idea

name	idea
version	1.1.0
description	[Project Management] Use when capturing new ideas, feature requests, or concepts for future refinement.

[BLOCKING] Execute skill steps in declared order. NEVER skip, reorder, or merge steps without explicit user approval. [BLOCKING] Before each step or sub-skill call, update task tracking: set in_progress when step starts, set completed when step ends. [BLOCKING] Every completed/skipped step MUST include brief evidence or explicit skip reason. [BLOCKING] If Task tools are unavailable, create and maintain an equivalent step-by-step plan tracker with the same status transitions.

Quick Summary

Goal: Turn a vague product idea into a validated, tech-agnostic, module-anchored backlog artifact ready for /refine to convert into a PBI — preserving problem intent without leaking solution or stack choices.

Summary:

• Two interview gates are NON-NEGOTIABLE: Discovery Interview (Step 6.5, 3-5 AskUserQuestion items incl. the always-on testability question) AND Validation (Step 7, 2-3 items) — never skip either even for "simple" ideas.
• Keep the problem statement strictly tech-agnostic (M1): name no framework/product/language/pattern, and do NOT assign logical IDs — the downstream PBI inherits the clean narrative and owns FR-/BR- assignment.
• Auto-detect the project module silently via Glob("docs/specs/*/README.md") and load feature context (8-12K token budget); prompt only when ambiguous. Greenfield (no real code dirs) → skip module detection and NEVER ask about tech stack.
• Persist to team-artifacts/ideas/{YYMMDD}-{role}-idea-{slug}.md with t_shirt_size, then hand off to /refine for PBI conversion.

MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION TaskCreate task to READ project-specific reference doc: project-structure-reference.md — project patterns and structure. Not found → search: project documentation, coding standards, architecture docs.

Workflow:

1. Gather Info — Ask problem, value, scope, target users
2. Generate Artifact — Create idea file with ID (IDEA-YYMMDD-NNN) + draft status
3. Detect Module — Auto-match project module, load feature context from docs
4. Discovery Interview — AskUserQuestion 3-5 structured questions (MANDATORY)
5. Validate — Confirm problem statement, scope, stakeholders (MANDATORY)
6. Suggest Next — Point to /refine for PBI creation

Key Rules:

• Output: team-artifacts/ideas/{YYMMDD}-{role}-idea-{slug}.md
• Validation NEVER optional — MANDATORY step
• Auto-detect module silently; prompt only when ambiguous
• MUST ATTENTION include t_shirt_size (XS/S/M/L/XL) in artifact for early sizing
• [BLOCKING] Tech-agnostic output (M1): the problem statement stays tech-agnostic per docs/project-reference/spec-principles.md §3 (all modes, not only greenfield) — name no framework/product/language/design-pattern; defer any stack preference to the later tech-research phase.
• M3 Logical-ID Assignment (forward to PBI): See .claude/skills/shared/sdd-artifact-contract.md → "AI-SDD Mandates (M1-M6)" for BLOCKING criteria. An idea is a tech-agnostic business-intent definition only — do NOT assign logical IDs yet. When the idea advances to a PBI (via /refine), the PBI assigns logical IDs (FR-/BR-) as the PRIMARY citation spine and tracks [Source: namespace/service/id] abstract-anchor evidence (never physical code coordinates or repository-root paths) in a SEPARATE carrier from the business-intent prose. Keep the idea's problem/value narrative free of source identifiers so the PBI can inherit it cleanly.

Greenfield Mode

Auto-detected: No codebase found (no discovered source directories, no manifest files, no populated project-config.json) → greenfield mode. Planning artifacts (docs/, plans/, .claude/) don't count — repository must have actual code directories with content.

When greenfield detected:

1. Skip module auto-detection (no modules exist yet)
2. Skip project-structure-reference.md read (won't exist)
3. Focus broader problem-space: market gap, competitors, differentiation
4. Output tech-agnostic problem statement
5. Enable WebSearch for market/competitor context
6. Increase AskUserQuestion frequency — capture vision, constraints, team profile, scale expectations
7. [CRITICAL] NEVER ask about tech stack during idea capture. Tech stack = research-driven decision AFTER full business analysis (business-evaluation phase). User volunteers preference → acknowledge but defer to tech stack research phase.

Detailed Workflow

Step 1: Gather Information

• No title → ask: "What's the idea in one sentence?"
• Ask: "What problem does this solve?"
• Ask: "Who benefits from this?"
• Ask: "Any initial scope thoughts?"

Step 2: Generate Artifact

• Template: .claude/docs/team-artifacts/templates/idea-template.md
• ID: IDEA-{YYMMDD}-{NNN} (sequential)
• Status: draft

Step 3: Capture Details

• Document problem statement, expected value, target users

Step 4: Detect Project Module

Dynamic Discovery:

1. Run: Glob("docs/specs/*/README.md")
2. Extract module names from paths
3. Match idea keywords against module keywords

Scenario	Action
Clear match	Auto-detect — NEVER show confidence levels
Ambiguous / no match	Prompt: "Which project module?" + Glob results + "Cross-cutting/Infrastructure"
2+ modules detected	Load ALL modules, add all to related_features

If module detected:

1. Read docs/specs/{module}/README.md (first 200 lines)
2. Extract feature list from Quick Navigation section
3. Add to frontmatter: module: {detected_module}, related_features: [Feature1, Feature2]

Step 5: Load Feature Context

1. Read module README overview (~2K tokens)
2. Identify closest matching feature(s)
3. Read corresponding feature doc (3-5K tokens)
4. Extract: related entities, existing business rules (BR-{MOD}-XXX), test case patterns (TC-{FEATURE}-{NNN})

Token Budget: Target 8-12K tokens total.

