| name | idea |
| description | Captures ideas into structured nuggets for later evaluation. Use when the user says "I have an idea" or "note this down." Also activate when a specific actionable concept crystallizes during conversation. For reviewing and processing the intake queue (sparks + raw ideas), use triage instead. Not for deep exploration (use brainstorm) or shaping (use shape). |
| version | 2.0.0-alpha.5 |
Idea
Capture ideas quickly with minimal friction.
Input: $ARGUMENTS
Contents
- Critical Rules
- Verification
- Quick Reference
- Purpose
- Process
- Idea Lifecycle
- Guardrails
- Related Skills
Critical Rules
- Speed over completeness -- capture quickly, shape later
- 2-3 questions maximum -- don't turn capture into an interview
- Infer metadata automatically -- don't ask for tags, title, or links
- One idea per captured row/artifact -- keep them atomic
- No shaping here -- that's what
/shape is for
- Capture through
loaf idea capture --title ... when SQLite state is
initialized; log notable context with loaf journal log
Verification
- Idea appears in
loaf idea list / loaf idea show
- Status is open/raw according to the active backend
- If promoted from a spark,
loaf spark promote records the relationship
Quick Reference
| Status | Meaning |
|---|
raw | Just captured, unprocessed |
shaping | Being developed via /shape or /brainstorm |
shaped | Converted to SPEC, idea file archived |
archived | Decided not to pursue, kept for reference |
Purpose
Ideas are raw nuggets -- unprocessed, unshaped, but worth remembering. The goal is speed of capture, not thoroughness. Shape later via /shape.
Process
Step 1: Parse Input
If $ARGUMENTS contains the idea, capture directly.
If $ARGUMENTS is empty, ask at most 2-3 questions: core idea, problem/opportunity, immediate constraints.
Step 2: Capture Idea
Use the CLI capture path:
loaf idea capture --title "..."
In SQLite-backed mode, the row is stored in SQLite and no .agents/ideas/
markdown file is created. The idea template is retained
only for markdown-only compatibility and historical restore review.
Step 3: Create and Announce
- Generate timestamp:
date -u +"%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ"
- Run
loaf idea capture --title "..." with the inferred title
- Announce the captured idea alias with next steps
Idea Lifecycle
raw -> shaping -> shaped (becomes SPEC) -> archived
| Status | Meaning |
|---|
raw | Just captured, unprocessed |
shaping | Being developed via /shape or /brainstorm |
shaped | Converted to SPEC, idea file archived |
archived | Decided not to pursue, kept for reference |
Guardrails
- Speed over completeness -- capture quickly, shape later
- 2-3 questions max -- don't turn this into an interview
- Infer, don't ask -- metadata should be automatic
- One idea per captured row/artifact -- keep them atomic
- No shaping here -- that's what
/shape is for
Related Skills
- triage -- Review and process the intake queue (sparks + raw ideas)
- shape -- Develop an idea into a SPEC
- brainstorm -- Deep thinking on an idea or problem space
- research -- Investigate before capturing
