grill-me_skill

Overview

This skill clarifies ambiguous or conflicting requests by researching first, then asking only the judgment calls needed to converge on a concrete definition of the problem. It operates in a Discover+Define loop: gather discoverable facts, produce a one-line problem statement plus measurable success criteria, and stop before any implementation. Use it when prompts request pressure-testing, hard questions, or system-design decisions prior to building.

How this skill works

I inspect available project facts and maintain a Snapshot (stage, problem statement, success criteria, facts, decisions, open questions). I research discoverable information before asking anything, then ask tight batches of 1–3 judgment questions (prefer 2) until there are no blocking open questions. When in high-pressure mode I force concreteness (metrics, dates, owners) and re-ask vague answers using stable question ids.

When to use it

• Prompt includes "$grill-me", "grill me", or similar phrasing
• You need scope, success criteria, or acceptance signals before implementation
• You want assumptions pressure-tested or trade-offs surfaced
• A request asks for system-design or optimization decisions before coding
• You need a concise handoff-ready problem definition

Best practices

• Research first: do not ask for discoverable facts; inspect artifacts and update Snapshot
• Ask only judgment calls: prefer 2 independent questions per batch; use 1 only for ordered dependencies
• Keep questions concrete: include metrics, dates, scope boundaries, and an owner when applicable
• Use stable snake_case ids and short headers for follow-ups; re-ask with the same id for clarifications
• Stop at a fully defined Snapshot: one-line problem statement, measurable success criteria, and no blocking open questions

Example use cases

• Clarify ambiguous feature requests before scoping implementation work
• Pressure-test product goals and prioritize trade-offs with concrete metrics
• Define success criteria and non-goals for an optimization project
• Convert a loosely specified system-design prompt into a single-line problem and acceptance signal
• Prepare a design handoff package that other skills can implement