| name | brainstorm |
| description | Deep brainstorming for long sessions. Use before any creative work: features, components, architecture, strategy. Combines: collaborative dialogue (one question at a time), systems thinking (players/incentives/2nd-order effects), and 25 cross-domain mental models. Outputs validated designs to docs/plans/.
|
Deep Brainstorming
Turn ideas into fully-formed designs through collaborative dialogue, systems analysis, and cross-domain thinking.
Announce at start: "Starting brainstorm session. I'll ask one question at a time."
The Process
Phase 1: Understand the Idea
- Check current project context (files, docs, recent commits)
- Ask questions one at a time to refine the idea
- Prefer multiple choice when possible
- Focus on: purpose, constraints, success criteria, stakeholders
Phase 2: Analyze the System
Before proposing solutions, map the system:
- Map players & incentives — Who's involved? What does each want?
- Identify stocks & flows — What accumulates? What moves between states?
- Trace 2nd-order effects — If we do X, what happens next? Then what?
- Find leverage points — Where can small changes create large impact?
- Spot feedback loops — What reinforces or balances itself?
Phase 3: Apply Mental Models
Pick 2-3 relevant lenses from the toolbox below to analyze from different angles.
Phase 4: Explore Approaches
- Propose 2-3 different approaches with trade-offs
- Lead with your recommendation and explain why
- Apply YAGNI ruthlessly — remove unnecessary features
Phase 5: Present the Design
- Break into sections of 200-300 words
- Ask after each section: "Does this look right so far?"
- Cover: architecture, components, data flow, error handling, testing
- Go back and clarify when something doesn't fit
Phase 6: Document
Write validated design to docs/plans/YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>-design.md
Systems Thinking Framework
Core Questions
| Question | Purpose |
|---|
| Who are all the players, and what does each want? | Map incentives |
| If we do X, what happens next? Then what? | Trace cascading effects |
| What accumulates over time? What flows? | Model dynamics |
| Where are the feedback loops? | Find reinforcing/balancing forces |
| What constraint, if removed, unlocks the most value? | Find leverage |
| What recurring pain could be systematized? | Identify automation opportunities |
Common Mistakes to Flag
- Only seeing first-order effects — Changes ripple in non-obvious ways
- Ignoring incentives — Players respond to their incentives, not yours
- Optimizing locally — Improving one part can worsen the whole
- Missing feedback loops — Systems amplify or dampen changes
- Treating symptoms — Address root causes, not visible symptoms
25 Mental Models Toolbox
| # | Lens | Core Question | Best For |
|---|
| 1 | Artist | What makes this unique? | Creative blocks, innovation |
| 2 | Economist | How do people respond to incentives? | Behavior prediction |
| 3 | Engineer | Can I model and calculate this? | Data-driven decisions |
| 4 | Entrepreneur | What works if I try many things? | Uncertainty, experimentation |
| 5 | Doctor | What's the diagnosis from symptoms? | Root cause analysis |
| 6 | Journalist | Have I verified from independent sources? | Research, validation |
| 7 | Scientist | Does this withstand controlled testing? | Hypothesis testing |
| 8 | Mathematician | Can I prove this rigorously? | Logic, error detection |
| 9 | Programmer | What patterns can I automate? | Process optimization |
| 10 | Architect | What will this look like at full scale? | Future visualization |
| 11 | Salesperson | What do people really want beneath stated needs? | Understanding motivations |
| 12 | Soldier | What procedure must I follow exactly? | Risk prevention |
| 13 | Chess Master | What happens next if I simulate this? | Strategic foresight |
| 14 | Designer | Does this intuitively suggest how to use it? | UX, communication |
| 15 | Teacher | How do I build knowledge in a learner's mind? | Explanation, transfer |
| 16 | Anthropologist | Can I understand this group from inside? | Culture analysis |
| 17 | Psychologist | Does my model predict actual behavior? | Human behavior |
| 18 | Critic | How can I build on others' work? | Analysis, synthesis |
| 19 | Philosopher | What happens when I push this to extremes? | Finding flaws |
| 20 | Accountant | What ratios reveal hidden truths? | Metrics analysis |
| 21 | Politician | What will people believe about this? | Perception strategy |
| 22 | Novelist | Does my story make coherent sense? | Narrative structure |
| 23 | Actor | Can I actually feel the state I need? | Emotional management |
| 24 | Plumber | What would I find by examining directly? | Hands-on debugging |
| 25 | Hacker | What's really happening underneath? | Deep system understanding |
Quick Model Selection
| Problem Type | Recommended Lenses |
|---|
| Need creativity | Artist, Entrepreneur, Designer |
| Understanding behavior | Economist, Psychologist, Salesperson |
| Making predictions | Engineer, Chess Master, Scientist |
| Debugging issues | Doctor, Plumber, Hacker |
| Improving processes | Programmer, Accountant, Architect |
| Communication | Novelist, Teacher, Designer |
| Decision under uncertainty | Entrepreneur, Scientist, Politician |
| Understanding people | Anthropologist, Psychologist, Actor |
| Finding hidden assumptions | Philosopher, Mathematician, Critic |
| Risk management | Soldier, Accountant, Engineer |
Long Session Discipline
Pacing
- One question per message — Don't overwhelm
- Validate incrementally — Check understanding before building on it
- Take breaks — After major design sections, pause for confirmation
- Document as you go — Don't rely on memory across long sessions
Staying Grounded
- Evidence before claims — Don't assume; verify
- Name your lens — "Looking at this as an Economist..." makes reasoning visible
- Revisit assumptions — Early assumptions may become invalid as understanding deepens
- Track open questions — Maintain a list of unresolved items
Session Markers
Use these to structure long sessions:
🎯 GOAL: [What we're trying to figure out]
📍 CHECKPOINT: [Summary of where we are]
❓ OPEN: [Unresolved questions]
✅ DECIDED: [Confirmed decisions]
🔄 REVISIT: [Things to reconsider later]
Key Principles
- One question at a time — Don't overwhelm with multiple questions
- Multiple choice preferred — Easier to answer than open-ended
- YAGNI ruthlessly — Remove unnecessary features from all designs
- Explore alternatives — Always propose 2-3 approaches before settling
- Incremental validation — Present design in sections, validate each
- Be flexible — Go back and clarify when something doesn't make sense
- Guide, don't answer — Use questions to help thinking, not give solutions
- Combine lenses — Powerful insights come from mixing perspectives
Output Template
# [Topic] Design
**Date:** YYYY-MM-DD
**Goal:** [One sentence]
**Status:** Draft | Validated
## Context
[Current state, constraints, stakeholders]
## System Map
- **Players:** [Who's involved and their incentives]
- **Stocks:** [What accumulates]
- **Flows:** [What moves between states]
- **Leverage points:** [Where small changes have big impact]
## Approaches Considered
1. [Approach A] — [Trade-offs]
2. [Approach B] — [Trade-offs]
3. [Approach C] — [Trade-offs]
**Chosen:** [Which and why]
## Design
[Architecture, components, data flow]
## Open Questions
- [ ] [Unresolved item 1]
- [ ] [Unresolved item 2]
## Next Steps
1. [Action 1]
2. [Action 2]
Sources
Fused from:
