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Request Scoper

Turn vague data requests into structured analysis briefs

When a stakeholder says "can you look into churn?", this skill generates the clarifying questions, defines the metric, estimates the effort, and produces a structured brief — before you write a single query.

CommunitySubmitted by CommunityWork1 min

INGREDIENTS

💬Slack

PROMPT

Create a skill called "Request Scoper". When I paste a data request from a stakeholder (usually vague, like "Can you look into why churn is up?" or "Pull me the numbers on our marketing campaigns"), analyze it and produce: (1) A list of ambiguities and missing details (time period, metric definition, segments, comparison baseline, output format). (2) A structured questionnaire I can send to the stakeholder to clarify. (3) Proposed metric definitions based on common interpretations and my data model. (4) An effort estimate: simple (< 1 hour), moderate (1-4 hours), complex (1-2 days), or research project (1+ weeks), with reasoning. (5) A structured analysis brief with agreed scope, deliverable format, and timeline. If I later paste follow-up requests from the same stakeholder, flag scope creep beyond the original brief.

How It Works

Vague requests are the biggest time trap in analytics. "Look into churn"

could mean a 2-hour query or a 3-week research project. This skill front-loads

the scoping so you know exactly what's being asked before committing time.

What You Get

  • Automatic identification of ambiguities in the request
  • Generated clarifying questions (time period? segment? definition of churn?)
  • Metric definition proposals based on your data model
  • Effort estimation based on the complexity of tables and joins involved
  • A structured analysis brief ready for stakeholder sign-off
  • Scope creep detection on follow-up requests

Setup Steps

  1. Ask your Claw to create a "Request Scoper" skill with the prompt below
  2. Forward or paste any data request you receive
  3. Get back a clarifying questionnaire and effort estimate
  4. Send the questionnaire to the stakeholder to align before starting work

Tips

  • The effort estimates save you from the "this should take 5 minutes, right?" trap
  • Use the structured brief as a contract — agreed scope prevents endless follow-ups
  • The scope creep detection helps you push back when "one more thing" keeps coming
  • Over time, builds a library of common requests and their typical complexity
Tags:#productivity#stakeholder-management#scoping#workflow