# Shared interview blocks

These two blocks apply to every scope-resolved question bank — biz and tech alike. Both [questions-business.md](questions-business.md) and [questions-technical.md](questions-technical.md) reference them rather than re-embedding (single source of truth; same Pre-Question Taxonomy and Interview Guidelines across passes).

## Pre-Question Taxonomy

Before asking any question, classify it on three axes:

| Category | Who answers | Examples |
|----------|-------------|----------|
| **Codebase-answerable** | Agent (Read / Grep / Glob) | "What persistence layer is used?" / "Where do existing routes live?" / "What's the test framework?" |
| **Glossary-lookup-answerable** (`DOC_AWARE=1` only) | Agent (`flowctl glossary read`) | "What does this project mean by 'worker'?" / "Is 'session' the canonical term here, or is it 'connection'?" |
| **User-judgment-required** | User (`plain-text numbered prompt`) | "Should we add caching?" / "What's the priority for offline support?" / "Is performance or simplicity more important here?" |

**Rules of thumb:**

- "What exists / how is it wired / what conventions live here" → agent investigates the codebase, doesn't ask.
- "What does the project's canonical vocabulary call this?" → agent looks up the nearest-ancestor `GLOSSARY.md` (when `DOC_AWARE=1`), surfaces only when (a) no canonical entry exists and the term is overloaded (behavior (b) — fuzzy-term sharpening), or (b) the user's wording conflicts with canonical AND the term is load-bearing (behavior (a) — phase-zero scan).
- "What should exist / what tradeoff to make / what priority" → user decides, agent asks.

**If you find yourself answering a "should" question via grep, that's the bug.** Stop and ask the user.

**Audit trail:**

- Codebase-resolved items → `## Resolved via Codebase` section with file:line evidence.
- Glossary-conflict-resolved items (when behavior (a) fired) → `## Glossary Conflicts` section with the user-wording, canonical term, and resolution.
- Both sections are separate from items the user answered. Cite evidence so reviewers can spot-check assumptions later — especially important when the agent's "I checked" turns out to be "I assumed."

## Interview Guidelines

1. **Ask follow-up questions** based on answers - dig deep
2. **Don't ask obvious questions** - assume technical competence
3. **Continue until complete** - multiple rounds expected
4. **Group related questions** when possible (use multiSelect for non-exclusive options)
5. **Probe contradictions** - if answers don't align, clarify
6. **Surface hidden complexity** - ask about things user might not have considered
