Effective Questioning

Gather just enough info to confidently choose an implementation path.

When to Use

• User asks (“ask me questions”, “help me figure out what I need”)
• Request is vague or ambiguous
• Multiple valid approaches exist

When to Skip

• Request is specific and actionable
• User says “just do it”

Method: Use AskUserQuestion

Always use the AskUserQuestion tool — not plain text questions.

• Ask 3-4 related questions per round
• Include an “Other” option so users aren’t boxed in
• Use multiSelect: true when choices aren’t mutually exclusive
• Build each round on previous answers

Question Flow

1. Big picture: Goal, audience, constraints, priority tradeoffs
2. Requirements: Core behavior, edge cases, non-functional needs
3. Scope: MVP vs. full, in/out of scope, integration points
4. Confirm: Summarize understanding, get approval, then proceed

Stop when the implementation path is obvious and success criteria are clear.

Principles

• Concrete > abstract (“what happens when X?” beats “what do you want?”)
• Build on previous answers—don’t repeat
• Never fake understanding; ask if unclear