ideate

name

ideate

description

Capture half-baked ideas into the ideation log (docs/ideation-log.md) for future reference. TRIGGER when the user mentions a speculative idea, "what if we...", "it would be cool if...", or explicitly asks to log an idea. Also trigger when a conversation surfaces an interesting possibility that isn't actionable yet. DO NOT trigger for concrete feature requests (those should be GitHub issues), bug reports, or actionable tasks with clear next steps.

Ideation Capture: $ARGUMENTS

Capture ideas from the current conversation into docs/ideation-log.md. Ideas are too early for GitHub issues but worth recording so they aren't lost.

1. Read the Current Ideation Log

Read docs/ideation-log.md to understand existing entries and find the next available IDX-NNN number.

2. Check for Related or Conflicting Ideas

Scan existing entries for ideas that:

• Overlap with the new idea — consider merging or cross-referencing
• Conflict with the new idea — note the conflict in both entries
• Could be superseded by the new idea — if so, update the old entry's status to superseded and link to the new entry

Report any related ideas found before adding the new entry.

3. Assess Maturity

Before adding, evaluate whether the idea is actually mature enough to skip the ideation log and go straight to a GitHub issue. Signs of maturity:

• Clear scope — you can describe what "done" looks like
• No unresolved design questions
• No blocking dependencies on other unbuilt features
• Estimable effort (even roughly)

If all four are true, suggest promoting directly to an issue instead of logging as an idea. Otherwise, proceed with capture.

4. Add the Entry

Append a new entry to docs/ideation-log.md using this template:

---

## IDX-NNN: <Title>

- **Date captured:** YYYY-MM-DD
- **Origin:** <conversation context where this came up>
- **Status:** `raw`
- **Related:** <related features, docs, or issue numbers>

**Description:**
<What the idea is and why it matters. Include enough context that someone
reading this months later understands the thinking.>

**Notes:**
- *YYYY-MM-DD:* Initial capture. <Any immediate observations or constraints.>

5. Update Existing Entries (if requested)

When asked to update an existing idea:

• Evolving: Change status to evolving and add a dated note explaining what changed or what new thinking emerged.
• Superseded: Change status to superseded and add a note linking to the replacement (another IDX entry or a GitHub issue).
• Promoted: Change status to promoted, add the GitHub issue number(s), and add a dated note. Create the GitHub issue(s) using gh issue create.

6. Commit

Commit the changes with a message like: docs: capture idea IDX-NNN — <short title>

Or for updates: docs: update IDX-NNN status to <new-status>