innovate

name	innovate
description	Identify high-impact innovative additions to the current app or plan. Use when planning next features, during strategic reviews, or when the user asks for creative ideas.
allowed-tools	Read, Glob, Grep, Bash, WebSearch, WebFetch

Innovate

Identify the single highest-impact, feasible addition to make to the current app or plan. Not a list of 10 safe ideas -- one bold, high-leverage move backed by research and cross-referenced evidence.

Context Gathering

Before proposing anything, deeply understand the current state:

1. Read the Project

Read: README.md, CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md
Glob: src/**/*.{ts,tsx,js,jsx,py,go,rs,swift}
Grep: "TODO|FIXME|HACK|FUTURE"

Understand:

• What the project does and who it's for
• Current architecture and tech stack
• Existing features and capabilities
• Known gaps, tracked work, and pain points

2. Read Any Specs or Plans

Read: PRODUCT_SPEC.md, TECHNICAL_SPEC.md, EXECUTION_PLAN.md, FEATURE_SPEC.md, VISION.md

Understand where the project is headed and what's already planned.

3. Assess the Landscape

Use WebSearch to research:

• What competitors or similar projects are doing
• Emerging technologies relevant to this domain
• User expectations in this space (current year)

4. Verify Research Findings

Cross-reference every key claim from Step 3 against at least 2 independent sources before using it to support a recommendation. Discard any finding that cannot be corroborated. Note which sources confirmed each claim in your internal evaluation (not in the final output).

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Innovation Criteria

The proposal must score HIGH on ALL of these:

Criterion	Question
Leverage	Does a small implementation unlock disproportionate value?
Surprise	Would this make someone say "I didn't know that was possible"?
Feasibility	Can this be built in days, not months?
Fit	Does it align with the project's direction and users?
Defensibility	Is this hard to copy or does it create a moat?

Anti-Patterns (Do NOT Propose)

• Generic AI features ("add AI chat", "use LLMs for X")
• Incremental improvements that are obvious next steps
• Features that require massive infrastructure changes
• Ideas that sound cool but don't serve the actual users
• Anything already on the roadmap or in the execution plan

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Analysis Process

Step 1: Identify Latent Potential

Look for:

• Underused data — What data does the app collect that it doesn't fully exploit?
• Workflow friction — Where do users leave the app to accomplish something?
• Combinatorial opportunities — What existing features could be combined in unexpected ways?
• Platform capabilities — What OS/browser/runtime features could be leveraged?
• Network effects — What becomes more valuable as usage grows?

Step 2: Generate Candidates (Internal)

Brainstorm 5-7 candidates internally. Do NOT output these. Evaluate each against the criteria table silently.

Step 3: Select the Winner

Pick the single strongest candidate. If no candidate scores HIGH on all five criteria, say so honestly rather than forcing a weak idea.

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Output Format

╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║                        THE INNOVATION                           ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝

{One-sentence pitch — what it is and why it matters}

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

WHY THIS, WHY NOW
─────────────────
{2-3 sentences on why this is the right move at this moment.
Reference specific things discovered in context gathering.}

WHAT IT CHANGES
───────────────
Before: {Current state — what users deal with today}
After:  {Future state — what becomes possible}

HOW IT WORKS
────────────
{3-5 bullet points on the core mechanism. Be specific enough
that a developer could start building from this description.}

• ...
• ...
• ...

IMPLEMENTATION SKETCH
─────────────────────
Effort: {LOW / MEDIUM / HIGH}
Files:  {Key files to create or modify}
Dependencies: {New libraries or services needed, if any}

Steps:
1. {First concrete step}
2. {Second concrete step}
3. {Third concrete step}

RISK & MITIGATION
─────────────────
Risk: {The main thing that could go wrong}
Mitigation: {How to handle it}

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

CRITERIA SCORECARD
──────────────────
Leverage:      ██████████ HIGH — {one-line justification}
Surprise:      ██████████ HIGH — {one-line justification}
Feasibility:   ██████████ HIGH — {one-line justification}
Fit:           ██████████ HIGH — {one-line justification}
Defensibility: ██████████ HIGH — {one-line justification}

---

Edge Cases

Situation	Action
No README or project context	Ask the user to describe the project before proceeding
Project is too early stage (no code)	Focus innovation on architecture/approach rather than features
Project is a library/SDK (not an app)	Focus on DX innovations, API design, or ecosystem integrations
All ideas feel incremental	Be honest: "This project is well-optimized. Here's the best marginal gain I see:" and lower expectations
The argument is optional	If invoked with an argument (e.g., /innovate payments), constrain the search to that domain

Error Handling

Situation	Action
No product context is available	Stop and ask for the target project path or product docs
Existing plans are missing or contradictory	Report the conflict and ask which source should drive recommendations
No high-confidence idea emerges	Say no recommendation is strong enough yet and list the missing context

Review Your Output

Before presenting:

• Proposal is ONE idea, not a list
• Scores HIGH on all five criteria (or honestly notes where it doesn't)
• Implementation sketch is specific enough to act on
• Not something already planned or obvious
• Aligned with project direction