← The ADLC loop

Intent: from business need to executable spec.

The problem: build an online chess game. Watch a product manager hand over the business requirements, the engineer strip out the ambiguity, and the spec take shape — the contract every agent downstream will build against.

    Product Manager Thinking about players
    PRD · Online Chess

    What players need

      Clarifying questions

      Every vague word is a decision an agent would otherwise guess.

      Engineer Waiting
      specs/SPEC-001-online-chess.md
      The spec gets written here once the requirements are clear.
      Hover a spec line to see where it came from. Next phase Plan →

      Why the Intent phase matters

      Vague words become bugs

      An agent will confidently guess what "no cheating" means. The engineer's job is to make sure it never has to.

      Every line traces back

      Each spec item cites the requirement or answer it came from, so reviewers can check intent — not just code.

      Acceptance criteria are the finish line

      The Given/When/Then criteria become the tests the Verify gates enforce later in the loop.