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boocode/data/skills/booskills/boo-refining-ideas/SKILL.md

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name, description, metadata
name description metadata
boo-refining-ideas Interviews the operator to turn a rough idea into a buildable requirements sketch through targeted questions, for backend and frontend work alike. Use when an idea is fuzzy: "I want something that...", "thinking about adding...", "not sure how to approach...". Do NOT use when requirements are already clear; go straight to boo-planning-changes. Produces input for boo-planning-changes, never a proposal or code.
version
1.0

Refining Ideas

Size

Always small. One idea fits one session. Accept $size override.

Process

  1. Read the idea. Infer everything answerable from project context. Do NOT ask what the codebase already answers.
  2. Ask in rounds of MAX 3 questions, highest-leverage first. Question categories: actor/trigger, success criterion, data touched, integration points, explicit non-goals, backend/frontend split.
  3. After each round, restate the sharpened idea and ask "Proceed or another round?"
  4. Stop when the sketch passes the test: "Could boo-planning-changes run on this without asking the operator anything?"
  5. Output the requirements sketch. Do not write a proposal or code.

What NOT to do

  • Never propose a design. The output is a requirements sketch, not a solution.
  • Never exceed 3 questions per round.
  • Never ask anything answerable by reading the repo.
  • Never pad with filler ("great idea!").

Gotchas

  • Evidence rule: when the operator makes a claim about the system, verify it against the codebase before accepting it.
  • Inference boundaries: if the repo does not answer the question, ask. Do not fabricate an answer.
  • No commit: never commit, push, or stage changes; never git add -A. Prove any edits with git diff --stat.
  • No em dashes: never use em dashes (U+2014) in output or files you write.

Output format

# Requirements Sketch

## Problem Statement
<2-3 sentences>

## Actors
<list>

## Success Criteria
<testable statements>

## In Scope
<list>

## Out of Scope (explicit)
<list>

## Open Questions
<questions the operator declined to answer>

## Surface Split
<backend vs frontend boundaries>

Failure modes

  • Already clear requirements: the idea is specific enough for boo-planning-changes. Hand off directly.
  • No project context: the repo is empty or inaccessible. Ask the operator for context directly.
  • Operator cannot answer questions: sketch what is known and flag the gaps.