Contenido del repositorio de origen con títulos, ejemplos, código, tablas, enlaces e imágenes preservados.
to-spec
Turn a grilled conversation into a destination spec and vertical-slice tickets that each fit one smart-zone session (~150,000-token working budget).
A goal loop on a whole spec is a trap. Vertical tickets, not horizontal.
Pipeline
- Grill (shared understanding; say "zoom out" when questions drown in jargon)
- Write the destination spec — run the grill mechanics from grill-execute-clear first; grilling produces the shared understanding the spec records. The destination spec is cross-session shared truth (binding until archived); the grill mini-spec is in-session confirmation (disposable).
- Split into tickets in the same conversation while smart-zone remains — push back until slices are vertical (DB+API+UI end-to-end), not horizontal layers
- Implement one ticket per focused session (optional TDD only at pre-agreed seams; reject tautological tests)
- Review on two axes: standards sub-agent + spec sub-agent
Reject horizontal tickets
A ticket that is "migrate schema only," then later "API only," then "UI only" delays system feedback. Push back: each ticket should prove a thin end-to-end slice users can feel. Vertical ≈ tracer bullets: each ticket crosses the stack early so design feedback arrives in phase 1, not phase 3.
Where specs and tickets live
In the issue tracker (GitHub Issues + gh, or Linear/Jira) — outside the repo. Never commit living `SPEC.md` into the codebase.
Spec shape
Problem (user), solution (user), stories, implementation decisions, testing seams, out of scope, open questions.
Spec lifetime (critical)
- While shipping: pass the open spec into every ticket session.
- When the last ticket is live: Archive, don't delete — close/archive in the tracker so it's findable for legacy, not a living source of truth. Closed/archived ≠ deleted; "leave open as living team docs" is the failure mode.
- Agents prefer dense outdated specs over code (drift). Code is primary.
Reroute
If the destination changes: update the spec, then remaining tickets — do not point a goal/auto-compact loop at the whole spec in one long window.
Related
grill-execute-clear · handoff · ralph-loop
