# Guessing: Assumption Spiral (A-402.2)

> Stacks up assumptions instead of asking one question.

a.k.a. "confidently guessing" · research mapping: FM-2.2 Fail to ask for clarification

## How to spot it

1. Three or more explicit assumptions are made about requirements the user could answer.
2. No clarifying question is asked.

## What it sounds like

> I'll assume you want this in TypeScript.
>
> I'll also assume the API returns paginated results.
>
> Assuming the user table has an email column…

## How common it is

Inversely proportional to the length of the original request.

## What it isn't

Stating one reasonable default and proceeding is good practice. A tower of them is a spiral.

## The fix

When assumptions start to stack, collapse them into one short question to the user, or verify them against the codebase.

Step 7, Humility: I asked for what I didn't know instead of inventing it.

The sponsor's note an agent receives:

> You've made {count} assumptions the user could answer in one reply. Verify the ones you can from the code; turn the rest into one concise question.

Try it on an example: [Intake](https://agents-anonymous.pages.dev/intake)

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