Claude Requirements Gathering System

An intelligent requirements gathering system for Claude Code that progressively builds context through automated discovery, asks simple yes/no questions, and generates comprehensive requirements documentation.

🎯 Overview

This system transforms the requirements gathering process by:

• Codebase-Aware Questions: AI analyzes your code first, then asks informed questions
• Simple Yes/No Format: All questions are yes/no with smart defaults - just say "idk" to use defaults
• Two-Phase Questioning: 5 high-level questions for context, then 5 expert questions after code analysis
• Automated Documentation: Generates comprehensive specs with specific file paths and patterns
• Product Manager Friendly: No code knowledge required to answer questions

🚀 Quick Start

# Start gathering requirements for a new feature
/requirements-start add user profile picture upload

# Check progress and continue
/requirements-status

# View current requirement details
/requirements-current

# List all requirements
/requirements-list

# End current requirement gathering
/requirements-end

# Quick reminder if AI strays off course
/remind

📁 Repository Structure

claude-requirements/
├── commands/                     # Claude command definitions
│   ├── requirements-start.md    # Begin new requirement
│   ├── requirements-status.md   # Check progress (alias: current)
│   ├── requirements-current.md  # View active requirement
│   ├── requirements-end.md      # Finalize requirement
│   ├── requirements-list.md     # List all requirements
│   └── requirements-remind.md   # Remind AI of rules
│
├── requirements/                 # Requirement documentation storage
│   ├── .current-requirement     # Tracks active requirement
│   ├── index.md                 # Summary of all requirements
│   └── YYYY-MM-DD-HHMM-name/   # Individual requirement folders
│       ├── metadata.json        # Status and progress tracking
│       ├── 00-initial-request.md    # User's original request
│       ├── 01-discovery-questions.md # 5 context questions
│       ├── 02-discovery-answers.md   # User's answers
│       ├── 03-context-findings.md    # AI's code analysis
│       ├── 04-detail-questions.md    # 5 expert questions
│       ├── 05-detail-answers.md      # User's detailed answers
│       └── 06-requirements-spec.md   # Final requirements
│
└── examples/                     # Example requirements

🔄 How It Works

Phase 1: Initial Setup & Codebase Analysis

User: /requirements-start add export functionality to reports

AI analyzes the entire codebase structure to understand the architecture, tech stack, and patterns.

Phase 2: Context Discovery Questions

The AI asks 5 yes/no questions to understand the problem space:

Q1: Will users interact with this feature through a visual interface?
(Default if unknown: YES - most features have UI components)

User: yes

Q2: Does this feature need to work on mobile devices?
(Default if unknown: YES - mobile-first is standard)

User: idk
AI: ✓ Using default: YES

[Continues through all 5 questions before recording answers]

Phase 3: Targeted Context Gathering (Autonomous)

AI autonomously:

• Searches for specific files based on discovery answers
• Reads relevant code sections
• Analyzes similar features in detail
• Documents technical constraints and patterns

Phase 4: Expert Requirements Questions

With deep context, asks 5 detailed yes/no questions:

Q1: Should we use the existing ExportService at services/ExportService.ts?
(Default if unknown: YES - maintains architectural consistency)

User: yes

Q2: Will PDF exports need custom formatting beyond the standard template?
(Default if unknown: NO - standard template covers most use cases)

User: no

[Continues through all 5 questions before recording answers]

Phase 5: Requirements Documentation

Generates comprehensive spec with:

• Problem statement and solution overview
• Functional requirements from all 10 answers
• Technical requirements with specific file paths
• Implementation patterns to follow
• Acceptance criteria

📋 Command Reference

/requirements-start [description]

Begins gathering requirements for a new feature or change.

Example:

/requirements-start implement dark mode toggle

/requirements-status or /requirements-current

Shows current requirement progress and continues gathering.

Output:

📋 Active Requirement: dark-mode-toggle
Phase: Discovery Questions
Progress: 3/5 questions answered

Next: Q4: Should this sync across devices?

/requirements-end

Finalizes current requirement, even if incomplete.

Options:

1. Generate spec with current info
2. Mark incomplete for later
3. Cancel and delete

/requirements-list

Shows all requirements with their status.

Output:

✅ COMPLETE: dark-mode-toggle (Ready for implementation)
🔴 ACTIVE: user-notifications (Discovery 3/5)
⚠️ INCOMPLETE: data-export (Paused 3 days ago)

/remind or /requirements-remind

Reminds AI to follow requirements gathering rules.

Use when AI:

• Asks open-ended questions
• Starts implementing code
• Asks multiple questions at once

🎯 Features

Smart Defaults

Every question includes an intelligent default based on:

• Best practices
• Codebase patterns
• Context discovered

Progressive Questioning

• Phase 1: Analyzes codebase structure first
• Phase 2: 5 high-level questions for product managers
• Phase 3: Autonomous deep dive into relevant code
• Phase 4: 5 expert questions based on code understanding

Automatic File Management

• All files created automatically
• Progress tracked between sessions
• Can resume anytime

Integration Ready

• Links to development sessions
• References PRs and commits
• Searchable requirement history

💡 Best Practices

For Users

1. Be Specific: Clear initial descriptions help AI ask better questions
2. Use Defaults: "idk" is perfectly fine - defaults are well-reasoned
3. Stay Focused: Use /remind if AI goes off track
4. Complete When Ready: Don't feel obligated to answer every question

For Requirements

1. One Feature at a Time: Keep requirements focused
2. Think Implementation: Consider how another AI will use this
3. Document Decisions: The "why" is as important as the "what"
4. Link Everything: Connect requirements to sessions and PRs

🔧 Installation

1. Clone this repository:

git clone https://github.com/rizethereum/claude-code-requirements-builder.git

2. Copy the commands to your project:

cp -r commands ~/.claude/commands/
# OR for project-specific
cp -r commands /your/project/.claude/commands/

3. Create requirements directory:

mkdir -p requirements
touch requirements/.current-requirement

4. Add to .gitignore if needed:

requirements/

📚 Examples

Feature Development

/requirements-start add user avatar upload
# AI analyzes codebase structure
# Answer 5 yes/no questions about the feature
# AI autonomously researches relevant code
# Answer 5 expert yes/no questions
# Get comprehensive requirements doc with file paths

Bug Fix Requirements

/requirements-start fix dashboard performance issues
# Answer questions about scope
# AI identifies problematic components
# Answer questions about acceptable solutions
# Get targeted fix requirements

UI Enhancement

/requirements-start improve mobile navigation experience
# Answer questions about current issues
# AI analyzes existing navigation
# Answer questions about desired behavior
# Get detailed UI requirements

🤝 Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch
3. Add new commands or improve existing ones
4. Submit a pull request

Ideas for Contribution

• Add requirement templates for common features
• Create requirement validation commands
• Build requirement-to-implementation tracking
• Add multi-language question support

📄 License

MIT License - Feel free to use and modify for your projects.

🙏 Acknowledgments

Inspired by @iannuttall's claude-sessions project, which pioneered the concept of structured session management for Claude Code.

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Remember: Good requirements today prevent confusion tomorrow!