Turn a Request into a Spec
Added 2026-11-03
From "can you do this" to inputs, outputs, boundaries and acceptance.
A colleague gave me a verbal request (below). Turn it into a spec: 1) the goal and what is out of scope; 2) inputs — data, files, permissions; 3) outputs — format, precision, delivery; 4) edge cases — empty, oversized, malformed; 5) three checkable acceptance criteria; 6) three questions the requester must confirm. Do not write the implementation plan.
Site original
Chinese original
How to use
口头需求变成规格的那一刻，返工率会明显下降。
Try tweaking it
- Ask for three columns: conclusion, owner, deadline — ready to paste into a table.
- Let it organise only your notes; do not add decisions that were never made.
What you should get
- Task list with owner, deadline and blocker
- Escalations that need a decision, listed separately
Common mistakes
- Feeding raw notes and letting it fill in decisions that were never made.
- Getting owners without deadlines, so no task can be created.
How to check the output
- Every item has an owner and a date — ready to become a task.
- It does not record decisions that were never made.
Where it works
- Good for: turning verbal discussion into owner, deadline and blocker.
- Watch out: let it organise only the notes you supply — never let it infer decisions that were not made.