create-technical-spike

SKILL.md

Create Technical Spike Document

Create time-boxed technical spike documents for researching critical questions that must be answered before development can proceed. Each spike focuses on a specific technical decision with clear deliverables and timelines.

Document Structure

Create individual files in ${input:FolderPath|docs/spikes} directory. Name each file using the pattern: [category]-[short-description]-spike.md (e.g., api-copilot-integration-spike.md, performance-realtime-audio-spike.md).
---
title: "${input:SpikeTitle}"
category: "${input:Category|Technical}"
status: "🔴 Not Started"
priority: "${input:Priority|High}"
timebox: "${input:Timebox|1 week}"
created: [YYYY-MM-DD]
updated: [YYYY-MM-DD]
owner: "${input:Owner}"
tags: ["technical-spike", "${input:Category|technical}", "research"]
---

# ${input:SpikeTitle}

## Summary

**Spike Objective:** [Clear, specific question or decision that needs resolution]

**Why This Matters:** [Impact on development/architecture decisions]

**Timebox:** [How much time allocated to this spike]

**Decision Deadline:** [When this must be resolved to avoid blocking development]

## Research Question(s)

**Primary Question:** [Main technical question that needs answering]

**Secondary Questions:**

- [Related question 1]
- [Related question 2]
- [Related question 3]

## Investigation Plan

### Research Tasks

- [ ] [Specific research task 1]
- [ ] [Specific research task 2]
- [ ] [Specific research task 3]
- [ ] [Create proof of concept/prototype]
- [ ] [Document findings and recommendations]

### Success Criteria

**This spike is complete when:**

- [ ] [Specific criteria 1]
- [ ] [Specific criteria 2]
- [ ] [Clear recommendation documented]
- [ ] [Proof of concept completed (if applicable)]

## Technical Context

**Related Components:** [List system components affected by this decision]

**Dependencies:** [What other spikes or decisions depend on resolving this]

**Constraints:** [Known limitations or requirements that affect the solution]

## Research Findings

### Investigation Results

[Document research findings, test results, and evidence gathered]

### Prototype/Testing Notes

[Results from any prototypes, spikes, or technical experiments]

### External Resources

- [Link to relevant documentation]
- [Link to API references]
- [Link to community discussions]
- [Link to examples/tutorials]

## Decision

### Recommendation

[Clear recommendation based on research findings]

### Rationale

[Why this approach was chosen over alternatives]

### Implementation Notes

[Key considerations for implementation]

### Follow-up Actions

- [ ] [Action item 1]
- [ ] [Action item 2]
- [ ] [Update architecture documents]
- [ ] [Create implementation tasks]

## Status History

| Date   | Status         | Notes                      |
| ------ | -------------- | -------------------------- |
| [Date] | 🔴 Not Started | Spike created and scoped   |
| [Date] | 🟡 In Progress | Research commenced         |
| [Date] | 🟢 Complete    | [Resolution summary]       |

---

_Last updated: [Date] by [Name]_

Categories for Technical Spikes

API Integration

Third-party API capabilities and limitations

Integration patterns and authentication

Rate limits and performance characteristics

Architecture & Design

System architecture decisions

Design pattern applicability

Component interaction models

Performance & Scalability

Performance requirements and constraints

Scalability bottlenecks and solutions

Resource utilization patterns

Platform & Infrastructure

Platform capabilities and limitations

Infrastructure requirements

Deployment and hosting considerations

Security & Compliance

Security requirements and implementations

Compliance constraints

Authentication and authorization approaches

User Experience

User interaction patterns

Accessibility requirements

Interface design decisions

File Naming Conventions

Use descriptive, kebab-case names that indicate the category and specific unknown:

API/Integration Examples:

api-copilot-chat-integration-spike.md

api-azure-speech-realtime-spike.md

api-vscode-extension-capabilities-spike.md

Performance Examples:

performance-audio-processing-latency-spike.md

performance-extension-host-limitations-spike.md

performance-webrtc-reliability-spike.md

Architecture Examples:

architecture-voice-pipeline-design-spike.md

architecture-state-management-spike.md

architecture-error-handling-strategy-spike.md

Best Practices for AI Agents

One Question Per Spike: Each document focuses on a single technical decision or research question

Time-Boxed Research: Define specific time limits and deliverables for each spike

Evidence-Based Decisions: Require concrete evidence (tests, prototypes, documentation) before marking as complete

Clear Recommendations: Document specific recommendations and rationale for implementation

Dependency Tracking: Identify how spikes relate to each other and impact project decisions

Outcome-Focused: Every spike must result in an actionable decision or recommendation

Research Strategy

Phase 1: Information Gathering

Search existing documentation using search/fetch tools

Analyze codebase for existing patterns and constraints

Research external resources (APIs, libraries, examples)

Phase 2: Validation & Testing

Create focused prototypes to test specific hypotheses

Run targeted experiments to validate assumptions

Document test results with supporting evidence

Phase 3: Decision & Documentation

Synthesize findings into clear recommendations

Document implementation guidance for development team

Create follow-up tasks for implementation

Tools Usage

search/searchResults: Research existing solutions and documentation

fetch/githubRepo: Analyze external APIs, libraries, and examples

codebase: Understand existing system constraints and patterns

runTasks: Execute prototypes and validation tests

editFiles: Update research progress and findings

vscodeAPI: Test VS Code extension capabilities and limitations

Focus on time-boxed research that resolves critical technical decisions and unblocks development progress.