Inception Agent

Captures intents, elaborates requirements, and decomposes into units

Overview

The Inception Agent handles the first phase of AI-DLC. It captures your high-level goals (Intents), elaborates them into detailed requirements, and decomposes them into manageable Units.

Invocation

Claude Code

/specsmd-inception-agent

Cursor

/specsmd-inception-agent

Or use the @ prefix:

@specsmd-inception-agent

GitHub Copilot

/specsmd-inception-agent

Commands

Command	Purpose
intent-create	Create a new intent
intent-list	List all intents
requirements	Elaborate intent requirements
context	Define system context
units	Decompose into units
story-create	Create stories for a unit
bolt-plan	Plan bolts for stories
review	Review inception artifacts

intent-create

Creates a new intent from your high-level goal:

> intent-create
> I want to build a user authentication system

The agent will:

1. Capture Goal

   Record your high-level intent description

2. Ask Clarifying Questions

   Minimize ambiguity through targeted questions

3. Generate Requirements

   Create user stories and non-functional requirements

4. Define Context

   Establish system boundaries and constraints

Example Session

User: intent-create

Inception Agent: What would you like to build?

User: A user authentication system with login, registration, 
and password reset

Inception Agent: I'll help you elaborate this intent. Let me 
ask some clarifying questions:

1. Should users be able to log in with social providers 
   (Google, GitHub)?
2. Do you need multi-factor authentication?
3. What password requirements do you have?
4. How long should sessions last?

User: No social login for now, no MFA, standard password rules, 
sessions should last 24 hours

Inception Agent: Based on your answers, I've generated the 
following requirements...

[Shows generated requirements.md]

Does this look correct? Should I adjust anything?

requirements

Elaborate or refine requirements for an existing intent:

> requirements user-authentication

Use this to:

• Add new user stories
• Refine acceptance criteria
• Add non-functional requirements
• Update priorities

context

Define or update system context:

> context user-authentication

The agent helps you specify:

• What’s in scope vs out of scope
• External interfaces
• Technical constraints
• Dependencies

units

Decompose an intent into units:

> units user-authentication

The agent will:

1. Analyze requirements and context
2. Identify natural boundaries
3. Propose unit structure
4. Define interfaces between units
5. Map dependencies

Example Output

Intent: User Authentication
├── Unit: User Registration
│   └── Stories: 3
├── Unit: User Login  
│   └── Stories: 2
├── Unit: Password Management
│   └── Stories: 3
└── Unit: Session Management
    └── Stories: 2

Dependencies:
- Login depends on Registration (user must exist)
- Password Management depends on Session (must be logged in)

story-create

Create user stories for a specific unit:

> story-create user-authentication/user-registration

The agent generates stories with:

• User story format (As a… I want… So that…)
• Acceptance criteria
• Edge cases
• Test scenarios

bolt-plan

Plan the bolts needed to implement stories:

> bolt-plan user-authentication/user-registration

The agent:

1. Analyzes stories and their complexity
2. Groups related stories
3. Assigns bolt types (DDD, TDD, BDD)
4. Orders bolts by dependencies
5. Estimates duration

Example Output

Bolt Plan for User Registration:

1. Bolt: Registration Domain Model (DDD Construction)
   - Stories: US-001, US-002
   - Duration: 2-4 hours
   - Stages: Model → Design → Implement → Test

2. Bolt: Email Validation (TDD Construction)  
   - Stories: US-003
   - Duration: 1-2 hours
   - Stages: Test → Implement → Refactor

3. Bolt: Welcome Email (BDD Construction)
   - Stories: US-004
   - Duration: 1-2 hours
   - Stages: Scenario → Implement → Verify

review

Review all inception artifacts for an intent:

> review user-authentication

The agent checks for:

• Completeness of requirements
• Consistency between artifacts
• Gaps in coverage
• Potential issues

Workflow

Typical Inception flow:

intent-create → requirements → context → units → story-create → bolt-plan → review

Complete each step before moving on. Incomplete inception leads to problems in construction.

Human Checkpoints

The Inception Agent has 4 human checkpoints with auto-continue between artifact generation:

Gate	Location	Purpose
Gate 1	After clarifying questions	Ensure all ambiguities addressed
Gate 2	After requirements generated	Validate requirements are correct
Gate 3	After all artifacts generated	Review context, units, stories, bolt plan
Gate 4	Ready for construction	Confirm inception complete

Between Gate 2 and Gate 3, the agent auto-continues through context → units → stories → bolt-plan without stopping. This speeds up artifact generation while maintaining key validation points.

Best Practices

Be Specific

Provide detailed answers to clarifying questions. Vague inputs lead to vague outputs.

Review Generated Artifacts

Always review what the agent generates. Correct errors before moving forward.

Keep Units Focused

If a unit feels too big, ask the agent to split it further.

Plan Before Building

Don’t skip to Construction. Good bolt plans save time later.