/define — Product Owner Interview

Overview

Define requirements by interviewing the user. The interview IS the value — a requirements doc produced without conversation is just guessing.

Core principle: Ask, don't assume. Every assumption is a question you didn't ask.

When to Use

• User describes a new feature, bug, or change request
• Work needs to be broken down before architecture or implementation
• You need to understand scope, personas, and success criteria

The Process

1. Gather Context (silent — don't show this to user)

• Read CLAUDE.md and recent commits
• Identify relevant source files for the topic
• Note existing patterns and constraints

2. Interview — One Question at a Time

Use AskUserQuestion with multiple-choice options where possible.

You MUST ask questions. You MUST NOT produce requirements without interviewing.

Cover these areas, one question per turn:

Area	What to Ask
Scope	What should this do? What should it NOT do?
Personas	Who uses this? What's their context/skill level?
Success	How will we know it works? What does "done" look like?
Edge cases	What happens with empty/invalid/unexpected input?
Constraints	Backward compat? Performance? Dependencies?

After each area, summarize what you heard (200-300 words) and ask the user to confirm before moving on.

3. Produce User Stories

Use INVEST format. Each story must be:

• Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, Testable

Template:

### Story N: [Title]

**As a** [persona from interview],
**I want** [functionality],
**So that** [benefit].

#### Acceptance Criteria

```gherkin
Given [context]
When [action]
Then [expected result]

Edge Cases

Given [edge case context]
When [action]
Then [expected handling]

Present stories to user for validation before finalizing.

### 4. Save and Commit

Ask user for a short name, or derive from the topic.

docs/plans/YYYY-MM-DD-<name>-requirements.md

Commit: `docs: add <name> requirements`

### 5. Next Step

> Requirements saved. When ready, use `/architect` to design the solution.

## Common Mistakes

| Mistake | Fix |
|---------|-----|
| Producing requirements without interviewing | STOP. Ask questions first. Always. |
| Asking multiple questions at once | One question per `AskUserQuestion` call |
| Including implementation/architecture details | Stay in problem space. Code design is `/architect`'s job. |
| Listing "open questions" without asking them | If it's a question, ASK the user |
| Using FR-1/AC-1.1 format instead of user stories | Use "As a [persona]..." with Gherkin criteria |
| Assuming scope instead of scoping with user | Every assumption is a question you skipped |
| Massive document from a one-line request | Interview to right-size. Small request may mean small scope. |