Phase 2: Capture
Active Lens: Constraint Strategy
Gathering Requirements
Requirements aren’t paperwork. They’re the constraints that stop agents from hallucinating in production.
Stop Asking
"What should the agent do?"
This leads to feature wishlists.
Start Asking
"When must the agent refuse, escalate, or stop?"
This leads to shipping safely.
The 4 Artifacts You're Gathering
You aren't collecting "info." You are capturing judgment in a format the system can enforce.
Inputs
What the system can see (APIs, Files, Context).
Constraints
Hard rules that must never be violated.
Rubrics
How quality is scored (0-100 scales).
Edge Policies
Abort / Escalate / Proceed rules.
The Gathering Ladder
Use this interview script to make experts reveal the rules they carry in their head.
1
Outcome
Define the target state.
"What does 'good' look like?"
2
Failure
Identify the risk profile.
"What is the most expensive 'wrong' outcome?"
3
Boundaries
Establish hard stops.
"What must never happen—ever?"
4
Exceptions
Capture nuance.
"When do you override the standard rule?"
5
Escalation
Define the human loop.
"Who decides when the system is unsure?"
6
Evidence
Ground truth.
"What data proves we’re right?"
7
Audit
Compliance check.
"What would we need to show Legal?"
Pause & Reflect
If you could only write three rules that prevent the worst failure… what are they?
That is your starting Domain Source File.