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Interview Protocol

Every doc-generation prefix (idea:, prd:, srs:, user-story:, roadmap:, tasks:, acceptance:, deps:) runs a structured interview before writing anything.

Flow

  1. Read upstream docs in ../nepwalk-docs/docs/management/mvp/v<N>/.
  2. Read inline context (text after the colon).
  3. Identify gaps — every template section without a real, specific answer.
  4. Interview the user via AskUserQuestion (or equivalent) — 1–4 questions per round, grouped by template section.
  5. Summarize all answers — show the user a recap.
  6. User confirms — yes / edit / restart.
  7. Write the doc to the correct version folder with status: draft.

Rules

  • No fixed round limit. Keep asking until every section has a real answer. Follow up on vague answers.
  • Inline context pre-fills, never replaces. "prd: focus on offline mode" pre-fills the scope section but the interview still covers users, success metrics, constraints, etc.
  • Save progress. Answers go to state/drafts/<doc>_interview.json so the session can resume.
  • Resume on re-run. If a prior interview exists for the same doc, load it and continue from where it stopped. Use <doc>: remaining to ask only the open questions.
  • Challenge first. If an answer looks wrong or risky, counter with reasoning and suggest an alternative.

Question style

  • One topic per question. Group related questions in one round (max 4).
  • Offer options when reasonable (use AskUserQuestion multi-choice form). Always allow free text.
  • Never ask about things derivable from upstream docs. Read first, ask second.
  • Convert relative dates to absolute (Thursday → 2026-03-05) before saving answers.

When to skip the interview

Only when explicitly asked: <prefix>: build builds the doc from the existing saved answers without re-asking. Used after a complete interview confirmed by the user.