requirements-elicitation_skill

Overview

This skill extracts complete, unambiguous requirements from user specifications, turning vague requests into actionable, testable items. It identifies functional and non-functional requirements, surfaces constraints, and produces clear acceptance criteria. The goal is to reduce rework and clarify scope before design or implementation begins.

How this skill works

The skill reads the full specification to capture explicit statements and then infers implicit requirements that are likely assumed but unstated. It flags ambiguities and inconsistencies and formulates targeted clarification questions. Finally, it outputs a structured list of requirements with associated acceptance criteria and noted constraints.

When to use it

• Analyzing new feature requests or product ideas
• Processing enhancement or change specifications
• Breaking down large features into discrete, implementable tasks
• Preparing for sprint planning or design reviews
• Validating stakeholder-provided requirements before development

Best practices

• Ask targeted "what" and "who" questions rather than prescribing implementation details
• Document assumptions and dependencies explicitly alongside each requirement
• Separate functional from non-functional requirements for testability
• Define clear, measurable acceptance criteria for every requirement
• Flag unknowns early and prioritize clarifying high-risk ambiguities

Example use cases

• Turn a vague request like "add export functionality" into specific requirements: formats, data scope, permissions, limits, and acceptance tests
• Review a product spec to list functional, performance, and security requirements before planning
• Break a large feature into sub-requirements and identify missing data or stakeholder decisions
• Create a requirements checklist to feed into QA test cases and user acceptance testing
• Identify constraints such as supported platforms, data retention rules, and third-party limits to prevent late surprises