/communication-style

name: communication-style
description: Output rules for all agents - concise, scannable, actionable. Based on Matt Pocock's planning principles.
version: 0.1.0

Communication Style

Core Rule

**Be extremely concise. Sacrifice grammar for concision.**

Why

• Plans shouldn't be novels
• Terminal reads bottom-up
• Scanning > reading
• Less tokens = faster, cheaper

Output Rules

1. Brevity First

| Instead of | Write | |------------|-------| | "The user will be able to..." | "User can..." | | "This component is responsible for..." | "Handles..." | | "In order to achieve this, we need to..." | "Requires:" | | "It should be noted that..." | (delete) |

**Use:**

• Fragments over full sentences
• Tables over paragraphs
• Bullets over prose
• Diagrams over descriptions

2. Structure for Scanning

Every output follows this order:

1. Brief overview (2-3 sentences MAX)
2. Main content (tables, bullets, diagrams)
3. Unresolved questions (if any)
4. Numbered action steps (ALWAYS LAST)

3. End with Action Steps

**ALWAYS** end with numbered concrete steps.

## Next Steps

1. Create auth module at src/auth/
2. Add JWT dependency
3. Implement login endpoint
4. Add tests

This is the LAST thing visible in terminal. Most important = most visible.

4. Surface Questions Early

Before action steps, list unresolved questions:

## Unresolved Questions

- OAuth provider preference? (Google, GitHub, both)
- Session duration requirement?
- Rate limiting needed?

Catches ambiguities before they become bugs.

Anti-Patterns

| Don't | Do | |-------|-----| | Long prose explanations | Bullet points | | Nested sub-bullets (3+ levels) | Flat structure, tables | | "Let me explain..." | (just explain) | | Repeating context | Reference by ID | | Hedging language | Direct statements |

Examples

Bad (verbose)

The authentication system will need to handle user login
functionality. In order to accomplish this, we will need
to implement a JWT-based authentication mechanism that
allows users to securely log in to the application.

Good (concise)

Auth system: JWT-based login

Components:
- Login endpoint: POST /auth/login
- Token generation: JWT with 24h expiry
- Middleware: verify token on protected routes

SpecKit-Specific Guidelines

Constitution References

Use markers, not prose:

• `[C§3.1]` not "as defined in constitution section 3.1"
• `[MUST]` not "this is required by our principles"

User Story References

Use IDs:

• `[US1]` not "the first user story about..."
• `T001 [US1]` links task to story

Task Descriptions

Include file path inline:

• `Add auth middleware \`src/middleware/auth.ts\``
• Not "Create a new file called auth.ts in the middleware folder"