Spike Summary

A spike summary documents the results of a time-boxed exploration - a focused investigation to reduce uncertainty before committing to implementation. Spikes answer specific questions like "Can we integrate with this API?" or "Is this technology viable for our use case?" The summary captures findings so the team can make informed decisions without the spike participants needing to repeat explanations.

When to Use

• After completing a time-boxed technical exploration
• When evaluating technology choices or vendor options
• After proof-of-concept work that needs to inform team decisions
• When investigating feasibility of a proposed solution
• Before committing engineering resources to a new approach

When NOT to Use

• You are recording the resulting architecture decision itself -> use develop-adr; the spike informs, the ADR decides
• The exploration was user research, not technical or design feasibility -> use discover-interview-synthesis
• You want to propose the solution the spike pointed to -> use develop-solution-brief
• The spike has not happened yet: this skill documents results; time-box and run the exploration first