kwbrainstorm

<brain_dump> #$ARGUMENTS </brain_dump> # Brainstorm Get everything out of your head and into one place. Pull in references. Find the shape of the problem before you commit to a plan. ## When to Use * After a meeting where next steps need to be figured out * Starting a new project, campaign, or strategy * "I need to think through X", "Let me brain dump", "Help me figure this out" * When you have scattered inputs (notes, docs, transcripts) that need organizing ## Process ### Step 1: Capture the brain dump Accept whatever the user gives you. This might be: * A pasted meeting transcript * A voice-to-text dump * Bullet points and half-formed thoughts * A link to a document * "Here's what I'm thinking about..." **Do not organize yet.** Just acknowledge what you received and identify what type of input it is. If the user hasn't given you anything yet, prompt: > "What are you working on? You can paste meeting notes, describe the problem, or just start talking. I'll help organize it." ### Step 2: Extract the core elements From the brain dump, pull out: * **Key decisions** that need to be made * **Open questions** that don't have answers yet * **Constraints** (timeline, budget, dependencies, blockers) * **Stakeholders** and what they care about * **Data points** mentioned (numbers, metrics, references) * **Ideas and options** that were floated (even half-baked ones) Present these back as a structured summary: ``` ## What I Heard **The problem:** [One sentence — what are we trying to figure out?] **Decisions to make:** - [Decision 1] - [Decision 2] **Open questions:** - [Question 1] - [Question 2] **Constraints:** - [Timeline, budget, dependencies] **Stakeholders:** - [Who] — [what they care about] **Ideas floated:** - [Idea 1] — [brief note on pros/cons if mentioned] - [Idea 2] **Data points mentioned:** - [Any numbers, metrics, or references cited] ``` ### Step 3: Pull in references (automatic + optional) <parallel_tasks> **Automatic searches** — Run these without asking: - Search `docs/knowledge/` for learnings related to the brain dump topics - Search `plans/` for related past plans - Search `docs/solutions/` for relevant patterns </parallel_tasks> For each source found: ``` **Found:** [source name/path] **Relevant because:** [one sentence] **Key takeaway:** [the useful bit] ``` If nothing relevant is found: "No prior context found in knowledge base or plans." **Optional search** — After presenting automatic findings, offer: > "Want me to search externally too? (web, specific documents, other sources)" If nothing relevant is found, say so. Don't fabricate context. ### Step 4: Identify themes and tensions Look across everything — the brain dump, the extracted elements, and the references — and identify: * **Themes** — What keeps coming up? What's the real underlying question? * **Tensions** — Where do ideas conflict? Where are there tradeoffs? * **Gaps** — What's missing? What hasn't been addressed? ``` ## Themes 1. [Theme] — [why it matters] 2. [Theme] — [why it matters] ## Tensions - [Option A] vs [Option B] — [the tradeoff] ## Gaps - [What we don't know yet] - [What needs more research] ``` ### Step 5: Resolve load-bearing questions Before moving toward a direction, take the open questions and tensions from Step 2 and Step 4 and identify which ones are **load-bearing** — meaning the plan's structure would change depending on the answer. Ignore nice-to-know questions. Focus only on ones where different answers lead to different plans. Common load-bearing questions: - **Scope:** "Is this a quick win or a multi-phase initiative?" - **Audience:** "Who is this for? That changes everything downstream." - **Priority:** "You mentioned X and Y — which matters more if we have to choose?" - **Timeline:** "Are we talking days, weeks, or months?" - **Owner:** "Who's making the final call on this?" - **Constraints:** "Is there a budget/resource ceiling I should plan around?" Use AskUserQuestion to ask **1-3 load-bearing questions at once** (never more than 3). Frame each question with options drawn from what surfaced in the brainstorm — don't ask open-ended questions when you already have candidate answers. Example: > **Question:** "You mentioned both 'grow trials' and 'improve conversion' — which is the primary goal?" > **Options:** Grow trials (top of funnel) / Improve conversion (bottom of funnel) / Both equally If all open questions are non-load-bearing (i.e., any answer leads to roughly the same plan), skip this step and say so: > "The open questions won't change the plan's shape — we can resolve them during execution." **Important:** This step is a bridge, not an interrogation. 1-3 questions max. The goal is to give `/kw:plan` clean inputs, not to turn brainstorming into a requirements gathering session. ### Step 6: Suggest a direction Based on everything — including the resolved questions from Step 5 — offer a point of view: > "Based on what I'm seeing, the core question is [X]. The main tension is between [A] and [B]. My suggestion would be to [direction] because [reasoning]. But [caveat]." This is a suggestion, not a decision. The user decides. ### Step 7: Offer next steps Use AskUserQuestion: **Question:** "Brainstorm captured. What next?" **Options:** 1. **Run `/kw:plan`** — Structure this into an actionable plan 2. **Dig deeper** — Research a specific theme or question further 3. **Push to Proof** — Share the brainstorm for team feedback 4. **Save and continue later** — Write to `plans/brainstorm-{descriptive-name}.md` 5. **Keep going** — Add more context or refine the themes <critical_requirement> If "Save" or "Run /kw:plan" is selected: ALWAYS write the brainstorm to `plans/brainstorm-{descriptive-name}.md` first. This file becomes the origin document that `/kw:plan` will search for. Never skip the file write. </critical_requirement> ## Important Rules * **Don't jump to solutions.** The point of brainstorming is to understand the problem space before committing to a path. Resist the urge to plan. * **Reflect, don't rewrite.** When summarizing back, use the user's language. Don't sanitize their thinking into corporate speak. * **Surface tensions early, resolve the load-bearing ones late.** Steps 2-4 are for naming conflicts without picking winners. Step 5 is for resolving only the ones that would change the plan's shape. Don't collapse tensions prematurely. * **Pull, don't push.** Ask where references might live rather than guessing. The user knows their information landscape better than you do. * **Quantity of input is fine.** A 30-minute meeting transcript is good input. Don't ask people to pre-organize before brainstorming — that defeats the purpose. ## Pipeline Mode When invoked with `disable-model-invocation` context (e.g., from an orchestrator or automation): - Skip all AskUserQuestion prompts - Use sensible defaults for all choices - Write output files without waiting for confirmation - Proceed to the next suggested skill automatically - Output structured results that the calling context can parse