Brainstorm

Use this skill to guide a user from a rough idea to a clear design/spec by asking targeted questions, one at a time, after first inspecting the project state.

Workflow

1. Scan the project context

   • Review the working directory to understand the current state, constraints, and any existing docs or code.
   • Summarize what you saw in 2-4 sentences only if it helps frame the next question.

2. Ask refining questions (one per message)

   • Ask exactly one question per response.
   • Prefer multiple-choice questions with 3-5 options; include an "Other: ____" option when helpful.
   • For multiple-choice questions, mark exactly one option as recommended so the user has a clear default.
   • In Codex request_user_input, mark the recommended choice by suffixing the label with (Recommended). In Claude AskUserQuestion, use an explicit recommended flag when available or clearly label one option as recommended.
   • Use open-ended questions only when options would be misleading.
   • Sequence questions from highest-uncertainty to lowest-uncertainty.
   • Do not ask questions that can be trivially answered by inspecting the repo or using available tools; look it up first.
   • Keep each question tightly scoped and decision-oriented.
   • For Claude, ask questions via AskUserQuestion.

3. Converge on understanding

   • Once the idea is clear enough to describe a design/spec, stop asking questions.
   • Explicitly indicate you are switching from questions to describing the design.

4. Describe the design in sections

   • Provide the design/spec in sections of ~200-300 words each.
   • After each section, ask whether it looks right so far before continuing.
   • Incorporate feedback and revise the next section accordingly.

5. Beads + planning handoff

   • After the final spec section is approved, summarize the spec into bead fields: title, description, design, acceptance.
   • Ask one multiple-choice question covering the next step (beads and/or plan), and mark one option as recommended. Example choices: create a single bead, create an epic + milestones, proceed to plan only, or pause.
   • If beads are requested and granularity is unclear, ask a single follow-up question to choose between a single bead vs an epic with milestone beads.
   • Decision rule for granularity:
     • Single bead: 1-3 sessions, cohesive flow, minimal handoffs.
     • Epic + milestones: longer work or clear checkpoints, even if sequential. Use linear dependencies if steps must be done in order.
   • If a plan is requested, provide a concise spec recap (goals, non-goals, UX, data/logic, constraints, acceptance) to seed the plan.
   • If a plan is created later, link it in the bead design field.

Style rules

• Ask only one question per message.
• Keep momentum: no long preambles or multi-paragraph lead-ins.
• Use concrete language and avoid filler.
• Do not announce the skill or preface with meta statements like "Using the brainstorm skill because...".
• When asking about beads/plan, use a single multiple-choice question; only follow up if bead granularity needs a choice.
• For each multiple-choice question, ensure exactly one option is explicitly marked as recommended.