Request Analyzer

Classifies incoming requests to enable intelligent routing and identify clarification needs before delegating to specialist agents.

When to Use

• When receiving a new user request that needs classification
• When determining which specialist agent should handle a request
• When identifying if requirements are too vague to proceed
• When detecting buzzwords that need to be challenged

Analysis Framework

Step 1: Detect Intent

Classify the primary intent:

| Intent | Indicators | Route | |--------|------------|-------| | Strategic | "roadmap", "strategy", "plan", "prioritize", "decide" | May need validation | | Implementation | "build", "create", "implement", "design", "architect" | Design work | | Debugging | "fix", "broken", "error", "slow", "not working" | Debug/investigate | | Documentation | "document", "explain", "describe", "write docs" | Documentation |

Step 2: Classify Request Type

| Type | Key Phrases | Primary Agent | |------|-------------|---------------| | Design | "How should I build...", "What architecture...", "Design a system..." | cto-architect | | Validate | "Is this plan solid?", "Thoughts on...", "Review my roadmap..." | strategic-cto-mentor | | Debug | "Why is X slow?", "Fix this error...", "Troubleshoot..." | debug-helper | | Document | "Write documentation for...", "Explain how..." | docs-writer | | Review | "Review this code...", "Check for issues..." | code-reviewer |

Step 3: Assess Complexity

| Complexity | Characteristics | Execution Pattern | |------------|-----------------|-------------------| | Single | Clear scope, one domain, obvious routing | Direct to one agent | | Sequential | Multiple phases, depends on previous output | Agent chain | | Parallel | Independent domains, can run simultaneously | Multiple agents in parallel |

Step 4: Identify Vague Terms

Scan for buzzwords that require clarification. See buzzword-dictionary.md for the complete list.

Common red flags:

• "AI-powered" - What specific AI capability?
• "scale" - What numbers? From what to what?
• "fast" / "soon" - What timeline exactly?
• "simple" - Simple for whom? What constraints?
• "modern" - What specific technologies?

Step 5: Detect Missing Context

Check for required context based on request type:

For Design Requests:

• [ ] Expected user/traffic scale
• [ ] Budget constraints
• [ ] Timeline requirements
• [ ] Team size and expertise
• [ ] Existing infrastructure

For Validation Requests:

• [ ] Current state or existing plan
• [ ] Business goals and constraints
• [ ] Timeline and resources
• [ ] Success criteria

Output Format

Provide analysis in this structure:

## Request Analysis

**Intent**: [strategic | implementation | debugging | documentation]
**Type**: [design | validate | debug | document | review]
**Complexity**: [single | sequential | parallel]

### Vague Terms Detected
- "[term]" - needs clarification: [what to ask]

### Missing Context
- [missing information item]

### Suggested Routing
**Primary Agent**: [agent name]
**Rationale**: [why this agent]

### Clarification Needed
[yes/no] - [brief explanation]

### Recommended Next Step
[what to do next - clarify or delegate]

Examples

Example 1: Vague Request

User: "I want to add AI capabilities to my app"

Analysis:

• Intent: Implementation
• Type: Design
• Complexity: Unknown (needs clarification)
• Vague Terms: "AI capabilities" - What specific problem are we solving?
• Missing Context: Scale, budget, timeline, team, existing stack
• Clarification Needed: Yes
• Next Step: Use clarification-protocol before routing

Example 2: Clear Design Request

User: "Design a real-time notification system for 100K users, using our existing PostgreSQL database and Node.js backend"

Analysis:

• Intent: Implementation
• Type: Design
• Complexity: Single
• Vague Terms: None
• Missing Context: Timeline, budget (nice to have but not blocking)
• Suggested Routing: cto-architect
• Clarification Needed: No (can proceed with optional clarification)

Example 3: Validation Request

User: "Here's my Q2 roadmap - migrate to microservices, add real-time features, and launch mobile app. Thoughts?"

Analysis:

• Intent: Strategic
• Type: Validate
• Complexity: Single
• Vague Terms: None
• Missing Context: Team size, current architecture state
• Suggested Routing: strategic-cto-mentor
• Clarification Needed: Mild (some context helpful but not blocking)

References

• Classification Criteria - Detailed routing logic
• Buzzword Dictionary - Common vague terms to challenge