Spec-Deriving Algorithm.js

function Main() {
    Iterate {       
        IdentifyNextThread()
        For each Thread {
            
            PullThread()
            
        }
    }
}

function IdentifyNextThread() {
    Ask("Tell me THE MOST/NEXT important thing this product does?")
    
    For each Thread candidate {
        Ask("Is this a valuable feature? Is this a selling-point?")
        ApplySIRI()
        
        if  isValuable() or 
            isCoreFeature() 
        then 
            Capture(Thread)
    }
}

function PullThread(Thread) {
    IdentifyChallenges(Thread)
    For each Challenge {
    
        IdentifyBigPatterns(Challenge)
        For each Pattern {
        
            ExtractITDs(Pattern)
        
        }
    }
}

function IdentifyChallenges(Thread) {
    Challenges = Ask("What was hard about doing this thing? What problem were you trying to solve?")
    
    For each Challenge candidate {
        Ask("Why is this hard? Am I missing something?")
        ApplySIRI()
        
        if  isHard() and 
            isImportant() 
        then 
            Capture(Challenge)
    }
    
    return valid Challenges
}

function IdentifyBigPatterns(Challenge) {
    Patterns = Ask("What were the big patterns you used to solve that problem? Walk me through the flow.")
    
    For each Pattern candidate {
        Ask("Why did you use this pattern? How does it solve the problem?")
        ApplySIRI()
        
        if  isRealPattern() and 
            isRealSolutionToTheChallenge() 
        then 
            Capture(Pattern)
    }
    
    return valid Patterns
}

function ExtractITDs(Pattern) {
    Ask("What did you have to do to apply that pattern to your problem space?"
        "What important data-structures did you use?"
        "What core algorithms did you use?")
    AskCuriousQuestions()
    
    For each ITD candidate {
        ApplySIRI()
        
        if  isImportant() and 
            isTechnical() and 
            isRationalDecision() 
        then
            Capture(ITD)
        
        // Most valuable ITD types are:
        // - TechDiffs
        // - DataStructures and DataFlows
        // - Algorithms
    }
}

function ApplySIRI(Idea) {
    Iterate {
        Simplify(Idea)
        Internalize(Idea)
        Replay(Idea)
        
        if  isSimple(Idea) and
            isCorrect(Idea) and 
            isUnderstood(Idea) 
        then 
            break
    }
}

Yes, your intuition about the IdentifyThreads() function is correct. I've adjusted it to reflect that.

I'd still like to add these though, but without adding complexity:

• AskCuriousQuestions() is something that could happen at almost any level (just like ApplySIRI), I need to reflect that.
• New threads can be identified along the way? How are those captured/pulled?

Thanks Marc!