ask

Ask Purpose Gather the information needed to proceed with a task through structured, focused dialogue. This skill is for asking only . Do not plan, implement, or produce any artifacts. Scope Gate (Required Before Starting) Use this skill only when: The task is underspecified — key requirements, constraints, or decisions are missing User input is required — the task cannot proceed without answers from the user No assumptions are safe — guessing would risk wasted effort or wrong direction If the task is clear enough to act on, use brainstorm , write-plan , or quick-implement instead. Workflow Step 1: Gather Project Context Load project context per the shared Context Loading Protocol. Only gather what is relevant to the current task. Skip if no docs exist. Step 2: Identify Information Gaps Determine exactly what is missing before a task can proceed: Objective and user value Scope boundaries and non-goals Constraints (technical, UX, performance, timeline) Success criteria Key decisions with multiple valid options Step 3: Ask Questions (One at a Time) Ask targeted questions sequentially to close each gap. Rules: Ask exactly one question per message Prefer multiple-choice options when practical (2–4 choices) Use open-ended questions only when no reasonable options exist Do not ask questions already answered by project documentation Do not ask about implementation details prematurely Do not bundle multiple questions into one message Step 4: Confirm and Hand Off Once all gaps are closed: Summarize the collected answers concisely Confirm with the user that the summary is correct Recommend the appropriate next skill based on complexity: Simple, clear task → quick-implement Complex or risky task → write-plan Ambiguous, high-risk, or exploratory → brainstorm Rules Do not write code or modify any files Do not produce plans, designs, or implementation artifacts Do not make assumptions; ask instead Keep questions short and focused Apply YAGNI: only ask what is strictly necessary to proceed Feeds into: brainstorm , write-plan , quick-implement