Pre-Dev Research Skill (Gate 0)

Purpose: Gather comprehensive research BEFORE writing planning documents, ensuring PRDs and TRDs are grounded in codebase reality and industry best practices.

The Research-First Principle

Traditional:  Request → PRD → Discover problems during implementation
Research-First:  Request → Research → Informed PRD → Smoother implementation

Research prevents: Reinventing existing patterns, ignoring conventions, missing framework constraints, repeating solved problems

Step 1: Determine Research Mode

BLOCKING GATE: Before dispatching agents, determine the research mode.

| Mode | When to Use | Example | |------|-------------|---------| | greenfield | No existing patterns | "Add GraphQL API" (when project has none) | | modification | Extending existing functionality | "Add pagination to user list API" | | integration | Connecting external systems | "Integrate Stripe payments" |

If unclear, ask:

Before starting research: Is this (1) Greenfield - new capability, (2) Modification - extends existing, or (3) Integration - connects external systems?

Mode affects agent priority:

Greenfield → Web research primary (best-practices, framework-docs)
Modification → Codebase research primary (repo-research)
Integration → All agents equally weighted

Step 2: Dispatch Research Agents

Run 4 agents in PARALLEL (single message, 4 Task calls):

| Agent | Prompt Focus | Mode | |-------|--------------|------| | ring:repo-research-analyst | Codebase patterns for [feature]. Search docs/solutions/ knowledge base. Return file:line references. | PRIMARY in modification | | ring:best-practices-researcher | External best practices for [feature]. Use Context7 + WebSearch. Return URLs. | PRIMARY in greenfield | | ring:framework-docs-researcher | Tech stack docs for [feature]. Detect versions from manifests. Use Context7. Return version constraints. | PRIMARY in integration | | ring:product-designer | User problem validation, personas, competitive UX analysis, design constraints for [feature]. Mode: ux-research. | PRIMARY in greenfield, SECONDARY in others |

Task invocation for product-designer:

Task(
  subagent_type="ring:product-designer",
  prompt="Analyze user needs for [feature]. Mode: ux-research. Return: problem validation, preliminary personas, competitive analysis, design constraints."
)

Step 2.5: Handle Topology Configuration

If TopologyConfig is provided (from command's topology discovery):

Persist in research.md frontmatter:

---
feature: {feature-name}
gate: 0
date: {YYYY-MM-DD}
research_mode: greenfield | modification | integration
agents_dispatched: 4
topology:
  scope: fullstack | backend-only | frontend-only
  structure: single-repo | monorepo | multi-repo
  modules:  # Only if monorepo or multi-repo
    backend:
      path: {path}
      language: golang | typescript
    frontend:
      path: {path}
      framework: nextjs | react | vue
  doc_organization: unified | per-module
  api_pattern: direct | bff | other  # Only if scope=fullstack
---

Document Placement (based on topology.structure):

| Structure | research.md Location | |-----------|---------------------| | single-repo | docs/pre-dev/{feature-name}/research.md | | monorepo | docs/pre-dev/{feature-name}/research.md (root) | | multi-repo | Write to BOTH: {backend.path}/docs/pre-dev/{feature-name}/research.md AND {frontend.path}/docs/pre-dev/{feature-name}/research.md |

Multi-repo directory creation:

# Create directories in both repos
mkdir -p "{backend.path}/docs/pre-dev/{feature-name}"
mkdir -p "{frontend.path}/docs/pre-dev/{feature-name}"

Multi-repo sync note: Add this footer to research.md for multi-repo:

---
**Sync Status:** This document is maintained in both repositories.
- Primary: {backend.path}/docs/pre-dev/{feature-name}/research.md
- Mirror: {frontend.path}/docs/pre-dev/{feature-name}/research.md

Adjust agent dispatch for multi-module projects:

If topology.structure is monorepo or multi-repo:

ring:repo-research-analyst: Run ONCE per module path
- Backend: Search {topology.modules.backend.path} for patterns
- Frontend: Search {topology.modules.frontend.path} for patterns

Combine findings in single research.md with module sections:

### Codebase Research

#### Backend Module ({path})
[Agent output for backend]

#### Frontend Module ({path})
[Agent output for frontend]

TopologyConfig flows to all subsequent gates:

Gate 1 (PRD): Reads topology from research.md frontmatter
Gate 2 (Feature Map): Uses topology for domain mapping
Gate 7 (Task Breakdown): Tags tasks with target: based on topology

Step 3: Aggregate Research Findings

Output:

single-repo/monorepo: docs/pre-dev/{feature-name}/research.md
multi-repo: Both {backend.path}/docs/pre-dev/{feature-name}/research.md AND {frontend.path}/docs/pre-dev/{feature-name}/research.md

| Section | Content | |---------|---------| | Metadata (YAML frontmatter) | date, feature, research_mode, agents_dispatched, topology | | Executive Summary | 2-3 sentences synthesizing key findings | | Research Mode | Why selected, what it means for focus | | Codebase Research | Agent output (file:line references) | | Best Practices Research | Agent output (URLs) | | Framework Documentation | Agent output (version constraints) | | Product/UX Research | Agent output (user problem, personas, design constraints) | | Synthesis | Key patterns to follow (file:line, URL, doc ref); Constraints identified; Prior solutions from docs/solutions/; UX considerations; Open questions for PRD |

