brainstorm

name	brainstorm
description	Explore ambiguous ideas and solution directions before evidence-backed research or implementation planning. Use for ideation, framing, assumption checks, option generation, product or architecture trade-offs, and deciding whether research or a plan is needed.
license	MIT

Brainstorm

Use this skill to shape a fuzzy problem before committing to research, planning, or implementation.

Brainstorming is for option discovery and judgment. It is not source-backed research, implementation planning, or coding.

Role Boundary

• Use brainstorm when the problem is unclear, the user wants ideas, or the solution space needs exploration.
• Use research when the answer depends on current facts, external sources, standards, benchmarks, vendor behavior, or source-backed recommendations.
• Use plan after a direction is selected and the implementation is Standard or Complex.
• Use scout, debug, or code-review when the answer depends primarily on existing code behavior.
• If brainstorming reveals factual uncertainty, hand off to research instead of presenting guesses as evidence.

Workflow

1. Frame the problem, desired outcome, constraints, and non-goals.
2. Ask only high-value clarifying questions. If reasonable assumptions are safe, state them and continue.
3. Surface hidden constraints, failure modes, and over-engineering risks.
4. Present 2-3 viable options unless only one practical option exists.
5. Recommend a default direction and explain why it fits the user's context.
6. Identify when the next step should be research, plan, implementation, or no action.

Evaluation Lens

Compare options by:

• User value and problem fit.
• Simplicity and reversibility.
• Implementation effort.
• Operational burden.
• Data, security, and compliance risk.
• Long-term maintainability.
• Dependencies and lock-in.

Rules

• Be direct about weak ideas, hidden costs, and likely failure modes.
• Mark assumptions clearly.
• Do not claim external facts without evidence; route to research when evidence matters.
• Do not write code, scaffold files, or change the repository while brainstorming.
• Do not create a long report unless the user asks for one.

Output

Problem: <one sentence>
Assumptions:
- ...
Options:
| Option | Best when | Trade-offs | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
Recommendation: <recommended option and why>
Next step: <research | plan | implement | no action>
Open questions:
- ...