Requirements that survive the hallway

Hallway requirements—“make it faster,” “support mobile,” “integrate with finance”—sound clear until delivery starts.

We practice transforming each ask into scope, constraint, and acceptance cue. Scope says what changes. Constraint names what must not break. Acceptance cue describes how someone will know the ask is met.

Open risks stay visible. Hiding them for politeness only postpones the argument.

If a stakeholder cannot name an acceptance cue, the ask is not ready for estimation. That is not obstruction; it is protection for both sides.