Step 4: Gate 0 Validation

BLOCKING CHECKLIST:

| Check | Required For | |-------|--------------| | Research mode documented | All modes | | All 4 agents returned | All modes | | research.md created | All modes | | TopologyConfig in frontmatter | All modes (if provided by command) | | At least one file:line reference | modification, integration | | At least one external URL | greenfield, integration | | docs/solutions/ searched | All modes | | Tech stack versions documented | All modes | | Product/UX research documented | All modes | | User problem identified | All modes | | Synthesis section complete | All modes | | Module-specific research (if multi-module) | monorepo, multi-repo |

If validation fails:

Missing agent output → Re-run that agent
No codebase patterns (modification) → May need mode change
No external docs (greenfield) → Try different search terms
No UX research (product-designer) → Re-run product-designer agent

Integration with Pre-Dev Workflow

ring:pre-dev-full (10-gate): Gate 0 Research → Gate 1 PRD (reads research.md) → ... → Gate 3 TRD (reads research.md)

ring:pre-dev-feature (5-gate): Gate 0 Research → Gate 1 PRD → Gate 2 TRD → Gate 3 Tasks

Research Document Usage

In Gate 1 (PRD): Reference existing patterns with file:line; cite docs/solutions/; include external URLs; note framework constraints

In Gate 3 (TRD): Reference implementation patterns; use version constraints; cite similar implementations

Anti-Patterns

Skipping research for "simple" features - Even simple features benefit from convention checks
Wrong research mode - Greenfield with heavy codebase research wastes time; modification without codebase research misses patterns
Ignoring docs/solutions/ - Prior solutions are gold; prevents repeating mistakes
Vague references without file:line - "There's a pattern somewhere" is not useful; exact locations enable quick reference

Standards Loading (MANDATORY)

This skill is a research/analysis skill and does NOT require WebFetch of language-specific standards.

Purpose: This skill gathers research BEFORE technical decisions are made. Standards are loaded in TRD (Gate 3) after research establishes context.

However, research agents dispatched by this skill (e.g., ring:framework-docs-researcher) MUST use WebSearch and Context7 to gather current best practices.

Blocker Criteria - STOP and Report

| Condition | Action | Severity | |-----------|--------|----------| | Research mode cannot be determined | STOP and ask user for clarification | CRITICAL | | All 4 research agents failed to return results | STOP and investigate connectivity/availability | CRITICAL | | No docs/solutions/ directory exists to search | Continue but document as limitation | MEDIUM | | TopologyConfig provided but invalid | STOP and request valid topology | HIGH | | research.md cannot be created (permissions) | STOP and report filesystem error | CRITICAL |

Cannot Be Overridden

These requirements are NON-NEGOTIABLE:

MUST dispatch all 4 research agents in parallel
MUST determine research mode BEFORE dispatching agents
MUST include product/UX research via ring:product-designer
MUST aggregate findings into research.md with file:line references
MUST search docs/solutions/ for prior solutions
MUST document tech stack versions from manifests
CANNOT skip synthesis section

Severity Calibration

| Severity | Definition | Example | |----------|------------|---------| | CRITICAL | Research cannot proceed | All research agents failed, no mode determined | | HIGH | Research incomplete but usable | Missing agent output (1 of 4) | | MEDIUM | Research quality degraded | No file:line references in codebase research | | LOW | Minor gaps in documentation | Missing one external URL reference |

Pressure Resistance

| User Says | Your Response | |-----------|---------------| | "Skip research, just write the PRD" | "Cannot proceed. Research prevents reinventing existing patterns. Gate 0 takes 30 minutes, saves hours of rework." | | "We already researched this manually" | "Cannot skip automated research. Manual research may miss codebase patterns. I'll run systematic analysis now." | | "Only run codebase research, skip external" | "Cannot skip agents. Mode determines focus, not exclusion. Greenfield needs external research; modification needs both." | | "Product research isn't needed, we know users" | "Cannot skip product-designer. User assumptions need validation. UX research prevents building wrong features." | | "docs/solutions/ is empty, skip that check" | "Cannot skip the check. Empty result is documented. Future features benefit from knowing what doesn't exist." |

Anti-Rationalization

| Rationalization | Why It's WRONG | Required Action | |-----------------|----------------|-----------------| | "Feature is simple, research is overkill" | Simple features have conventions too. Research validates simplicity | Run all 4 agents regardless of perceived simplicity | | "I know the codebase, skip repo research" | Personal knowledge isn't documented or shared | Run ring:repo-research-analyst anyway | | "External best practices don't apply to us" | Best practices exist for reasons. Evaluate, don't dismiss | Run ring:best-practices-researcher | | "Framework docs are the same as last time" | Versions change. Patterns evolve. Check current state | Run ring:framework-docs-researcher | | "User research slows us down" | Building wrong features slows down 100x more | Run ring:product-designer in ux-research mode | | "Synthesis is just summary, I can skip it" | Synthesis extracts actionable insights. Summary isn't enough | Complete synthesis section with patterns/constraints |

When This Skill Is Not Needed

Trivial changes that don't need planning (< 1 hour work)
research.md already exists and is recent (< 7 days old)
Bug fixes with known root cause requiring no design research
Documentation-only updates
Pure refactoring with no new functionality
Configuration changes requiring no architectural research