brainstorm

/octave:brainstorm - GTM Ideation Engine

Interactive brainstorming for campaigns, Custom Motion Playbook angles (Thematic / Milestone / Account / Competitive), lead magnets, CTAs, offers, and growth experiments—all grounded in your Octave library context.

Usage

/octave:brainstorm [topic]

Examples

/octave:brainstorm                           # Open-ended, asks what to brainstorm
/octave:brainstorm campaigns for enterprise  # Campaign ideas for enterprise segment
/octave:brainstorm lead magnets              # Content offer ideas
/octave:brainstorm motion playbook pack      # Generate Custom Motion Playbook angles for TAM
/octave:brainstorm CTAs for CFOs             # Call-to-action ideas for persona

Instructions

When the user runs /octave:brainstorm:

Step 1: Determine Brainstorm Type

If no topic provided, ask:

What would you like to brainstorm?

1. Campaign Ideas - Outreach campaigns for specific segments/personas
2. Motion Playbook Concepts - Custom Motion Playbook angles (Thematic / Milestone / Account / Competitive) to layer on existing Motions, or new Motions for offerings that don't have one
3. Lead Magnets - Content offers to attract prospects
4. CTAs & Offers - Calls-to-action and promotional offers
5. Growth Experiments - Test ideas to improve conversion
6. Messaging Angles - New positioning approaches
7. Something else - Tell me what you're thinking

Your choice (or describe freely):

If topic is provided, infer the type and confirm:

I'll brainstorm lead magnet ideas for you. Sound good?
(Or tell me more about what you're looking for)

Step 2: Gather Context

Use MCP tools based on brainstorm type:

For Campaigns:

- list_all_entities({ entityType: "segment" })
- list_all_entities({ entityType: "persona" })
- list_motions()
- list_all_entities({ entityType: "use_case" })

For Motion Playbook Concepts:

- list_all_entities({ entityType: "segment" })
- list_all_entities({ entityType: "persona" })
- list_all_entities({ entityType: "product" })
- list_all_entities({ entityType: "use_case" })
- list_motions()                                  # See existing Motions
- list_motion_playbooks({ motionOId: "<motion_oId>" })  # See existing Default + Custom Motion Playbooks

For Lead Magnets:

- list_all_entities({ entityType: "persona" })
- list_all_entities({ entityType: "use_case" })
- list_all_entities({ entityType: "proof_point" })
- search_knowledge_base({ query: "pain points challenges problems" })

For CTAs & Offers:

- list_all_entities({ entityType: "persona" })
- list_all_entities({ entityType: "product" })
- list_all_entities({ entityType: "proof_point" })

For Growth Experiments:

- list_motions()
- list_all_entities({ entityType: "segment" })
- list_all_entities({ entityType: "persona" })

Step 3: Ask Scoping Questions (Optional)

If the request is broad, narrow the focus:

For Campaigns:

Let me tailor these campaign ideas. Quick questions:

1. Target segment? (e.g., Enterprise SaaS, Healthcare, All)
2. Target persona? (e.g., CTOs, VP Sales, Multiple)
3. Campaign goal? (e.g., awareness, demos, pipeline)
4. Channel preference? (e.g., email, LinkedIn, multi-channel)

(Answer any/all, or say "surprise me")

For Motion Playbook Pack:

To generate Custom Motion Playbook angles (and possibly new Motions) for your TAM:

1. What verticals/industries should we cover?
2. Company size focus? (SMB, Mid-market, Enterprise, All)
3. Any specific use cases to emphasize?
4. Gaps you've noticed in current Motion coverage (offerings without a Motion, or Motions that need a Thematic / Milestone / Account / Competitive angle)?

(Share what you know, or I'll analyze your Motions for gaps)

Step 4: Generate Ideas

Present ideas in a structured, actionable format:

---

See campaign-ideas-output.md for the Campaign Ideas output template.

---

See playbook-pack-output.md for the Motion Playbook Pack output template.

---

See lead-magnet-ideas-output.md for the Lead Magnet Ideas output template.

---

See cta-offer-ideas-output.md for the CTA & Offer Ideas output template.

