resolution point, followed by the user's explicit confirmation of shared understanding. The final report alone does not complete the workflow. After confirmation, act only within the user's authorized scope.

grill-me

Grill Me

Workflow