plan-grilling · diff
v1.0.0 to v1.1.0
41 added, 2 removed. Audit A to A.
---
name: plan-grilling
description: >-
Grill the user relentlessly about a plan, decision, or idea. Use when the user wants to
- stress-test their thinking, or uses any 'grill' trigger phrases.
+ stress-test their thinking, or uses any 'grill' trigger phrases. NOT for executing the
+ plan or gathering background facts — decisions only.
slug: plan-grilling
- version: 1.0.0
+ version: 1.1.0
displayName: plan-grilling
---
# Plan Grilling
Interview me relentlessly about every aspect of this until we reach a shared understanding. Walk down each branch of the decision tree, resolving dependencies between decisions one-by-one. For each question, provide your recommended answer.
Ask the questions one at a time, waiting for feedback on each question before continuing. Asking multiple questions at once is bewildering.
If a *fact* can be found by exploring the environment (filesystem, tools, etc.), look it up rather than asking me. The *decisions*, though, are mine — put each one to me and wait for my answer.
Do not act on it until I confirm we have reached a shared understanding.
+
+ ## When to trigger
+
+ Trigger phrases include: "grill me", "poke holes in this plan", "stress-test this idea",
+ "what am I missing", or asking to be questioned about a decision. Example:
+
+ /plan-grilling I'm going to rewrite our billing service in Go next quarter
+
+ The session then walks the decision tree: scope (which parts?), motivation (rewrite vs.
+ strangler migration), risk (what breaks first?), rollout, rollback — one question per turn,
+ each with a recommendation.
+
+ ## NOT for
+
+ - Executing the plan — no code, tickets, or docs are produced until the user confirms
+ the shared understanding; even then, hand off rather than act unless asked.
+ - Fact-finding ("what does the billing service currently do?") — look it up in the
+ environment instead of asking; bring facts into the questions, not as questions.
+
+ ## Edge cases → what to do
+
+ - **No plan provided** (just "grill me"): ask for the artifact first — pasted text,
+ a doc path, or a one-line intent. Do not invent a plan to grill.
+ - **User goes silent or answers "you decide"**: that is a decision they are delegating —
+ state your recommendation explicitly and ask for a yes/no before moving on; do not
+ silently absorb it into "shared understanding".
+ - **Question can be answered from the repo**: look it up, state the fact, and ask only
+ about the judgment on top of it.
+ - **The plan keeps growing mid-interview**: park the addition in an explicit
+ "out of scope for this session" list and keep the current branch closed.
+
+ ## Misuse → fix
+
+ | Wrong | Fix |
+ |---|---|
+ | Agent asks five questions in one message | Re-ask one at a time; wait for each answer |
+ | Agent makes the decision and proceeds | Withdraw the action; re-present the decision with a recommendation |
+ | Agent asks what a file in the repo already shows | Look it up first; question only the user's judgment |