collab-vs

name	collab-vs
description	The agent brainstorms with a partner LLM in alternating turns, building on each other's ideas. Synthesizes the best ideas into a plan.

Brainstorm collaboratively with a partner LLM, building on each other's ideas in alternating turns, then synthesize the best ideas into a plan.

Load the consult-llm skill before proceeding — it defines the invocation contract (stdin heredoc, flags, output format, multi-turn). Do not call the CLI without loading it first.

Available models

Selectors resolvable in this environment (depends on configured API keys):

!`consult-llm models`

Arguments: $ARGUMENTS

Check the arguments for flags:

Partner flag (exactly one required): any --<selector> from the Models block above (e.g. --gemini, --openai, --deepseek). Translates to -m <selector> for the CLI.

Strip all flags from arguments to get the task description.

Set variables from the partner flag:

• MODEL: the selector (e.g. gemini, openai)
• PARTNER: the same selector, used as the display label

If no --<selector> flag is provided, ask the user which partner to use, listing the selectors from the Models block.

Phase 0: Load consult-llm Skill

Load it now. Follow its invocation contract for all CLI calls in this workflow.

Phase 1: Understand the Task (No Questions)

1. Explore the codebase - use Glob, Grep, Read to understand:

   • Relevant files and their structure
   • Existing patterns and conventions
   • Dependencies and interfaces

   Before planning or consulting, do enough research to understand how the requested behavior actually works. Before starting, think about what resources would be useful to obtain first: relevant source files, tests, logs, generated files, config, examples, command output, external docs, or authoritative upstream source. Gather the cheapest useful evidence before forming a plan.

   Do not stop at the first plausible file, definition, setting, or example. Follow references, callers, related tests, and runtime usage until you can explain the current behavior and the likely impact of changing it.

2. Ground external semantics before planning - understand the requested behavior in the real system, not just this repo

   • If the task depends on an external product, CLI, API, protocol, file format, or ecosystem convention, verify the relevant behavior using the cheapest authoritative evidence available: local binaries/flags, generated files, official docs, public source, package/library code, or web search.
   • Capture only decision-relevant facts that affect scope, acceptance criteria, compatibility, or implementation constraints.
   • Do not create a separate research artifact unless the evidence materially changes the plan.

3. Make evidence-backed assumptions - do NOT ask clarifying questions

   • Use best judgment based on codebase and external context
   • Prefer simpler solutions when ambiguous
   • Follow existing patterns in the codebase

4. Prepare context summary - create a brief summary of:

   • The task to be implemented
   • Relevant files discovered
   • Key patterns and conventions in the codebase
   • Any constraints or considerations

Phase 2: Seed (agent starts)

You kick off the brainstorm with initial ideas based on what you found in Phase 1. Write them out in full:

## Agent's Ideas

1. **Ideas**: [2-3 possible approaches with brief descriptions]
2. **Favorite**: [which approach you lean toward and why]
3. **Open questions**: [aspects you're unsure about or would benefit from another perspective]
4. **Risks**: [what could go wrong or be tricky]

Present this to the user.

Phase 3: Back and Forth

Alternate between the partner LLM and the agent. Each turn builds on the previous response. Continue until the ideas converge into a clear approach — typically 2-3 rounds, but use as many as needed.

Round 1

Step 1 — PARTNER responds to the agent's seed:

Invoke consult-llm per the consult-llm skill with -m <MODEL> and -f <path> for each relevant source file discovered in Phase 1. Send the build-on prompt below (with the agent's seed ideas embedded) per the consult-llm invocation contract.

Build-on prompt:

A collaborator shared these ideas:

[Agent's ideas from above]

Build on their thinking:
1. **What resonates**: Which ideas are strong? Why?
2. **Combinations**: Can any ideas be combined into something better?
3. **New ideas**: Did their thinking spark any new approaches?
4. **Refinements**: How would you improve the most promising ideas so far?
5. **Concerns resolved**: Did their ideas address any open questions?

Keep building — don't tear down. Refine toward the best solution.

Save the returned thread_id as partner_thread_id (see consult-llm's multi-turn section).

Present PARTNER's response to the user as ## PARTNER's Ideas (Round 1).

Step 2 — agent responds to PARTNER:

Analyze the partner's response and build on it:

## Agent's Ideas (Round 1)

1. **What resonates**: [which of PARTNER's ideas are strong and why]
2. **Combinations**: [ideas that can be merged into something better]
3. **New ideas**: [anything their thinking sparked]
4. **Refinements**: [improvements to the most promising ideas so far]
5. **Concerns resolved**: [open questions addressed]

Present this to the user.

Subsequent rounds

Continue alternating (PARTNER → agent). On each PARTNER turn, invoke consult-llm with -m <MODEL> and -t <partner_thread_id> to continue the conversation, sending the build-on prompt (with the agent's latest response embedded).

When to stop: Both sides are refining details rather than introducing new ideas, and a clear approach has emerged. Don't stop while there are still unresolved open questions or competing directions.

Phase 4: Synthesize

After all rounds, synthesize the brainstorm into a plan:

1. Identify the strongest ideas — which approaches gained momentum across rounds?

2. Note convergence — where did you and the partner naturally align?

3. Pick the best combination — merge the strongest elements into one coherent approach. Be honest about where the partner's ideas won.

4. Write the plan:

# [Feature Name] Implementation Plan

**Goal:** [One sentence describing what this builds]

## Brainstorm Summary

**Key ideas from agent:** [2-3 bullet points]
**Key ideas from PARTNER:** [2-3 bullet points]
**Convergence:** [Where they naturally agreed]
**Synthesis:** [How the final approach combines the best of both]

---

### Task 1: [Short description]

**Files:**
- Create: `exact/path/to/file.py`
- Modify: `exact/path/to/existing.py` (lines 123-145)

**Steps:**
1. [Specific action]
2. [Specific action]

**Code:**
```language
// Include actual code, not placeholders
```

---

Guidelines:

• Exact file paths - never "somewhere in src/"
• Complete code - show the actual code
• Small tasks - 2-5 minutes of work each
• DRY, YAGNI - only what's needed
• Be honest - credit the partner when its ideas were better