Step 5: Refine and Save

After presenting ideas, offer next steps:

What would you like to do next?

1. Develop one of these ideas further
2. Generate more ideas (different angle)
3. Save an idea to your library
4. Create content for an idea (/octave:generate or /octave:pmm)
5. Done for now

Your choice:

If "Save to library":

• Campaign → Capture as a Custom Motion Playbook angle (Thematic / Account / Competitive) on the right Motion
• Lead Magnet → Create as collateral or resource reference
• Motion Playbook concept → Use create_motion_playbook to create a Custom Motion Playbook on the relevant Motion (or recommend a new Motion if the offering doesn't have one)

For Custom Motion Playbook Creation:

1. First, list Motions to find the parent Motion:

   list_motions()
   

2. Ask user which Motion this Custom Motion Playbook belongs to:

   Which Motion is this Custom Motion Playbook for?
   
   1. [Motion A] (mt_abc123) — offering: Product A, motion type: Outbound
   2. [Motion B] (mt_def456) — offering: Product B, motion type: Inbound
   
   Your choice:
   

3. Pick the narrative type and create:

   • THEMATIC — a thematic spin (event, season, narrative wedge)
   • MILESTONE — milestone-based (funding, hiring spike, product launch)
   • ACCOUNT — named-account angle
   • COMPETITIVE — displacement / competitive wedge

   create_motion_playbook({
     motionOId: "<motion_oId>",
     narrativeType: "THEMATIC",
     name: "Healthcare Digital Transformation",
     description: "Custom Motion Playbook angle for healthcare digital transformation targeting CTO/VP IT personas",
     instructions: "Layer a healthcare digital transformation angle on top of this Motion. Target CTO/VP IT personas in healthcare organizations. Focus on HIPAA compliance, interoperability, and patient outcomes. Strategic angle: 'secure, compliant foundation for healthcare innovation'.",
     keyContext: "<relevant context from the brainstorm>"
   })
   

MCP Tools Used

Read Operations

• list_all_entities - Get entities for context
• get_entity - Deep dive on specific entities
• list_motions - See existing Motions
• list_motion_playbooks - Understand existing Motion Playbook coverage (Default + Custom) on a Motion
• get_motion_playbook - Pull narrative details for an existing Motion Playbook
• search_knowledge_base - Find relevant messaging and proof points

Write Operations

• create_entity - Create new entities from ideas
• create_motion_playbook - Create Custom Motion Playbooks (Thematic / Milestone / Account / Competitive) layered on an existing Motion
• update_motion_playbook - Edit narrative sections of an existing Motion Playbook

Brainstorm Modes Summary

Mode	Output	Key Inputs
Campaigns	3-5 campaign concepts with hooks, sequences, rationale	Segment, persona, channel
Motion Playbook Pack	3-7 Custom Motion Playbook angles (Thematic / Milestone / Account / Competitive) covering TAM gaps	Current Motion coverage, target markets
Lead Magnets	3-5 content offer ideas with mechanics	Persona pain points, buying stage
CTAs & Offers	Tiered CTA options + promotional offers	Persona, funnel stage
Growth Experiments	Test hypotheses with success metrics	Current Motions, conversion goals
Messaging Angles	Alternative positioning approaches	Product, competitors, personas

Error Handling

Empty Library:

Your library needs some content for effective brainstorming.

I can still generate ideas, but they'll be more generic. For better results, add at least:

• 1 product
• 2-3 personas
• Key pain points

Run /octave:library create to add content, or continue anyway?

No Relevant Context:

I couldn't find [segment/persona] in your library.

Options:

1. Brainstorm anyway (I'll use general knowledge)
2. Create [segment/persona] first (/octave:library create)
3. Choose a different focus

Related Skills

• /octave:generate - Generate content for brainstormed ideas
• /octave:pmm - Develop lead magnets and collateral
• /octave:library - Create entities from brainstormed concepts
• /octave:prospector - Find prospects for brainstormed campaigns
• /octave:audit - Identify gaps to brainstorm around
• /octave:campaign - Turn brainstormed ideas into full campaigns
• /octave:messaging - Build messaging frameworks from brainstormed angles