brainstorm

name	brainstorm
description	Idea exploration from a blank problem space or stress-testing an existing plan before building. Use when comparing approaches, finding gaps, reconsidering a direction, or weighing a pivot. Not for documenting a finalized direction.

Brainstorm

Structured idea exploration from vague to direction, in two entries — greenfield from a blank problem space, grill against an existing idea or plan. Both run breadth-first: surface the non-obvious option before committing, then converge honestly, naming what each direction gives up. Every direction is grilled before capture — the entries differ in when the grill starts, not whether it runs. Problem before solution — a description of what to build is a hypothesis, not a direction.

Triggers

• Greenfield entry ("brainstorm this", "explore options", "compare approaches", "help me think through X") → discovery.md
• Grill entry ("pressure-test this plan", "find holes in this", "second opinion", "grill my assumptions", "considering a pivot") → discovery.md

The deep argument (/brainstorm deep) widens the grill on either entry — every assumption instead of the key one. The grill mechanics live in converge.md.

Every entry starts at discovery. The remaining references load as their phase begins:

• diverge.md — after the discovery gate
• converge.md — after 4+ alternatives
• capture.md — after the direction survives the grill

Workflow

trigger → detect entry → discover → diverge → converge → grill → capture
              ^_______________________________________________|
                         (hole found / no viable direction)

Detect entry from state — greenfield when no concrete idea is present, grill when an idea or plan exists regardless of maturity. Discover maps the problem space. Diverge generates alternatives; on grill entry the existing plan enters as a named baseline. Converge evaluates trade-offs and picks a direction. Grill attacks the chosen direction — standard hits the key assumption, deep hits all of them. Capture produces the artifact only after the direction survives.

Guidelines

• Generate at least 4 alternatives during diverge, including non-obvious options
• On grill entry, the existing plan enters diverge as a named baseline alternative
• Challenge every alternative with trade-offs during converge
• Grill the chosen direction before capture; loop back when a hole opens
• Require explicit user approval before capturing the direction
• Mark unknowns as TBD rather than inventing constraints
• Stay at the problem-and-direction level; defer implementation choices

Anti-Pattern: Premature Convergence

Stopping at 2-3 obvious alternatives skips the value of brainstorming. The non-obvious option is often the one worth choosing — or the one that reframes the problem. When pressure to commit shows up early, push for breadth first; converge only after the space has been explored.

Anti-Pattern: Hidden Trade-offs

Recommending a direction without surfacing what it costs misleads the user. Every recommendation must name the gain and the give-up explicitly. If a trade-off feels too small to mention, it probably isn't.

Anti-Pattern: Solution-First Discovery

In greenfield, when the user describes what to build before why, discovery has not happened — they have a hypothesis. Redirect to the problem before generating alternatives. Without grounded motivation, diverge produces options for an unverified target.

On grill entry, the solution is the input by definition. Do not redirect — discovery maps the assumptions, dependencies, and signals behind the existing idea or plan so diverge can attack from grounded vectors.