Discovering Skill

Use when the what/why is unclear; output is a direction, not a solution.

When to Use vs Researching

What's unclear?
├── What/Why (goal, scope, requirements) → Discovering
└── How (technical approach, implementation) → Researching

When to Use

• Idea is vague or underspecified
• Multiple interpretations exist
• Need to align on scope and goals
• Stakeholders have different expectations

Skip if: request is clear and decision-ready (use researching skill instead).

Quick Reference

| Phase | Focus | Output | | ---------- | ------------------------------ | --------------- | | Context | Code, docs, recent changes | Current state | | Intent | Purpose, constraints, criteria | Requirements | | Directions | 2-3 approaches + trade-offs | Recommendation | | Confirm | Sign-off | Discovery brief |

Core Rules

• Gather project context first
• One question at a time
• Prefer multiple choice
• High-level directions, not technical solutions

Flow

1. Context — Check code, docs, recent changes

2. Intent — Purpose, constraints, success criteria, scope

3. Directions — 2-3 high-level approaches with trade-offs; recommend one

4. Confirm & Output — Discovery brief:

   • Goal (1 sentence)
   • Non-goals
   • Direction/approach
   • Open questions (1-3 bullets)

Get sign-off before proceeding.

Common Mistakes

| Mistake | Fix | | --------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------- | | Jumping to technical solutions | Stay high-level; how comes later | | Asking multiple questions at once | One question, wait for answer | | Skipping context gathering | Always check existing code/docs first | | No clear recommendation | Always pick one direction and explain why | | Proceeding without sign-off | Get explicit confirmation |

After Discovery

• Technical uncertainty? → Use researching skill
• Direction clear? → Proceed to implementation