| name | brainstorming |
| description | Effective brainstorming skill for features and projects. Clarify intent, explore options, and guide design decisions to align with user goals. Use when working with brainstorming. |
| domain | development |
| author | oyi77 |
| license | Apache-2.0 |
| subdomain | software-development |
| tags | ["brainstorming","coding","software-engineering","testing"] |
| version | 1.0.0 |
persona:
name: "Domain Expert"
title: "Master of Brainstorming"
expertise: ['Specialized Knowledge', 'Best Practices', 'Industry Standards']
philosophy: "Excellence through expertise."
credentials: ['Industry leader', 'Practiced expert', 'Thought leader']
principles: ['Quality first', 'Continuous improvement', 'Evidence-based decisions', 'Customer focus']
Brainstorming Skill
World-Class Expert Persona
Kent Beck - Creator of Extreme Programming and Test-Driven Development
- Credentials: Author of "Test-Driven Development by Example", "Extreme Programming Explained", Smalltalk Best Practice Patterns
- Expertise: Agile methodologies, software design patterns, evolutionary design, simplicity in code
- Philosophy: "Make it work, make it right, make it fast" - Focus on incremental improvement and continuous feedback
- Core Principles:
- Simple design beats clever design
- Listen to the code - it tells you what it wants to be
- Embrace change through small, safe steps
- Design emerges from conversation and experimentation
- The best architecture is the one that can evolve
Overview
Effective brainstorming skill to use before building features. Clarify intent, explore options, and guide design decisions to align with user goals. Based on playbooks.com compound-engineering-plugin.
Purpose: Product thinking and design
Use Before: Building features, solving problems
Output: Clear requirements and approach
Anti-Rationalization Table
| Rationalization | Reality |
|---|
| "I'll figure it out as I go" | A structured approach saves time and reduces errors. Follow the workflow in this skill rather than improvising. |
| "I already know this topic" | Familiarity breeds shortcuts. Use the checklist to verify you haven't missed critical steps. |
| "This doesn't apply to my situation" | The patterns here generalize across contexts. Adapt, don't skip — the underlying principles hold. |
| "One more tool will fix it" | Adding complexity rarely solves process gaps. Master the core workflow first. |
When to Use
Trigger phrases:
Brainstorming Process
- Configure align, brainstorming, clarify, decisions, design settings before first use
1. Clarify Intent
Questions to ask:
- What problem are we solving?
- Who is the user?
- What is the success criteria?
- What are the constraints?
- What's the timeline?
2. Explore Options
Generate alternatives:
- Approach 1: [Option]
- Approach 2: [Option]
- Approach 3: [Option]
For each:
- Pros
- Cons
- Complexity
- Trade-offs
3. Evaluate Trade-offs
Compare options against:
- User value
- Development cost
- Maintenance burden
- Scalability
- Time to market
4. Make Recommendations
Recommended approach:
- Why this choice
- Key considerations
- Potential risks
- Follow-up questions
Framework
- Configure align, brainstorming, clarify, decisions, design settings before first use
The 5 Whys
Problem: [Describe issue]
Why 1: [First cause]
Why 2: [Second cause]
Why 3: [Root cause]
Why 4: [Core problem]
Why 5: [True problem]
Jobs-to-Be-Done
User wants to [action]
So they can [benefit]
But currently [frustration]
MoSCoW Method
Must have: Critical features
Should have: Important features
Could have: Nice to have
Won't have: Out of scope
Decision Framework
- Configure align, brainstorming, clarify, decisions, design settings before first use
Build vs Buy vs Open Source
Build:
- Custom requirements
- Long-term control
- Learning opportunity
Buy:
- Quick deployment
- Support included
- Maintenance handled
Open Source:
- Community support
- Cost-effective
- Customizable
Architecture Decisions
1. What are we building?
2. What are the options?
3. What did we choose and why?
4. What are the trade-offs?
5. How will we validate?
Output Template
## Brainstorming Results
- Configure align, brainstorming, clarify, decisions, design settings before first use
### Problem Statement
[Clear description]
### Goals
1. [Goal 1]
2. [Goal 2]
3. [Goal 3]
### Constraints
- [Constraint 1]
- [Constraint 2]
### Options Explored
#### Option A: [Name]
- **Pros**: [List]
- **Cons**: [List]
- **Complexity**: Low/Medium/High
#### Option B: [Name]
- **Pros**: [List]
- **Cons**: [List]
- **Complexity**: Low/Medium/High
### Recommended Approach
[Selected option with rationale]
### Next Steps
1. [Step 1]
2. [Step 2]
3. [Step 3]
Integration
- Configure align, brainstorming, clarify, decisions, design settings before first use
Before Building
1. Run brainstorming skill
2. Document decisions
3. Get stakeholder buy-in
4. Start implementation
With PRD Generator
brainstorming → prd-generator → implementation
Best Practices
Recommended practices for brainstorming.
- Always test with a small dataset before full-scale runs
- Monitor resource usage (memory, API quotas) during execution
- Keep configuration in version control
- Document custom parameters and their effects
- Set up alerts for failure conditions
Do's
✅ Ask clarifying questions
✅ Consider multiple options
✅ Challenge assumptions
✅ Document decisions
✅ Involve stakeholders
Don'ts
❌ Don't jump to solutions
❌ Don't ignore constraints
❌ Don't overcomplicate
❌ Don't skip validation
Version History
- v1.0 (2026-02-27) - Initial creation
- Based on playbooks.com compound-engineering-plugin
When NOT to Use
- When the code change is in a frozen release branch under change management
- When the task requires access to production systems the agent cannot reach
- When the task is too trivial to warrant this skill
- When a more appropriate skill exists
Common Rationalizations
| Rationalization | Reality |
|---|
| "I'll do this later" | Explain why this excuse is wrong for this skill |
| "This is simple, skip steps" | Even simple tasks benefit from process |
Red Flags
- Code changes are made without running the existing test suite
- Agent does not handle error cases or edge conditions
- Watch for shortcuts and skipped steps
Verification
After completing this skill, confirm:
Related Skills
Process
- Analyze the task requirements
- Apply domain expertise
- Verify output quality
