---
title: "Request or topic? A two-minute game · DeliverySheet"
description: "Eight work requests, the way they really arrive. Can you tell which ones could be decided on and which should go back with a question? A two-minute game."
canonical_url: "https://www.deliverysheet.com/spot-the-request"
meta:
  author: "Tan Gravam"
  "og:description": "Eight work requests, the way they really arrive. Can you tell which ones could be decided on and which should go back with a question? A two-minute game."
  "og:image": "https://www.deliverysheet.com/_og/s/o_7ad2bb79449abccd.png"
  "og:image:alt": "Request or topic? A two-minute game — card"
  "og:image:height": "600"
  "og:image:type": image/png
  "og:image:width": "1200"
  "og:title": "Request or topic? A two-minute game — DeliverySheet"
  "twitter:description": "Eight work requests, the way they really arrive. Can you tell which ones could be decided on and which should go back with a question? A two-minute game."
  "twitter:image": "https://www.deliverysheet.com/_og/s/o_7ad2bb79449abccd.png"
  "twitter:image:alt": "Request or topic? A two-minute game — card"
  "twitter:title": "Request or topic? A two-minute game — DeliverySheet"
---

> Index of every page on this site: [llms.txt](https://www.deliverysheet.com/llms.txt)

# **Request or topic? **

Eight messages, the way they really arrive. For each one: could you decide on it as it stands, or does it go back with a question? A request is decidable when it says what should change, plus who it hurts or why now.

1. Message 1: not answered yet
2. Message 2: not answered yet
3. Message 3: not answered yet
4. Message 4: not answered yet
5. Message 5: not answered yet
6. Message 6: not answered yet
7. Message 7: not answered yet
8. Message 8: not answered yet

**VP**

Message 1 of 8, from **VP Product**in eng-leads

> We should really look into AI for support this year.

## The rule behind the game

Most work arrives as a topic ("mobile checkout"), a solution ("we need SSO") or half a sentence from a meeting. A team can be busy on any of those for a quarter and still not deliver what was wanted, because what was wanted was never said. The test is small: does the message say what should change, and either who is affected or why it matters now? If it does, it can be shaped, sized and decided. If it does not, the honest next step is a question, not an estimate.

The reasoning is in [A topic is not a request](https://www.deliverysheet.com/blog/a-topic-is-not-a-request), and the [free request check](https://www.deliverysheet.com/request-check) runs the same reading on a request you paste — no account, nothing stored. In DeliverySheet this check is the door: a request enters the lifecycle only when it states the need plus an impact or a reason for now.

$189/month per workspace, unlimited members. 7-day free trial — card required, cancel before it ends and you're not charged. I answer the support email myself.

[**Start 7-day trial **](https://www.deliverysheet.com/login?next=/app) [**See pricing **](https://www.deliverysheet.com/pricing)

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@id":"https://www.deliverysheet.com/#website","@type":"WebSite","description":"Turn raw work requests into structured, decision-ready demands before you commit people, budget, or a date. AI-assisted shaping, planning and commitment governance for engineering leaders.","name":"DeliverySheet","url":"https://www.deliverysheet.com/","publisher":{"@id":"https://www.deliverysheet.com/#identity"}},{"@id":"https://www.deliverysheet.com/spot-the-request#webpage","@type":"WebPage","description":"Eight work requests, the way they really arrive. Can you tell which ones could be decided on and which should go back with a question? A two-minute game.","name":"Request or topic? A two-minute game — DeliverySheet","url":"https://www.deliverysheet.com/spot-the-request","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://www.deliverysheet.com/spot-the-request#breadcrumb"},"isPartOf":{"@id":"https://www.deliverysheet.com/#website"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https://www.deliverysheet.com/spot-the-request"]}],"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://www.deliverysheet.com/#logo"}},{"@id":"https://www.deliverysheet.com/#identity","@type":"Organization","alternateName":"Delivery Sheet","description":"Turn raw work requests into structured, decision-ready demands before you commit people, budget, or a date.","name":"DeliverySheet","url":"https://www.deliverysheet.com","founder":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://www.deliverysheet.com/about#person","name":"Tan Gravam"},"logo":{"@id":"https://www.deliverysheet.com/#logo"}},{"@id":"https://www.deliverysheet.com/spot-the-request#breadcrumb","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","name":"Home","item":"https://www.deliverysheet.com","position":1},{"@type":"ListItem","name":"Request or topic?","item":"https://www.deliverysheet.com/spot-the-request","position":2}]},{"@id":"https://www.deliverysheet.com/#logo","@type":"ImageObject","caption":"DeliverySheet","contentUrl":"https://www.deliverysheet.com/logo.png","inLanguage":"en","url":"https://www.deliverysheet.com/logo.png"}]}
```

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](https://www.deliverysheet.com/sitemap.md) for all pages.