brainstorming

Brainstorming

Structured pre-implementation design exploration. Transforms a vague idea into a written spec through focused, one-at-a-time questioning before any code is written, any plan is created, or any architecture is decided. The spec is the deliverable -- everything else follows from it.

No code until the spec is written and approved.

When to Use

• The user says "I want to build X" but has no written requirements
• A feature request exists as a sentence or two with no detail
• The user asks "how should I build X" before defining what X actually is
• Someone says "let's brainstorm" or "help me figure this out"
• A problem statement exists but the solution space is unexplored

Quick Start

/brainstorming user authentication for a SaaS app
/brainstorming migrate our monolith to services
/brainstorming                                     # asks what to explore

If $ARGUMENTS is provided, use it as the initial topic and skip straight to Phase 1. If no argument, ask: "What idea, feature, or problem would you like to explore?"

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Workflow

This skill uses guided phases -- each phase is a separate file loaded one at a time. Every phase ends with a gate where you must wait for user confirmation before proceeding. Do not skip phases or merge them.

Phase	File	What it covers
1	Intake	Read context, classify maturity, summarize understanding
2	Divergence	Expand problem space with one-at-a-time questions across 7 categories
3	Convergence	Narrow to concrete scope, lock must-haves and non-goals
4	Spec Writing	Write full spec from gathered material, run quality checklist
5	Approval	Get explicit user approval, hard-gate implementation

Start by loading Phase 1. After the user confirms each phase, load the next. Never load multiple phases at once. Never skip a phase.

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Critical Rules

1. No code until the spec is approved. Not pseudocode, not scaffolding, not "just a quick example."
2. One question per message. Compound questions produce shallow answers.
3. Open questions before closed questions. Explore before narrowing.
4. Challenge assumptions, not people. "Is X a hard requirement, or an assumption we should test?"
5. The user defines scope, not the agent. Surface possibilities through questions, let the user decide.
6. Non-goals are as important as goals. A spec without explicit non-goals has undefined boundaries.
7. Acceptance criteria must be testable. "It should be fast" is not testable. "Under 200ms at p95" is.
8. Scale depth to complexity. Simple features get short specs. System redesigns get thorough ones.
9. Resolve contradictions before locking scope.
10. The spec is a living document until approved.

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Question Technique

Principle	Meaning
One at a time	One question, one message
Open before closed	"What" and "why" first; "which" and "would you prefer" later
Challenge assumptions	When something is stated as obvious, ask what would happen if it were not true
Surface constraints early	Constraints eliminate solution space -- the sooner known, the less rework
Offer options when narrowing	Present 2-3 concrete choices instead of open-ended questions during convergence
Name the silence	If an important topic has not come up, ask about it explicitly

See question-playbook for the full catalog.

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Anti-Patterns

Anti-Pattern	Fix
Solution jumping	Stay in divergence until goals and constraints are clear
Compound questions	One question per message
Leading questions	Ask neutral: "What scale needs exist?" not "Should we use microservices?"
Premature implementation	Hard-gate: no code until spec is approved
Fake consensus	Probe: "Can you walk me through how you'd use this?"
Scope creep during convergence	Park in "future considerations", re-lock scope

See anti-patterns for the full guide.

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Reference Files

Reference	Contents
question-playbook	Full catalog of question types with example phrasings
spec-template	Output template the spec must follow
anti-patterns	Failure modes that derail brainstorming
when-to-exit	Criteria for "done" vs. "needs more rounds"

Integration with Other Skills

Situation	Recommended Skill
Spec approved, ready for planning	writing-plans
Complex requirements, need stakeholder analysis	product-manager role
Spec reveals architectural decisions needed	architect role
Spec approved, ready for direct TDD	test-driven-development
Acceptance criteria need test plan detail	qa-engineer role
API design decisions	api-design
Database schema decisions	database-design