Lisa
Lisa plans. Ralph does.
Interactive specification interview workflow that conducts in-depth feature interviews and generates comprehensive specs. Available as both a Claude Code plugin and a standalone CLI that works with multiple AI providers.
Table of Contents
- Overview
- Installation
- Quick Start
- Plugin Commands
- CLI Usage
- Output Files
- Interview Process
- First Principles Mode
- Configuration
- Programmatic Usage
- Complete Workflow: Lisa + Ralph
- Development
- License
Overview
Based on the technique described by @trq212:
My favorite way to use Claude Code to build large features is spec based. Start with a minimal spec or prompt and ask Claude to interview you using the AskUserQuestion tool about literally anything: technical implementation, UI & UX, concerns, tradeoffs, etc. Then make a new session to execute the spec.
Lisa automates this workflow by:
- Conducting structured interviews about your feature
- Generating comprehensive PRDs in Markdown and JSON formats
- Supporting resume of interrupted sessions
- Optionally challenging assumptions with first-principles questioning
Installation
Claude Code Plugin
# Add the marketplace
/plugin marketplace add blencorp/lisa
# Install the plugin
/plugin install lisa
Standalone CLI
The CLI works with multiple AI providers. Run it directly with npx:
npx @blen/lisa "user authentication"
Prerequisites: At least one AI CLI tool must be installed:
| Provider | CLI Command | Installation |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Code | claude | anthropic.com |
| OpenCode | opencode | opencode.dev |
| Cursor | cursor or agent | cursor.sh |
| Codex | codex | codex.dev |
| GitHub Copilot | gh with Copilot extension | github.com/copilot |
Quick Start
Plugin (Claude Code):
/lisa:plan "user authentication"
CLI:
npx @blen/lisa "user authentication"
Plugin Commands
/lisa:plan <FEATURE_NAME> [OPTIONS]
Start a specification interview for a feature.
Arguments:
FEATURE_NAME(required) - Name of the feature to spec out
Options:
| Option | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
--context <file> | Initial context file (PRD, requirements, etc.) | none |
--output-dir <dir> | Output directory for generated specs | docs/specs |
--max-questions <n> | Maximum question rounds (0 = unlimited) | 0 |
--first-principles | Challenge assumptions before detailed spec gathering | false |
-h, --help | Show help | - |
Examples:
# Basic interview
/lisa:plan "user authentication"
# With existing context
/lisa:plan "payment processing" --context docs/PRD.md
# Custom output location
/lisa:plan "search feature" --output-dir specs/features
# Limit to 15 questions
/lisa:plan "caching layer" --max-questions 15
# Challenge assumptions first
/lisa:plan "new dashboard" --first-principles
# Combined options
/lisa:plan "api gateway" --context docs/arch.md --first-principles --max-questions 20
/lisa:resume
Resume an interrupted specification interview.
/lisa:resume
If you have interviews that were interrupted (session ended mid-interview), this command will:
- List all in-progress interviews with feature names and timestamps
- Let you select which interview to resume
- Continue the interview from where you left off
/lisa:cleanup
Clean up all Lisa interview state files.
/lisa:cleanup
Removes all interview state files from .claude/lisa-*.md. Use this to:
- Abandon all in-progress interviews
- Reset Lisa to a clean state
Note: This does NOT delete completed specs in docs/specs/.
/lisa:help
Display help documentation about the Lisa workflow.
CLI Usage
Basic Usage
npx @blen/lisa "user authentication system"
Command Reference
Usage: npx @blen/lisa [options] [feature]
Arguments:
feature Feature description to plan