Systems Decomposition

Break complex products/features/systems into fundamental primitives - transferable, learnable building blocks that can be clearly explained and delineated.

Process

1. Build Mental Model First

Before decomposing, ensure deep understanding of the target system:

• What problem does it solve?
• Who are the users?
• What are the core workflows?

If understanding is unclear, ask clarifying questions. Do not proceed without a clear mental model.

2. Apply First Principles

Think from the user's perspective through their journey:

• What discrete actions do they take?
• What are the atomic operations that can't be broken down further?
• What skills/capabilities are reusable across different workflows?

3. Identify Primitives

A good primitive is:

• Transferable: Useful in multiple contexts
• Learnable: Can be explained clearly
• Delineable: Has clear boundaries
• Composable: Can combine with other primitives

4. Output Format

## Primitives

### 1. [Primitive Name]
**Purpose**: What it does
**Triggers**: When it activates
**Inputs**: What it needs
**Outputs**: What it produces

### 2. [Next Primitive]
...

## How They Fit Together

[ASCII diagram showing relationships]

┌─────────────┐     ┌─────────────┐
│ Primitive A │────▶│ Primitive B │
└─────────────┘     └─────────────┘
        │
        ▼
┌─────────────┐
│ Primitive C │
└─────────────┘

Examples

Car driving primitives: parallel parking, highway overtaking, lane changing, emergency braking - high-level skills that are transferable and clearly delineated.

Software architecture primitives: database query optimization, authentication flow, frontend component composition, API request handling.

E-commerce marketing primitives: audience segmentation, campaign scheduling, content generation, performance analysis.

Input Template

Use this structure when invoking:

<product>
[Description of the product/system being analyzed]
</product>

<feature_request>
[Current feature or area of focus]
</feature_request>

<product_journey>
[Optional: Example user journey to analyze]
</product_journey>

Key Questions to Ask

If context is insufficient:

• What does the product do at its core?
• Walk me through a typical user session
• What are the main workflows?
• What integrations/dependencies exist?