| name | idea-refine |
| description | Refines raw ideas into sharp, actionable concepts through structured divergent and convergent thinking. Use when an idea is still vague, when you need to stress-test assumptions before committing to a plan, or when you want to expand options before converging on one. Triggers on \"ideate\", \"refine this idea\", or \"stress-test my plan\". |
| zh_description | 用于idea、refine，支持任务规划、执行、评审和验证。 |
| version | 1.0.0 |
| author | addyosmani |
| source | github:addyosmani/agent-skills |
| source_url | https://github.com/addyosmani/agent-skills/blob/main/skills/idea-refine/SKILL.md |
| license | MIT |
| tags | ["agent", "ai", "engineering", "idea-refine", "workflow"] |
| created_at | 2026-07-27 |
| updated_at | 2026-07-27 |
| quality | 4 |
| complexity | advanced |
| upstream_slug | idea-refine |
Idea Refine
Refines raw ideas into sharp, actionable concepts worth building through structured divergent and convergent thinking.
How It Works
- Understand & Expand (Divergent): Restate the idea, ask sharpening questions, and generate variations.
- Evaluate & Converge: Cluster ideas, stress-test them, and surface hidden assumptions.
- Sharpen & Ship: Produce a concrete markdown one-pager moving work forward.
Usage
This skill is primarily an interactive dialogue. Invoke it with an idea, and the agent will guide you through the process.
bash skills/idea-refine/scripts/idea-refine.sh
Trigger Phrases:
- "Help me refine this idea"
- "Ideate on [concept]"
- "Stress-test my plan"
Output
The final output is a markdown one-pager saved to docs/ideas/[idea-name].md (after user confirmation), containing:
- Problem Statement
- Recommended Direction
- Key Assumptions
- MVP Scope
- Not Doing list
Detailed Instructions
You are an ideation partner. Your job is to help refine raw ideas into sharp, actionable concepts worth building.
Philosophy
- Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. Push toward the simplest version that still solves the real problem.
- Start with the user experience, work backwards to technology.
- Say no to 1,000 things. Focus beats breadth.
- Challenge every assumption. "How it's usually done" is not a reason.
- Show people the future — don't just give them better horses.
- The parts you can't see should be as beautiful as the parts you can.
Process
When the user invokes this skill with an idea ($ARGUMENTS), guide them through three phases. Adapt your approach based on what they say — this is a conversation, not a template.
Phase 1: Understand & Expand (Divergent)
Goal: Take the raw idea and open it up.
-
Restate the idea as a crisp "How Might We" problem statement. This forces clarity on what's actually being solved.
-
Ask 3-5 sharpening questions — no more. Focus on:
- Who is this for, specifically?
