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/sb:clarify

SB-orchestrated clarification workflow (AF-CLARIFY) for vague ideas, sketched requirements, or requirement docs that still need a decision-ready brief before /sb:context and /sb:plan continue.

Overview

/sb:clarify implements catalog atomic flow AF-CLARIFY. Default mode is light FLOW 3: product framing, option generation, and a decision-ready brief before AF-ORIENT, AF-PLAN, or composed workflows continue.

When composition is heading to AF-SPECIFY, ingest just ran, or the user asked for a spec, --spec / --next spec owns the full spec interview (context + Turns 1–9 + assumption protocol) and writes only a timestamped clarify brief. It does not write SPEC.md or REQUIREMENTS.md — /sb:spec compiles those.

ℹ
Good fits: vague ideas, rough feature briefs, requirement docs that still feel fuzzy, or decision points where the next implementation step is not obvious yet.

When to Use

  • "I want to build..." / "I have an idea..." / "Here's my concept..."
  • "What's the best approach for..." / "Should we use X or Y?"
  • A requirement doc exists, but the decisions are still scattered or unclear
  • You want a decision-ready brief before entering SB planning

Workflow Steps

Pre-flight — load preferences

Read the silver-bullet.md §10 workflow preferences and apply stored routing or mode preferences silently.

Step 1 — Frame the problem

Restate the goal in plain language, identify who the user is, and note what "done" looks like. If the prompt is already detailed, compress the brief into a cleaner problem statement.

Step 2 — Explore options

Generate 2 to 4 plausible approaches, including a straightforward option and at least one more ambitious alternative. Keep the tradeoffs explicit.

Step 3 — Pressure-test

Check assumptions, highlight uncertainties, and flag anything that needs research or external validation before implementation starts.

Step 4 — Converge

Pick the best path for the current constraints and capture the rationale in a concise decision brief.

Step 5 — Handoff

Write a timestamped clarify brief under .planning/ using the pattern {plan-basename}-CLARIFY-{YYMMDD}-{timestamp}.md (see scripts/lib/planning-clarify-path.sh) and hand off to /sb:context and /sb:plan once the brief is clear enough for phase discussion.

Modes

  • Interactive - asks follow-up questions when the input is still fuzzy.
  • Autonomous - applies sensible defaults, logs decisions, and keeps moving until the brief is decision-ready.
  • Analyze - leans harder on context synthesis before asking questions.
  • Chain - continues directly into /sb:context and /sb:plan when the handoff is ready. In next=spec mode, chain continues into /sb:spec.
  • Spec (--spec / --next spec) - full document-authoring interview. Auto-detected when .planning/INGESTION_MANIFEST.md exists or composition is heading to AF-SPECIFY.

next=spec

Clarify owns all spec interviewing. The brief must include Overview (who + problem), at least one As a… user story, at least one testable acceptance criterion, assumptions with Status:, out of scope, edges, errors, data, and open questions. Light FLOW 3 (research, content, new-workflow, decide/compare) does not attach the 9 spec turns. Need-profile interview stays on AF-DECIDE paths only.

/sb:clarify --spec Add scheduled report exports for admins /sb:clarify --next spec

Output

The main artifact is a plan-scoped clarify brief: .planning/{plan-basename}-CLARIFY-{YYMMDD}-{timestamp}.md. Light mode: problem framing, options, recommendation, follow-ups. next=spec mode: capture schema that /sb:spec can compile into review-spec-passing SPEC.md. This skill never writes SPEC.md or REQUIREMENTS.md.

Example Invocation

/sb:clarify I have a rough idea for a todo app feature, but I'm not sure what the exact scope should be.

The workflow frames the request, compares a few possible directions, converges on a recommendation, writes the timestamped clarify brief under .planning/, and hands off to /sb:context and /sb:plan.

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