Brainstorming & Requirements Discovery Skill

Transform ambiguous ideas into concrete specifications through structured exploration.

Quick Start

Basic brainstorm

/sc:brainstorm [topic]

Deep systematic exploration

/sc:brainstorm "AI project management tool" --strategy systematic --depth deep

Parallel exploration with multiple personas

/sc:brainstorm "real-time collaboration" --strategy agile --parallel

Behavioral Flow

• Explore - Transform ambiguous ideas through Socratic dialogue

• Analyze - Coordinate multiple personas for domain expertise

• Validate - Apply feasibility assessment across domains

• Specify - Generate concrete specifications

• Handoff - Create actionable briefs for implementation

Flags

Flag Type Default Description

--strategy

string systematic systematic, agile, enterprise

--depth

string normal shallow, normal, deep

--parallel

bool false Enable parallel exploration paths

--validate

bool false Include feasibility validation

Personas Activated

• architect - System design and technical feasibility

• analyzer - Requirements analysis and complexity assessment

• frontend - User experience and interface considerations

• backend - API and data architecture

• security - Security requirements and compliance

• devops - Infrastructure and deployment considerations

• project-manager - Timeline and resource planning

MCP Integration

PAL MCP (Collaborative Intelligence)

Tool When to Use Purpose

mcp__pal__consensus

Conflicting priorities Multi-model resolution of trade-offs

mcp__pal__chat

Brainstorming Collaborative idea exploration with external model

mcp__pal__thinkdeep

Complex problems Multi-stage deep analysis

mcp__pal__planner

Solution design Sequential planning with branching

mcp__pal__challenge

Validate ideas Force critical thinking on proposed solutions

PAL Usage Patterns

Consensus on conflicting priorities

mcp__pal__consensus( models=[ {"model": "gpt-5.2", "stance": "for", "stance_prompt": "Prioritize user experience"}, {"model": "gemini-3-pro", "stance": "against", "stance_prompt": "Prioritize technical simplicity"}, {"model": "deepseek", "stance": "neutral"} ], step="Evaluate: Should we use real-time sync or eventual consistency?" )

Deep exploration of complex idea

mcp__pal__thinkdeep( step="Exploring AI-powered analytics dashboard concept", hypothesis="Users need predictive insights, not just historical data", confidence="medium", focus_areas=["user_needs", "technical_feasibility", "market_fit"] )

Collaborative brainstorming

mcp__pal__chat( prompt="Help me explore innovative approaches for real-time collaboration in document editing", model="gpt-5.2", thinking_mode="high" )

Challenge assumptions

mcp__pal__challenge( prompt="We assume users want AI-generated summaries. Is this assumption valid?" )

Plan solution architecture

mcp__pal__planner( step="Planning architecture for real-time notification system", step_number=1, total_steps=4, is_branch_point=True, branch_id="websocket-approach" )

Rube MCP (Research & Persistence)

Tool When to Use Purpose

mcp__rube__RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS

Market research Find web search, competitor analysis tools

mcp__rube__RUBE_MULTI_EXECUTE_TOOL

Documentation Save ideas to Notion, share in Slack

mcp__rube__RUBE_CREATE_UPDATE_RECIPE

Workflows Save brainstorming processes

mcp__rube__RUBE_REMOTE_WORKBENCH

Data analysis Analyze market data, user research

Rube Usage Patterns

Research market and competitors

mcp__rube__RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS(queries=[ {"use_case": "web search", "known_fields": "query:AI analytics dashboard competitors 2025"} ])

Document brainstorming session

mcp__rube__RUBE_MULTI_EXECUTE_TOOL(tools=[ {"tool_slug": "NOTION_CREATE_PAGE", "arguments": { "title": "Brainstorm: AI Analytics Dashboard", "content": "## Key Ideas\n- Predictive insights\n- Natural language queries\n\n## Decisions\n- Real-time sync chosen over eventual consistency" }}, {"tool_slug": "SLACK_SEND_MESSAGE", "arguments": { "channel": "#product", "text": "New brainstorm session documented: AI Analytics Dashboard" }} ])

Create user research tasks

mcp__rube__RUBE_MULTI_EXECUTE_TOOL(tools=[ {"tool_slug": "JIRA_CREATE_ISSUE", "arguments": { "project": "PROD", "summary": "User research: AI analytics preferences", "issue_type": "Task", "description": "Interview 10 users about analytics needs" }}, {"tool_slug": "ASANA_CREATE_TASK", "arguments": { "name": "Competitor analysis: analytics dashboards", "project": "Research" }} ])

Analyze existing user feedback

mcp__rube__RUBE_REMOTE_WORKBENCH( thought="Analyze user feedback data for patterns", code_to_execute=''' import json

Load user feedback from file

feedback_data = json.load(open("/tmp/user_feedback.json"))

Analyze with LLM

analysis, error = invoke_llm(f"Analyze this user feedback for analytics feature requests: {feedback_data[:5000]}") output = {"analysis": analysis, "feedback_count": len(feedback_data)} output ''' )

Flags (Extended)

Flag Type Default Description

--pal-consensus

bool false Use PAL consensus for trade-offs

--pal-deep

bool false Use PAL thinkdeep for complex exploration

--research

bool false Use Rube for market/competitor research

--document

string

Document to Rube (notion, confluence, google-docs)

--notify

string

Notify via Rube (slack, teams, email)

Evidence Requirements

This skill does NOT require hard evidence. Focus on:

• Documenting exploration paths and decisions

• Recording stakeholder input and priorities

• Capturing specifications and requirements

Exploration Strategies

Systematic (--strategy systematic )

• Structured question-driven discovery

• Comprehensive domain coverage

• Documentation-heavy approach

Agile (--strategy agile )

• Rapid iteration cycles

• User story focused

• Minimal viable specification

Enterprise (--strategy enterprise )

• Compliance and governance focus

• Stakeholder alignment

• Risk assessment integration

Examples

Product Discovery

/sc:brainstorm "AI-powered analytics dashboard" --strategy systematic --depth deep

Multi-persona analysis with comprehensive feasibility

Feature Exploration

/sc:brainstorm "real-time notifications" --strategy agile --parallel

Parallel paths: frontend UX, backend architecture, security implications

Enterprise Solution

/sc:brainstorm "enterprise data platform" --strategy enterprise --validate

Compliance-aware exploration with security and devops input

Tool Coordination

• Read/Write - Requirements documentation

• TodoWrite - Exploration progress tracking

• Task - Parallel exploration delegation

• WebSearch - Market research and technology validation