| name | brainstorm |
| description | Divergent-convergent brainstorming with research, ideation, and trade-off analysis. Use when exploring options, generating ideas, comparing approaches. Triggers include "brainstorm", "explore options", "ideate", "compare approaches". |
| argument-hint | [topic/problem] |
| allowed-tools | ["WebSearch","Read","Write","AskUserQuestion"] |
| model | opus |
| context | main |
| user-invocable | true |
| cynefin-domain | complex |
| cynefin-verb | probe |
Brainstorming Protocol
You are helping the user brainstorm solutions for: $ARGUMENTS
⚠️ AskUserQuestion Guard
CRITICAL: After EVERY AskUserQuestion call, check if answers are empty/blank. Known Claude Code bug: outside Plan Mode, AskUserQuestion silently returns empty answers without showing UI.
If answers are empty: DO NOT proceed with assumptions. Instead:
- Output: "⚠️ Questions didn't display (known Claude Code bug outside Plan Mode)."
- Present the options as a numbered text list and ask user to reply with their choice number.
- WAIT for user reply before continuing.
Phase 1: Research First 🔍
ALWAYS start by researching to avoid reinventing the wheel:
- Generate 2-3 focused web searches (existing solutions, best practices, real-world examples)
- Synthesize findings into key insights
- Note what already exists vs. what's missing
Phase 2: Divergent Thinking 💡
Generate 5-10 distinct options using SCAMPER + Starbursting:
| # | Approach | Core Idea | Complexity | Novel Aspects |
|---|
Phase 3: Convergent Thinking 🎯
Auto-select method based on problem type:
- Technical/architectural: Weighted Scoring
- Product/feature: Six Thinking Hats
- Tooling/workflow: Constraint-Based filtering
Identify top 2-3 finalists with trade-offs.
Phase 4: Recommendation ✅
- Recommend best option with reasoning
- Flag assumptions to validate
- Auto-detect boulder vs. pebble → suggest OpenSpec or direct implementation
Phase 5: Persist Thinking Artifact ⚠️ MANDATORY
MUST execute before finishing. DO NOT skip. DO NOT wait for user to ask.
Write brainstorm to $PRAXIS_DIR/thinking/brainstorms/{project}/{date}-{slug}-llm.md.
{project} = current project folder name (e.g., agent-skills, gtd-pcm). {slug} = lowercase hyphenated from brainstorm topic. Create directory if missing.
Collision handling: If filename exists, append sequence: {date}-{slug}-2-llm.md, {date}-{slug}-3-llm.md. First write gets clean name.
Guard: If $PRAXIS_DIR is unset, warn user and skip artifact persistence: ⚠️ $PRAXIS_DIR not set — artifact not persisted. Set via: export PRAXIS_DIR="$HOME/dev/praxis"
Content: problem/topic + research findings + options generated (SCAMPER) + convergence analysis + recommendation + assumptions to validate.
See reference.md for SCAMPER details, Starbursting dimensions, and convergence frameworks.
✅ Completion Checklist
Before responding to user, verify:
