Requirements Gathering Skill

Systematically gather requirements through AskUserQuestion to ensure clear specifications before implementation.

Trigger Conditions

Apply this skill when:

• User invokes /start-development command

• Starting development of a new feature or app

• Requirements are unclear and need clarification

Gathering Process

Phase 1: Basic Information

Question 1: App Purpose

Header: "Purpose" Question: "What is the main purpose of this app?" Options:

• "Productivity/Task management"
• "E-commerce/Shopping"
• "Social/Communication"
• "Entertainment/Media" (User can also provide custom answer)

Question 2: Target Users

Header: "Users" Question: "Who are the target users?" Options:

• "General consumers (B2C)"
• "Business users (B2B)"
• "Internal company use"
• "Specific community/group"

Question 3: Platform

Header: "Platform" Question: "Which platforms do you want to support?" Options:

• "iOS only"
• "Android only"
• "Both iOS and Android"
• "iOS, Android, and Web" multiSelect: true

Phase 2: Feature Requirements

Question 4: Core Features

Header: "Features" Question: "What are the 3-5 main features you need? (Select all that apply)" Options:

• "User authentication (login/signup)"
• "Data listing and detail views"
• "Create/Edit/Delete operations"
• "Search and filtering" multiSelect: true

Question 5: MVP Scope

Header: "MVP" Question: "For the initial release (MVP), which feature is most critical?" Options:

• "Core functionality working end-to-end"
• "Beautiful UI/UX design"
• "Performance and speed"
• "Comprehensive feature set"

Question 6: Data Storage

Header: "Storage" Question: "How should data be stored?" Options:

• "Local only (offline first)"
• "Cloud/Server (Firebase, Supabase, etc.)"
• "Hybrid (local + cloud sync)"
• "No persistent storage needed"

Phase 3: Screen Design

Question 7: Screen Count

Header: "Screens" Question: "How many main screens do you expect?" Options:

• "1-3 screens (simple app)"
• "4-6 screens (medium complexity)"
• "7-10 screens (complex app)"
• "10+ screens (large app)"

Question 8: Navigation Pattern

Header: "Navigation" Question: "What navigation pattern do you prefer?" Options:

• "Bottom navigation bar"
• "Drawer/Side menu"
• "Tab bar at top"
• "Simple stack navigation"

Phase 4: Technical Requirements

Question 9: External APIs

Header: "APIs" Question: "Do you need external API integrations?" Options:

• "No external APIs"
• "REST APIs"
• "GraphQL"
• "Third-party services (maps, payment, etc.)" multiSelect: true

Question 10: Authentication

Header: "Auth" Question: "What authentication method do you need?" Options:

• "No authentication needed"
• "Email/Password"
• "Social login (Google, Apple, etc.)"
• "Phone number/OTP" multiSelect: true

Question 11: Offline Support

Header: "Offline" Question: "How important is offline functionality?" Options:

• "Not needed (online only)"
• "Basic offline viewing"
• "Full offline support with sync"
• "Offline-first architecture"

Phase 5: Confirmation

After gathering all responses, compile a summary and confirm with the user.

Question 12: Requirements Summary

Header: "Confirm" Question: "Does this requirements summary look correct?" Options:

• "Yes, proceed with planning"
• "No, I need to modify some requirements"

Output: REQUIREMENTS.md

Generate a REQUIREMENTS.md file in the project root with the gathered information:

Project Requirements

Overview

• App Name: [To be determined]
• Purpose: [From Question 1]
• Target Users: [From Question 2]
• Platforms: [From Question 3]

Features

Core Features

[From Question 4]

MVP Scope

[From Question 5]

Data & Storage

• Storage Method: [From Question 6]
• Offline Support: [From Question 11]

Screens & Navigation

• Expected Screens: [From Question 7]
• Navigation Pattern: [From Question 8]

Technical Requirements

Authentication

[From Question 10]

External Integrations

[From Question 9]

Next Steps

1. Review and approve this requirements document
2. Enter Plan Mode to design implementation
3. Begin feature-by-feature development

Generated on: [Date]

Integration with Workflow

After requirements gathering:

• Save REQUIREMENTS.md

• Transition to Plan Mode (EnterPlanMode)

• Design implementation based on requirements

• User approves plan

• Begin implementation with TodoWrite tracking

Tips for Effective Gathering

• Be Specific: Ask for concrete details, not vague descriptions

• Prioritize: Help users identify MVP features vs nice-to-have

• Validate: Confirm understanding before proceeding

• Iterate: Allow users to modify answers as they think through requirements

Sample Workflow

1. User: "I want to build a todo app"
2. Claude: Invokes requirements-gathering skill
3. Claude: Asks Question 1-12 using AskUserQuestion
4. Claude: Compiles responses into REQUIREMENTS.md
5. Claude: Shows summary and asks for confirmation
6. User: Confirms or requests modifications
7. Claude: Saves REQUIREMENTS.md
8. Claude: Enters Plan Mode for implementation design