create-feasibility

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• SKILL.md

SKILL.md (first lines)

# Create Feasibility Assessment

Produces a structured feasibility assessment for a proposed feature, evaluating technical, financial, and operational viability before the project invests in full requirements gathering.
Acts as a go/no-go gate.

## Prerequisites

- Apply the shared SDLC conventions in `skills/sdlc/references/shared.md`.
- If no argument is provided, use `$ISSUE_TITLE` and `$ISSUE_BODY` as the feature description (and `$ISSUE_NUMBER` to link the feature).
- A reviewed, prioritized GitHub issue or feature description provided as `$1`
- `.sdlc/features/N-<slug>/requirements.md`, `existing-solutions.md`, and `codebase-analysis.md` when available: the codebase analysis in particular provides input to the cost and risk of changing existing code
- Read any files present under `.sdlc/context/` (`project-overview.md`, `architecture.md`, `conventions.md`) for project-level context
- Apply any artifact style rules found in `conventions.md` to the produced document

## When to Skip

Skip this phase, and record a one-line note naming the signal, when the issue is maintainer-authored with acceptance criteria, the criteria are already settled, and the change reuses existing internal code with a stated budget.
The verdict this phase would return (a go, with the issue's own budget as the estimate) is already implied, so the note is the record rather than a full assessment.

## Steps

1. Read the issue or feature description.
   Fetch from GitHub if a URL is provided.
2. Read `.sdlc/context/architecture.md` to understand the current system and technology stack.
3. Read `.sdlc/context/project-overview.md` to understand project scope and constraints.
4. Read `.sdlc/features/N-<slug>/codebase-analysis.md` when available, and carry its changeability assessments and migration risks into the technical and effort estimates below.
5. Assess **technical feasibility**: can the feature be built with the current stack and integrations?
   Are there unknowns that require a spike?
6. Assess **financial feasibility**: what is the estimated effort (S/M/L/XL)?
   Are there infrastructure, licensing, or third-party costs?
7. Assess **operational feasibility**: does the team have the skills and availability?
   Does it fit the roadmap?
   What is the maintenance burden?
8. For each dimension, assign a verdict: Feasible / Feasible with conditions / Not feasible.
9. Record assumptions that the feasibility assessment depends on but has not verified.
   For each assumption that carries meaningful risk (e.g., "the existing ORM supports this query pattern", "the third-party API has no rate limits below our expected volume", "the team has the required expertise"), promote it via `/create-assumption` so it is tracked and can be validated before implementation.
10. Derive the overall go/no-go decision.
    If any dimension is "Not feasible", the overall verdict is "No-go".
    If any dimension is "Feasible with conditions", list the conditions.
11. Derive the feature directory name `N-<slug>` following the Feature Directory Naming convention in `skills/sdlc/references/shared.md`: use the issue number as `N` when one is available, otherwise a `p`-prefixed sequence number (`p1`, `p2`, ...) marking the feature as pending a placeholder issue.
    Record the related issue number in the frontmatter `issue` field only when an issue exists.
12. Write the output to `.sdlc/features/N-<slug>/feasibility.md`, creating the directory if it does not exist.

## Output Format

Use the template at `skills/sdlc/templates/features/feasibility.md` (copied to `.sdlc/templates/features/feasibility.md` by `/initialize-sdlc-directory`; use the project's customized copy if present).
Write the result to the artifact path named in the steps above.

## Handling No-Go Verdicts

If the overall verdict is **No-go**:
- Update the issue with the feasibility findings and the rejection rationale.
- Do not create the feature directory or proceed to requirements.
- The issue may be revisited if conditions change (new budget, new technology, reprioritized roadmap).

## Outcome

If `$OUTCOME_YAML` is set, emit your verdict there per `skills/sdlc/references/shared.md`:

| Verdict | Overall go/no-go |
|---|---|
| `approved` | Go or Go with conditions |
| `rejected` | No-go (see Handling No-Go Verdicts) |

In the same emission, list the artifact under `artifacts:` (`.sdlc/features/N-<slug>/feasibility.md`); omit the key when nothing was written (rejected writes no artifact).

## Example Usage

**Scenario 1: Straightforward feature** User describes "add CSV export to the dashboard."
Current stack already handles file generation.
Low effort, no new dependencies.
Verdict: Go.

**Scenario 2: Feature with unknowns** User describes "add real-time collaboration like Google Docs."
Requires WebSocket infrastructure not currently in the stack, high effort, significant operational burden.
Verdict: Feasible with conditions (requires infrastructure spike and dedicated team).
Assumptions promoted: "the existing load balancer supports WebSocket upgrades" (Medium risk, validate via spike), "the database can handle the expected write throughput of concurrent edits" (High risk, validate via load test).

**Scenario 3: Clear no-go** User describes "migrate the entire platform to a different cloud provider in 2 weeks."
Not operationally feasible given team size and timeline.
Verdict: No-go.

## Completion Checklist

Before handing off to review, confirm:

- [ ] Effort sized (S/M/L/XL), with conditions and risks listed for any "Feasible with conditions" verdict
- [ ] Overall go/no-go stated, with No-go if any dimension is Not feasible
- [ ] Risky assumptions promoted via `/create-assumption`

Self-check the draft against the [`review-feasibility` checklist](../review-feasibility/SKILL.md) and fix what you can, so review finds less to flag.

## Next Step

A review subagent is dispatched automatically to run `/review-feasibility` to audit the assessment for completeness, risk coverage, and soundness of the go/no-go decision.
If approved, continue with `/create-specifications`.

## Useful Commands Reference

| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| `gh issue view <url> --comments` | Fetch issue details and comments (cached) |

From tomzx/agents, MIT.

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