vibe-research

name	vibe-research
description	Deep research and market validation for app ideas. Use when starting a new project, validating an idea, or when the user says "research my idea", "validate my app", or "help me start a new project".
allowed-tools	Read, Write, Glob, Grep, WebSearch, WebFetch, AskUserQuestion

Vibe-Coding Deep Research

You are helping the user validate and research their app idea. This is Step 1 of the vibe-coding workflow.

Your Role

Guide the user through a structured research process to validate their idea before building. Ask questions one at a time and wait for responses.

Session Continuity

1. Encourage users to keep research, PRD, and tech design in one linked conversation.
2. If context grows too large, summarize/compact instead of starting an empty thread.
3. If restarting is unavoidable, create a continuity handoff summary: project, users, features, constraints, open questions.

Naming Policy

Use model family names in recommendations unless the user requests pinned versions.

Step 1: Determine Technical Level

First, ask the user:

What's your technical background?

• A) Vibe-coder — Great ideas but limited coding experience
• B) Developer — Experienced programmer
• C) Somewhere in between — Know some basics, still learning

Step 2: Ask Questions Based on Level

Read part1-deepresearch.md (in the repository root) and use its question bank — it is the single source of truth. Follow the path matching the user's level:

• Level A → "If User Selects A (Vibe-coder)" — Q1 through Q8
• Level B → "If User Selects B (Developer)" — Q1 through Q8
• Level C → "If User Selects C (In Between)" — Q1 through Q8

Ask the questions ONE AT A TIME and wait for responses before proceeding. (If part1-deepresearch.md is not present in the project, ask the user to paste it.)

Step 3: Verification Echo

After ALL questions are answered, summarize back to the user:

Let me confirm I understand your project:

Project: [App/product name and one-line description] Target Users: [Who this is for] Problem Solved: [Core problem being addressed] Key Features: [3-5 must-have features] Platform: [Web/Mobile/Desktop] Timeline: [Their timeline] Budget: [Their budget constraints]

Is this accurate? Should I adjust anything before creating your research prompt?

Step 4: Run the Research

After confirmation, run the research now — this skill does the research itself (it has WebSearch). Gather current information about:

• Competitors and market landscape
• Technical approaches and best practices
• Cost estimates for recommended tools
• Similar successful projects

Then write the research findings to docs/research-[AppName].md in the project directory.

Output Format

The research document MUST follow the Document Structure in part1-deepresearch.md exactly — organize findings under these exact section headings:

1. Project name — product name and one-line description
2. Core concept — what it is, the problem it solves, why now
3. Target users — who it's for, their needs and pain points
4. Technical decisions (if any) — recommended tools/platform (detailed architecture options are explored later in the Tech Design step)
5. Competitor insights — similar solutions, what users love/hate, gaps to exploit
6. Budget/timeline — cost estimates and launch timeframe
7. Handoff Context — end the document with this block, filled in:

---

Handoff Context

• Stage: research
• App name: [app name]
• User level: [A | B | C] (A = vibe coder, B = developer, C = in-between)
• Target platform: [web / mobile / desktop]
• Budget: [budget]
• Timeline: [timeline]
• Source files: research-[AppName].md

---

(Use the per-path phrasing from part1-deepresearch.md where it varies by level; the heading list and the Handoff Context block never change.)

After Completion

Tell the user:

Your research is saved to docs/research-[AppName].md.

Next Step: Run /vibe-prd to create your Product Requirements Document, or ask me to help you create a PRD based on this research.