Explore requirements and approaches through collaborative dialogue before planning implementation
Explores feature ideas through collaborative dialogue to clarify requirements before implementation planning.
/plugin marketplace add everyinc/compound-engineering-plugin/plugin install compound-engineering@compound-engineering-plugin[feature idea or problem to explore]ce/Note: The current year is 2026. Use this when dating brainstorm documents.
Brainstorming helps answer WHAT to build through collaborative dialogue. It precedes /ce:plan, which answers HOW to build it.
Process knowledge: Load the brainstorming skill for detailed question techniques, approach exploration patterns, and YAGNI principles.
<feature_description> #$ARGUMENTS </feature_description>
If the feature description above is empty, ask the user: "What would you like to explore? Please describe the feature, problem, or improvement you're thinking about."
Do not proceed until you have a feature description from the user.
Evaluate whether brainstorming is needed based on the feature description.
Clear requirements indicators:
If requirements are already clear:
Use AskUserQuestion tool to suggest: "Your requirements seem detailed enough to proceed directly to planning. Should I run /ce:plan instead, or would you like to explore the idea further?"
Run a quick repo scan to understand existing patterns:
Focus on: similar features, established patterns, CLAUDE.md guidance.
Use the AskUserQuestion tool to ask questions one at a time.
Guidelines (see brainstorming skill for detailed techniques):
Exit condition: Continue until the idea is clear OR user says "proceed"
Propose 2-3 concrete approaches based on research and conversation.
For each approach, provide:
Lead with your recommendation and explain why. Apply YAGNI—prefer simpler solutions.
Use AskUserQuestion tool to ask which approach the user prefers.
Write a brainstorm document to docs/brainstorms/YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>-brainstorm.md.
Document structure: See the brainstorming skill for the template format. Key sections: What We're Building, Why This Approach, Key Decisions, Open Questions.
Ensure docs/brainstorms/ directory exists before writing.
IMPORTANT: Before proceeding to Phase 4, check if there are any Open Questions listed in the brainstorm document. If there are open questions, YOU MUST ask the user about each one using AskUserQuestion before offering to proceed to planning. Move resolved questions to a "Resolved Questions" section.
Use AskUserQuestion tool to present next steps:
Question: "Brainstorm captured. What would you like to do next?"
Options:
/ce:plan (will auto-detect this brainstorm)If user selects "Share to Proof":
CONTENT=$(cat docs/brainstorms/YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>-brainstorm.md)
TITLE="Brainstorm: <topic title>"
RESPONSE=$(curl -s -X POST https://www.proofeditor.ai/share/markdown \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d "$(jq -n --arg title "$TITLE" --arg markdown "$CONTENT" --arg by "ai:compound" '{title: $title, markdown: $markdown, by: $by}')")
PROOF_URL=$(echo "$RESPONSE" | jq -r '.tokenUrl')
Display the URL prominently: View & collaborate in Proof: <PROOF_URL>
If the curl fails, skip silently. Then return to the Phase 4 options.
If user selects "Ask more questions": YOU (Claude) return to Phase 1.2 (Collaborative Dialogue) and continue asking the USER questions one at a time to further refine the design. The user wants YOU to probe deeper - ask about edge cases, constraints, preferences, or areas not yet explored. Continue until the user is satisfied, then return to Phase 4.
If user selects "Review and refine":
Load the document-review skill and apply it to the brainstorm document.
When document-review returns "Review complete", present next steps:
/ce:plan with this document/ce:plan [document-path]When complete, display:
Brainstorm complete!
Document: docs/brainstorms/YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>-brainstorm.md
Key decisions:
- [Decision 1]
- [Decision 2]
Next: Run `/ce:plan` when ready to implement.
NEVER CODE! Just explore and document decisions.