DISCUSS
The DISCUSS phase refines triaged issues into structured stories, ready for architecture.
What enters, what exits
| Comes from | DISCOVER — the prioritised triage report |
| What enters | Triaged issue to refine |
| What exits | INVEST story + verifiable acceptance criteria |
| Goes to | DESIGN — which designs its architecture |
| Responsible agent | backlog-planner |
| Associated reviewer | backlog-planner-reviewer |
Why this phase exists
A poorly defined story produces code that solves the wrong problem. The backlog-planner applies INVEST criteria and the reviewer verifies that acceptance criteria are verifiable and complete.
« In software development, there are always four variables: cost, time, quality, and scope. » — Beck, K., Extreme Programming Explained, 2nd ed., 2004.
☕ Running example — Starbucks (illustrative)
The triage report enters. DISCUSS derives the INVEST story: “As a customer, I order a customised drink to pick up in store.” It exits with 3 acceptance criteria (choose size, choose milk, pay before preparation). DESIGN will receive this story.
What the agent produces
- User Story format with persona, action, and benefit.
- Acceptance criteria in structured natural language.
- Refined effort estimation.
- Dependency identification between stories.
Gates crossed here
This phase crosses gates G1–G8 (see the gates catalogue). Each gate is checked by the independent reviewer before moving on to DESIGN.