Think-Driven Interactive Discovery - Deep research with step-file architecture for high-density output
Transform vague ideas into complete, high-confidence specifications through progressive interactive discovery. Each research step is a self-contained instruction file loaded just-in-time for maximum LLM attention density.
Philosophy: Research is collaborative. Each decision validated with user before proceeding. All findings must have 90%+ confidence. Every claim needs a source.
| Step | File | Focus | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00 | step-00-problem-validation.md | Validate the problem is real and worth solving | discovery.md §0 |
| 01 | step-01-opportunity-discovery.md | Opportunity Solution Tree (Teresa Torres) | discovery.md §1 |
| 02 | step-02-market-assessment.md | TAM/SAM/SOM with dual approach | discovery.md §2 |
| 03 | step-03-competitive-landscape.md | Competitors + Porter's Five Forces | discovery.md §3 |
| 04 | step-04-product-strategy.md | Vision, segments, value prop, trade-offs | discovery.md §4 |
| 05 | step-05-assumptions-validation.md | Risk assumptions + experiment design | discovery.md §5 |
| Step | File | Focus | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | step-10-user-personas.md | 2-3 personas with goals, pain points, context | product.md §1-2 |
| 11 | step-11-user-scenarios.md | 3-5 user scenarios with trigger/flow/outcome | product.md §3 |
| Step | File | Focus | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | step-20-user-stories.md | User stories with acceptance criteria | product.md §4 |
| 21 | step-21-features-scope.md | Feature prioritization + explicit exclusions | product.md §5 |
| 22 | step-22-success-metrics.md | Business + user metrics with targets | product.md §6 |
| Step | File | Focus | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | step-30-architecture-context.md | Quality goals, constraints, system context | architecture.md §1-3 |
| 31 | step-31-solution-strategy.md | Tech stack selection with rationale | architecture.md §4 |
| 32 | step-32-building-blocks.md | Module decomposition + runtime scenarios | architecture.md §5-6 |
| Step | File | Focus | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | step-40-deployment.md | Infrastructure, environments, CI/CD | architecture.md §7-9 |
| 41 | step-41-quality-risks.md | Quality scenarios, risks, tech debt | architecture.md §10-12 |
| Step | File | Focus | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| 99 | step-99-synthesis.md | Distillate + validation + quality summary | research-distillate.md |
When invoked, follow this sequence:
.ultra/specs/product.md has [NEEDS CLARIFICATION] → proceed with research.ultra/specs/ doesn't exist → suggest /ultra-init first/ultra-planAsk user to determine research scope:
| Type | Steps | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Full Project | 00-99 | All rounds |
| Product Only | 00-22 | Discovery + product |
| Feature Only | 10-22 | User scenarios + features (skip discovery) |
| Architecture Change | 30-41 | Architecture + deployment |
| Custom | User selects | Specific steps |
Round 0 skip conditions: Skip if user provides existing market research, validated strategy docs, or explicitly states "I already know the market".
Read the first applicable step file:
Read: skills/ultra-research/steps/step-{NN}-{name}.md
Follow every instruction in that file. When the step is complete and user confirms [C], read the next step file.
| File | Content |
|---|---|
.ultra/specs/discovery.md | §0-5: Problem, Opportunities, Market, Competition, Strategy, Assumptions |
.ultra/specs/product.md | §1-6: Problem, Personas, Scenarios, Stories, Scope, Metrics |
.ultra/specs/architecture.md | §1-12: arc42 structure |
.ultra/specs/research-distillate.md | Token-efficient summary for /ultra-plan consumption |
.ultra/docs/research/*.md | Per-round research reports |
| Element | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Sources | Every factual claim has URL citation |
| Confidence | 90%+ for recommendations |
| Code | Production-ready (no TODO/demo) |
| Trade-offs | Quantified pros/cons |
| Next steps | Specific, actionable items |
Research is complete when:
Next: Run /ultra-plan to generate task breakdown from complete specs.