brainstorming

name	brainstorming
description	Brainstorming skill. HARD GATE before implementation. Forces structured option analysis before any code is written.
user-invocable	true
disable-model-invocation	false

Brainstorming Skill

HARD GATE

No code until brainstorm is complete and the user has approved an approach.

Protocol

1. Problem Restatement

Restate the problem in your own words. Ask the user to confirm understanding before proceeding.

2. Known Facts

List what you know from the codebase (search for evidence — no guessing):

• What patterns already exist?
• What constraints apply?
• What has been tried before? (check context/tasks/lessons.md)

3. Options

Generate 2-4 different approaches. For each:

Option	Description	Pros	Cons	Risk
A	...	...	...	...
B	...	...	...	...

4. Recommendation

Pick one option with justification. Be explicit about why the others were rejected.

5. Approval Gate

"Brainstorm complete. Recommend Option [X] because [reason]. Shall I proceed?"

Do not proceed until the user explicitly approves.

Anti-patterns

• ❌ Jumping to "the obvious solution" without alternatives
• ❌ Proposing approaches that contradict existing patterns (search first)
• ❌ Skipping the approval gate