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001: Project Idea and Scope

  • Type: Product
  • Status: Planned
  • Date: YYYY-MM-DD
  • Author(s) / Deciders: Project authors and maintainers
  • Question: What problem does this project solve, for whom, and what is explicitly in or out of scope?

Context

Define the core problem, research theme, or operational gap this project addresses. Use standard domain terminology rather than inventing custom terms or notation. If new terminology is strictly required, define it in the Glossary and explain how it maps to established concepts.

Requirements and Restrictions

  • Target Users: Primary user personas or downstream consumers (developers, end users, researchers, operators).
  • In Scope: Core capabilities required for an initial usable release.
  • Out of Scope: Capabilities intentionally excluded to prevent scope creep.
  • Environment / Platform: Target operating systems, runtimes, or deployment environments.

Alternatives

  • Existing Off-the-Shelf Tools: Evaluate existing open-source or commercial solutions and state why they do not meet the requirements.
  • Broader vs. Narrower Scope: Compare building a single-purpose tool against a general framework or platform.

Decision

State the project purpose, target audience, and initial boundaries in one or two clear paragraphs.

Consequences

Positives

  • Clear boundaries keep early development focused on the primary problem.

Negatives

  • Excluded use cases must be handled by external tools or deferred to future milestones.