Stack Advisor Skill

Guides users through tech stack selection via interactive Q&A for new projects where the tech stack hasn't been decided yet.

Note: For existing projects with established code, use tech-stack-detection skill instead to auto-detect installed technologies.

When to Activate

This skill activates when:

• •User runs /speckit.plan without providing tech stack details
• •User explicitly asks for help choosing a tech stack
• •User says they "don't know" what technologies to use

Q&A Flow (3-5 Questions)

Ask these questions in order. Each answer narrows down the recommendation.

Question 1: Project Type (Required)

What type of project are you building?

1. •Web Application - Interactive frontend with user interface
2. •API / Backend - Server-side services, REST/GraphQL APIs
3. •CLI Tool - Command-line application
4. •Library / Package - Reusable code for other projects
5. •Full Stack - Both frontend and backend together
6. •Mobile App - iOS, Android, or cross-platform

Question 2: Project Scale (Required)

What's the expected scale of this project?

1. •Prototype / Small - Quick proof of concept, personal project, learning
2. •Medium - Production app, small team, moderate complexity
3. •Large / Enterprise - Multiple teams, complex requirements, long-term maintenance

Question 3: Key Requirements (Required)

What are the key technical requirements? (Select all that apply)

1. •Real-time updates - WebSockets, live data, collaboration
2. •SEO / SSR - Search engine optimization, server-side rendering
3. •Offline-first - PWA, works without internet
4. •High performance - Sub-second loads, large data sets
5. •Simple / Minimal - Least dependencies, vanilla approach
6. •Mobile-responsive - Must work well on all devices
7. •None specific - Standard requirements

Question 4: Team Preference (Optional)

What's your team's technology preference?

1. •Beginner-friendly - Well-documented, large community, stable
2. •Modern standards - Current best practices, good balance
3. •Cutting-edge - Latest technologies, willing to accept some risk

Question 5: Constraints (Optional)

Any specific constraints or requirements?

Examples:

• •"Must use Python for ML integration"
• •"Company standard is .NET"
• •"Avoid frameworks, keep it vanilla"
• •"No constraints"

Tech Stack Decision Matrix

Web Applications

API / Backend

Full Stack

CLI Tools

Libraries

Standard Additions (Always Recommend)

Output Format

After Q&A, present the recommendation:

## Recommended Tech Stack

Based on your answers:
- **Project Type**: Web Application
- **Scale**: Medium
- **Requirements**: SEO, Mobile-responsive
- **Preference**: Modern standards

### Suggested Stack

| Category | Technology | Why |
|----------|------------|-----|
| Framework | Next.js 14 | SSR for SEO, React ecosystem |
| Language | TypeScript | Type safety, better DX |
| Styling | TailwindCSS | Rapid development, responsive utilities |
| Testing | Playwright | E2E testing, cross-browser |
| Database | PostgreSQL + Prisma | Type-safe ORM, scalable |

### Project Structure

src/ ├── app/ # Next.js App Router ├── components/ # React components ├── lib/ # Utility functions └── styles/ # Global styles

**Proceed with this stack?** (Y/n/modify)

Confirmation Flow

1. •If user confirms → Proceed to plan generation with this stack
2. •If user wants modifications → Ask what to change, update recommendation
3. •If user says no → Ask what they'd prefer instead

Integration with /speckit.plan

When stack is confirmed, pass it to plan generation:

User confirmed stack:
- Framework: Next.js 14
- Language: TypeScript
- Styling: TailwindCSS
- Testing: Playwright

Proceeding with plan generation...

The plan template will use these values in the Tech Stack section.