to-spec

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

1. Grill (shared understanding; say "zoom out" when questions drown in jargon)
2. 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).
3. 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
4. Implement one ticket per focused session (optional TDD only at pre-agreed seams; reject tautological tests)
5. 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• Agents prefer dense outdated specs over code (drift).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