Feature Writer Skill

Guide users through feature definition via adaptive discussion and generate lightweight feature 1-pagers.

Philosophy

Features should be defined through conversation, not forms. Engage in an adaptive discussion that draws out the feature definition naturally. The 1-pager is synthesized from this discussion.

Adaptive Discussion Framework

CRITICAL: This MUST be a conversation, NOT a checklist

• Follow interesting threads - if the user mentions something important, dig deeper
• Ask follow-up questions based on their actual responses
• Clarify ambiguity before moving on
• Summarize your understanding periodically
• Never rigidly ask questions in order like a form

Core Areas to Explore

Through natural conversation, understand these areas:

Problem Space:

• "What problem are you trying to solve?"
• "Why is this a problem worth solving now?"
• "Can you give me an example of when this is painful?"

User Impact:

• "Who will use this feature?"
• "How will this improve their experience?"
• "What can they do after this feature that they can't do now?"

Solution Vision:

• "What's your high-level approach to solving this?"
• "What are the key capabilities this feature needs?"
• "Are there any constraints we need to work within?"

Handling Different User Styles

Verbose users (provide lots of detail upfront):

• Acknowledge the information
• Ask targeted clarifying questions
• Move to synthesis faster

Terse users (give minimal responses):

• Ask more specific, concrete questions
• Provide examples to prompt thinking
• Use "Can you say more about X?" prompts

Uncertain users (don't have all answers):

• Help them think through it
• Suggest common patterns or options
• Mark areas as "TBD" in the 1-pager if needed

1-Pager Template

After the discussion, synthesize a lightweight 1-pager:

# [Feature Name]

## Problem Statement

<2-3 sentences: What problem are we solving and why does it matter?>

## Proposed Solution

<High-level description of the approach. Focus on WHAT we're building, not HOW we'll implement it. 3-5 sentences.>

## Key Features

<Bullet list of the main capabilities this feature will provide>

- Feature capability 1
- Feature capability 2
- Feature capability 3

---
*Feature 1-pager generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.ai/code)*

Synthesis Guidelines

When creating the 1-pager from the discussion:

1. Be concise - each section should be scannable
2. Use the user's language - incorporate their terminology
3. Fill gaps intelligently - make reasonable inferences or mark as "TBD"
4. Stay outcome-focused - emphasize user value, not implementation details
5. Keep features as capabilities - not implementation tasks

Review and Refinement Loop

After generating the 1-pager:

1. Display the complete 1-pager formatted in markdown
2. Ask for confirmation:

   "Review this feature 1-pager. Should I create the issue with this content, or would you like to refine it?"

3. Handle responses:
   • Affirmative ("looks good", "create it"): Proceed to issue creation
   • Refinement request: Ask what to change, update the 1-pager
   • Major changes: Return to discussion if needed
4. No iteration limit - refine until the user is satisfied

Integration with Issue Creator

Once the 1-pager is confirmed:

1. Prepare for issue creation:
   • Feature name becomes issue title
   • 1-pager becomes issue body
   • Type is automatically set to "Feature"
2. Follow issue-creator patterns:
   • Create issue with gh issue create
   • Add to project 19 with gh project item-add
   • Set Type = Feature
   • Prompt user for Priority (P0-P3)
   • Prompt user for Initiative (dynamic options)
   • Prompt user for Status (dynamic options)
3. Use heredoc for the body:

   gh issue create --title "<feature-name>" --body "$(cat <<'EOF'
   <1-pager-content>
   EOF
   )"

Example Session

User: /create-feature User profile management

Claude: "Let's define this feature. What problem are you trying to solve with user profile management?"

User: "Users can't update their personal information after signing up. They have to contact support."

Claude: "That's frustrating. What kind of information do they typically want to update?"

User: "Name, email, profile picture. Sometimes notification preferences."

Claude: "Got it. Any constraints - like things they shouldn't be able to change?"

User: "Username and account type need to stay fixed."

Claude: "Makes sense. Let me put together a 1-pager based on our discussion."

(Generates 1-pager)

# User Profile Management

## Problem Statement

Users cannot update their personal information after initial signup, requiring them to contact support for simple changes. This creates friction and generates unnecessary support volume.

## Proposed Solution

Provide a self-service profile management interface where users can update their name, email, profile picture, and notification preferences. Username and account type remain read-only to maintain system integrity.

## Key Features

- Update name and display name
- Change email address (with verification)
- Upload and manage profile picture
- Configure notification preferences
- View but not edit username and account type

---
*Feature 1-pager generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.ai/code)*

Claude: "Review this feature 1-pager. Should I create the issue with this content, or would you like to refine it?"

User: "Add password reset to key features"

Claude: (Updates 1-pager and shows again)

User: "Looks good, create it"

Claude: (Proceeds to create issue via issue-creator patterns)

Error Handling

User Cancels Mid-Discussion

If user indicates they want to stop:

Understood. We can resume the feature definition anytime with /create-feature.

Can't Synthesize a Section

If discussion didn't cover something and you can't infer:

## [Section]

*TBD - needs further discussion*

Ask user to provide more details during review.

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

In Discussion:

• Asking all questions upfront like a form
• Accepting vague answers without follow-up
• Ignoring signals that user has more to say
• Moving too fast through areas

In 1-Pager:

• Problem statement that's just the feature name rephrased
• Proposed solution with implementation details (class names, APIs)
• Key features that are implementation tasks, not user capabilities
• Overly long or verbose sections

WRONG vs. CORRECT: Problem Statement

WRONG — feature name rephrased as problem:

Problem Statement

We need dark mode support for the application.

CORRECT — user-pain-driven with evidence:

Problem Statement

Users report eye strain when using the app in low-light environments, generating 15+ support tickets per month. 73% of comparable apps offer dark mode, and it's the #2 feature request in our latest user survey.

Pre-Delivery Checklist

Before presenting a feature 1-pager, verify:

• Problem statement describes user pain, not a feature name
• Problem statement includes evidence (tickets, data, quotes)
• Key features are user capabilities, not implementation tasks
• Proposed solution focuses on WHAT, not HOW (no class names, APIs)
• Each section is concise and scannable
• User's own terminology is used where possible