RFC-NNN: [Feature/System Name]

Author: [Your Name]
Status: Draft
Created: [YYYY-MM-DD]
Last Updated: [YYYY-MM-DD]

Note on Authorship:
[Optional: Document any collaborative aspects of the RFC creation, AI assistance, etc.]

1. Context

Problem

[What problem are we solving? Why does this matter? What’s the current pain point?]

Goals

[What are we trying to achieve? Be specific and measurable.]

Goal 1
Goal 2
Goal 3

Non-Goals (V1)

[What are we explicitly NOT solving in this iteration? This prevents scope creep.]

Non-goal 1
Non-goal 2
Non-goal 3

2. Requirements

Must Have

[Core requirements that define the minimum viable implementation.]

Requirement 1
Requirement 2
Requirement 3

Nice to Have (Future)

[Features that would be great but aren’t blockers for V1.]

Future requirement 1
Future requirement 2

Explicitly Out of Scope

[Things we will NOT do, even if requested. Explain why.]

Out of scope 1
Out of scope 2

3. High-Level Design

Architecture Flow

[Describe how data/requests flow through the system. Use text diagrams or bullet points.]

Component A → Component B → Component C
  ↓
Component D

Design Patterns

[If using specific patterns (Ports & Adapters, CQRS, etc.), explain why.]

Data Model

[Define key entities, relationships, and data structures. Use schemas, Cypher patterns, or ERDs.]

[Show data structure here]

Key Components

[List the major components/modules and their responsibilities.]

Component 1:

Responsibility A
Responsibility B

Component 2:

Responsibility A
Responsibility B

4. Detailed Architecture (if applicable)

[For complex systems using Ports & Adapters or similar patterns, detail the layers.]

Interfaces/Behaviors

[Define contracts/interfaces that implementations must satisfy.]

[Code example of behavior/interface]

Adapters/Implementations

[Describe concrete implementations and how they’re configured.]

Domain Logic

[Explain core business logic separate from infrastructure concerns.]

5. Task Breakdown (2-hour increments)

Task 1: [Task Name]

Objective: [What does this task accomplish?]

Implementation:

Step 1
Step 2
Step 3

Success Criteria:

Criterion 1
Criterion 2

Task 2: [Task Name]

Objective: [What does this task accomplish?]

Implementation:

Step 1
Step 2
Step 3

Success Criteria:

Criterion 1
Criterion 2

[Continue with additional tasks. Aim for 5-15 tasks for most features.]

6. Data Flow Examples

[Key Operation 1]

[Show step-by-step how data flows for a critical operation.]

Step 1: User action
  ↓
Step 2: System response
  ↓
Step 3: Database update
  ↓
Step 4: Final result

[Key Operation 2]

[Another important flow, especially for error cases or edge scenarios.]

7. Success Criteria

End-to-End Test

[Define the complete flow that validates the entire feature works.]

Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Expected outcome

Unit/Integration Tests

[Key test scenarios that must pass.]

Test scenario 1
Test scenario 2
Test scenario 3

8. Security Considerations

[If applicable, document security implications and mitigations.]

Security concern 1 → Mitigation
Security concern 2 → Mitigation

9. Performance Considerations

[If applicable, document performance expectations and constraints.]

Expected load: [e.g., 100 requests/second]
Latency requirements: [e.g., <200ms p95]
Scalability concerns: [e.g., horizontal scaling strategy]

10. Open Questions

[Document unresolved decisions or areas needing further research.]

Question 1: [Description of uncertainty]
- Option A: [Pro/Con]
- Option B: [Pro/Con]
Question 2: [Description of uncertainty]

11. Alternatives Considered

[Document other approaches considered and why they were rejected.]

Alternative 1: [Approach Name]

Pros:

Pro 1
Pro 2

Cons:

Con 1
Con 2

Decision: [Why we chose not to pursue this]

Alternative 2: [Approach Name]

[Same structure as above]

12. Future Enhancements (Post-V1)

[Features and improvements planned for future iterations.]

Enhancement 1
Enhancement 2
Enhancement 3

13. Migration/Rollout Strategy

[If applicable, how will this be deployed? Gradual rollout? Feature flags? Data migration?]

Phase 1: [Description]
Phase 2: [Description]
Phase 3: [Description]

14. Monitoring & Observability

[How will we know this is working in production?]

Metric 1: [What to measure]
Metric 2: [What to measure]
Alert conditions: [When to page someone]

15. Dependencies

[List external dependencies, APIs, services, or other RFCs this relies on.]

Dependency 1: [Description]
Dependency 2: [Description]

16. References

[Link to relevant documentation, similar implementations, research papers, etc.]

17. Changelog

[Track major changes to the RFC during the design phase.]

YYYY-MM-DD: Initial draft
YYYY-MM-DD: Updated based on feedback from [person/source]
YYYY-MM-DD: Status changed to Accepted

End of RFC-NNN