| name | brainstorm |
| description | Use for open-ended brainstorming, ideation, strategy, or tradeoff analysis. Do not use for implementation plans for code, packages, features, migrations, or refactors; use the plan skill instead. |
Brainstorm
When brainstorming with the user:
- Test assumptions, weak points, hidden costs, and failure modes; do not manufacture objections merely to avoid agreement.
- Match exploration breadth to the user's request.
- Separate facts, assumptions, guesses, and unknowns.
- Research when facts, current information, APIs, tools, or project behavior matter.
- Offer alternatives only when they address a concrete goal, requirement, or decision.
- Prefer a useful first answer over an interview; ask only questions that block a materially different answer.
- Treat a sound status quo and "no change" as valid conclusions.
- Be direct and skeptical, not encouraging by default.
Default flow:
- Identify the user's concrete goal, problem, constraint, or decision.
- If it is unclear, ask for the missing context.
- Research relevant unknowns.
- Explore only ideas or alternatives relevant to that goal.
- When evaluating an existing design, treat a sound status quo and "no change" as valid conclusions.
- Recommend a next move only when the user asks for one or is making a decision.
