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Explore a single fuzzy idea into a framed concept ready for refinement — collaborative HITL diverge, user-gated converge
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Based on SOC occupation classification
| name | workflow:brainstorm |
| description | Explore a single fuzzy idea into a framed concept ready for refinement — collaborative HITL diverge, user-gated converge |
| argument-hint | [optional: a rough idea, problem, or 'what if' to explore] |
| user-invocable | true |
Turn one loose, fuzzy idea into a crisp, framed concept that /workflow:refine can take into
structured requirements. Brainstorm decides what we're building and why for a single unit;
refine decides the exact requirements.
Shared invariant: no durable path decision (Chosen Direction, Status: Explored) without an
explicit user selection turn. Draft options; the user commits.
$ARGUMENTS
Use brainstorm when one idea is still fuzzy:
Skip it and go straight to /workflow:refine when you can already state the problem and a
rough direction — refine's Phase 1–2 will explore from there. Brainstorm exists for the step
before that, not as a mandatory gate.
If the input is a multi-unit program (multiple independent workstreams, portfolio sequencing, "shape the roadmap," initiative decomposition), do not run this skill as a portfolio workshop.
Stop and offer only (do not auto-invoke):
/workflow:brainstorm only if they first
narrow to one concept; otherwise go to /workflow:roadmap (roadmap owns destination framing
for multi-unit horizons)./workflow:roadmap.Multi-stream English is not "one big concept." One feature with multiple ACs is still single-unit and belongs here or in refine.
| Input Pattern | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| Empty | Prompt for the rough idea |
continue | Resume ./planning/*/brainstorm.md with Status: Exploring (re-present directions; do not auto-converge) |
| Text | Use as the seed idea and begin exploring |
If input is empty, ask: "What's the rough idea? It's fine if it's half-formed — a problem, a 'what if', or just a direction you're curious about."
When exploring, use the AskUserQuestion tool if available; otherwise ask one question (or a
small interrelated group) at a time and wait for the answer before continuing.
| Gate | Rule |
|---|---|
| Diverge-complete | Present ≥3 framings that pass the structural test (below). Then hard stop. |
| Forbidden until user converges | Writing Chosen Direction; Status: Explored; offering /workflow:refine as done; collapsing to one option; same-turn recommendation |
| Converge | User selects, rejects, ranks, merges, or explicitly asks which you prefer — later turn |
| Recommend | Only after user selects/ranks/rejects or explicitly asks "which do you prefer?" Never in the same turn as first options presentation |
| Write Explored | Only after converge; record converged_by: user |
User may waive fewer than three options ("only two real frames") — record the waiver.
Each framing must differ on at least two of: problem owner, job-to-be-done, primary constraint,
success metric, non-goal set. Each must include a kill criterion that would not kill the other
options. Same solution in three outfits → fail the gate; stay in diverge / Exploring.
brainstorm.md as Status: Exploring with
directions only — no Chosen Direction, no seed as final. Wait for the user.references/critic-pass.md).
Skip for low-stakes ideas.Status: Explored with Chosen + seed.If the superpowers:brainstorming skill is available, you may borrow one-question-at-a-time
discipline for diverge only. Do not run its design-doc, user-review-spec, or writing-plans path —
return here for gates, artifact, and handoff. If it is not installed, use this protocol directly.
Determine the project name from the git repository or working directory (the same basis
/workflow:refine uses), create ./planning/<project>/ if needed.
# Brainstorm: [working title]
Status: Exploring
## The Itch
[What problem or itch this addresses, who feels it, why now.]
## Directions Considered
- **[Direction A]** — [compelling] / kill: [criterion that wouldn't kill B/C]
- **[Direction B]** — …
- **[Direction C]** — …
## Deliberately Undecided
[Scope left open — optional at this stage]
## Notes
[Optional: user waiver of option count, open threads]
Do not include ## Chosen Direction or a final ## Seed Concept while Status: Exploring.
# Brainstorm: [working title]
Status: Explored
converged_by: user
## Seed Concept
[One paragraph: the problem, who it's for, the chosen direction, why, and what is deliberately
left undecided.]
## The Itch
[…]
## Directions Considered
[…]
## Chosen Direction
[The direction to carry into refinement, and why it won.]
## Deliberately Undecided
[Scope and solution choices intentionally left open for refine/plan to resolve.]
## Open Questions for Refinement
- [ ] [Question to answer during refinement]
This artifact is local-file only. PM-system framing begins at /workflow:refine, not here.
Only after Status: Explored: "Concept framed and saved to planning/<project>/brainstorm.md.
Run /workflow:refine to turn this seed into structured requirements."
/workflow:roadmap.Backlog-scale orchestration on top of /workflow — drives PM items through refine → plan → implement → review → local-merge via role-specialized sub-agents dispatched in parallel waves, each item isolated in its own git worktree. Bare /swarm summarizes state; /swarm <goal> runs the orchestrator; /swarm:setup sets up the charter and .agent-tools/ umbrella; /swarm:continue resumes a paused run.
Capture durable knowledge from any engineering work — debugging solutions, refactors, features, design decisions, reusable patterns — and maintain memory quality so each unit of work compounds the next
Principal workflow entry — resolve portfolio mode (swarm resume/handoff or unit state machine), drive work without inventing path; hard-stop when path is not established
Initialize and maintain planning root (.agent-tools/planning preferred), conventions (tracks, gates, integration), runs ledger scaffold, and shared memory under .agent-tools/memory/ (AGENTS.md memory-link) for the workflow family.
Parent skill for the workflow family — principal session entry is /workflow:continue (also bare /workflow). Horizon mapping, brainstorm, refine, plan, execute, review, audit, compound. Vertical-slice and deliverable-partition modes.
Detect gaps in the canonical skill corpus, propose targeted improvements, validate changes, and present for review. Inventories src/** skill trees; optional run-ledger seeds for process IP gaps.