Ask Questions If Underspecified

Overview

Before writing any code, ensure the requirement is fully specified. Ambiguity is the #1 source of rework.

When to Use

• Any new feature request
• Bug reports missing reproduction steps
• Refactoring requests without clear scope
• Any task where you're about to make an assumption

Process

1. Read the requirement — identify every assumption you'd need to make
2. Categorize gaps:
   • Functional: What should happen? What's the input/output?
   • Edge cases: What about nulls, empty strings, large inputs, concurrent access?
   • Scope: What's included? What's explicitly NOT included?
   • Integration: How does this interact with existing code?
   • Acceptance: How do we know it's done?
3. Ask structured questions — group by category, prioritize blockers
4. Wait for answers — do NOT proceed with assumptions on blockers

Question Template

Before I start, I need to clarify a few things:

### Functional
1. {question about behavior}
2. {question about input/output}

### Scope
3. {what's included vs excluded}

### Edge Cases
4. {question about boundary conditions}

### Acceptance Criteria
5. {how do we verify this is done?}

Anti-patterns

• Starting to code while "waiting for clarification"
• Assuming the most complex interpretation
• Asking too many questions at once (max 5-7 per round)
• Asking questions you could answer by reading the codebase