Explore multiple approaches through structured option generation, trade-off analysis, and collaborative approach selection. Use when evaluating alternatives before committing to an implementation strategy.
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Domain skill for multi-option exploration and collaborative decision-making before implementation.
EXPLORE BEFORE COMMITTING. The cost of choosing wrong is 10x the cost of exploring options.
Every hour spent exploring saves a day of rework from the wrong approach.
Track the brainstorming lifecycle with tasks:
TaskCreate("Clarify goal", "Confirm what, why, who before generating options")
TaskCreate("Check existing patterns", "Search codebase for how similar problems are solved")
TaskCreate("Generate approaches", "Produce 2-4 distinct approaches with pros, cons, effort, risk")
TaskCreate("Compare and recommend", "Build comparison table, highlight trade-offs, recommend")
TaskCreate("User decision", "Present recommendation, get user choice, log decision")
TaskUpdate("Clarify goal", status: "in_progress")
Before generating options, confirm you understand:
Use AskUserQuestion if the goal is ambiguous. Don't guess.
TaskUpdate("Clarify goal", status: "completed")
TaskUpdate("Check existing patterns", status: "in_progress")
Before proposing new approaches, see what the codebase already does:
# How does the project handle similar problems?
grep -r "relevant_pattern" --include="*.{ts,js,py,rb}" -l
git log --oneline --all --grep="related keyword" | head -10
Existing patterns get priority — consistency has value.
TaskUpdate("Check existing patterns", status: "completed")
TaskUpdate("Generate approaches", status: "in_progress")
For each approach, fill out:
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Name | Short, memorable label |
| Summary | One-line description |
| Pros | Bullet list of advantages |
| Cons | Bullet list of disadvantages |
| Effort | Small / Medium / Large |
| Risk | Low / Medium / High |
Rules:
TaskUpdate("Generate approaches", status: "completed")
TaskUpdate("Compare and recommend", status: "in_progress")
Build a comparison table across key dimensions:
| Dimension | Approach A | Approach B | Approach C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simplicity | |||
| Flexibility | |||
| Performance | |||
| Consistency | |||
| Effort | |||
| Risk |
TaskUpdate("Compare and recommend", status: "completed")
TaskUpdate("User decision", status: "in_progress")
AskUserQuestion for the final decisionTaskUpdate("User decision", status: "completed") after user selects an approach. Use TaskList to confirm the full brainstorming lifecycle completed.
Common dimensions to evaluate (pick the relevant ones):
| Dimension | Tension |
|---|---|
| Simplicity vs Flexibility | Simple now vs adaptable later |
| Speed vs Correctness | Ship fast vs get it right |
| Consistency vs Innovation | Follow patterns vs better approach |
| Build vs Buy | Custom solution vs existing library |
| Coupling vs Convenience | Decoupled modules vs easy implementation |
| Explicit vs Implicit | Verbose but clear vs concise but magical |
| Anti-Pattern | Symptom | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Analysis paralysis | >4 options, endless comparison | Cap at 4. Decide with available info. |
| False dichotomy | "We can only do A or B" | Challenge the constraint. Usually there's a C. |
| Bikeshedding | 30 min debating variable names | Is this decision reversible? If yes, just pick one. |
| Anchoring | First option dominates discussion | Present all options before discussing any. |
| Groupthink | Everyone agrees immediately | Play devil's advocate. What could go wrong? |
| Excuse | Response |
|---|---|
| "Let's just go with the obvious approach" | Obvious to whom? Explore first, then decide. |
| "We don't have time to brainstorm" | You don't have time to rewrite after choosing wrong. |
| "I've done this before, I know the best way" | Great. Then documenting why takes 2 minutes. Do it. |
| "All approaches are roughly the same" | Then pick the simplest. If they're truly equivalent, simplicity wins. |