Step 6: Save Artifact

• Path: team-artifacts/ideas/{YYMMDD}-{role}-idea-{slug}.md
• Role: infer from context or ask
• Include domain context if detected

Artifact Path (canonical convention) — Command /idea → base path team-artifacts/ideas/, role token po, type idea. Filename pattern: {YYMMDD}-{role}-{type}-{slug}.md → e.g. 260119-po-idea-dark-mode-toggle.md. Slug = lowercased basename, non-alphanumeric → -, trimmed, max 50 chars.

Step 6.5: Discovery Interview (MANDATORY)

Use AskUserQuestion — 3-5 structured questions. Each MUST ATTENTION have 2-4 options with one marked "(Recommended)".

Category	Purpose	Example
Problem Clarity	Distinguish problem from solution	"What problem does this solve?" + options
User Persona	Identify primary user	"Who benefits most?" + role options
Scope	MVP vs full vision	"What's smallest valuable version?"
Testability	Define done?	"How would you verify this works?"
Impact	Business value sizing	"How many users/processes affected?"
Constraints	Known blockers	"Any technical/business constraints?"
Scale	Expected load/growth	"How many users/transactions expected?"

Greenfield: NEVER include tech stack questions. Focus on business problem, users, scale, constraints.

Testability Question (ALWAYS include): "How would you verify this feature works correctly?" — Options: manual test steps, automated test criteria, metric thresholds.

Document all answers under ## Discovery Interview.

Step 7: Validate Idea (MANDATORY)

AskUserQuestion — 2-3 validation questions:

Category	Example Question
Problem	"Is the problem statement clear and user-focused?"
Value	"What's the expected business value or user benefit?"
Scope	"Any scope boundaries to clarify now?"
Stakeholders	"Who else should review this idea?"

Document under ## Validation Summary. Update artifact based on answers.

Validation Output Format:

## Validation Summary

**Validated:** {date}

### Confirmed

- {decision}: {user choice}

### Action Items

- [ ] {follow-up if any}

Step 8: Suggest Next Step

AskUserQuestion after capture:

1. /refine — Refine into PBI (Recommended)
2. /spec [mode=tests] — Jump straight to test spec
3. /plan — Start implementation planning

Output: "Idea captured! To refine into a PBI, run: /refine {filename}" Module detected: "Module context from {module} will be used during refinement."

Output Formats

Domain Context Section

## Domain Context (Project Features)

### Module

{module_name}

### Related Features

- {Feature1} - [docs link]
- {Feature2} - [docs link]

### Domain Entities

- **Primary:** {Entity1}, {Entity2}
- **Related:** {Entity3}

### Existing Business Rules

- BR-{MOD}-XXX: {Brief description}

UI Sketch Section

## UI Sketch

### Layout

{Rough ASCII wireframe — see UI wireframe protocol}

### Key Components

- **{Component}** — {purpose} _(tier: common | domain-shared | page/app)_

Search existing libs before proposing new components. Backend-only idea: ## UI Sketch → N/A — Backend-only change. No UI affected.

Examples

/idea "Dark mode toggle for settings"
# Creates: team-artifacts/ideas/260119-po-idea-dark-mode-toggle.md

/idea "Add goal progress tracking notification"
# Creates with module context: team-artifacts/ideas/260119-po-idea-goal-progress-notification.md

---

Workflow Recommendation

MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION — NO EXCEPTIONS: Not already in workflow → MUST ATTENTION use AskUserQuestion:

1. Activate workflow-idea-to-pbi workflow (Recommended) — idea → refine → review-artifact --type=pbi → story → review-artifact --type=story → prioritize
2. Execute /idea directly — run standalone

---

Next Steps

MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION — NO EXCEPTIONS after completing skill, use AskUserQuestion:

• "/refine (Recommended)" — Transform idea into actionable PBI
• "/web-research" — Idea needs market research first
• "Skip, continue manually" — user decides

---

[IMPORTANT] TaskCreate break ALL work into small tasks BEFORE starting — including tasks each file read. Simple tasks: AI MUST ATTENTION ask user whether to skip.

External Memory: Complex/lengthy work (research, analysis, scan, review) → write intermediate findings to plans/reports/ — prevents context loss, serves as deliverable.

Evidence Gate: MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION — every claim, finding, recommendation requires file:line proof or traced evidence, confidence percentage (>80% act, <80% verify first).

UI Wireframe — Process visual design input (Figma URLs, screenshots, wireframes) via appropriate tool BEFORE creating wireframes. Use box-drawing ASCII characters for spatial layout. Classify every component into exactly ONE tier: Common (cross-app reusable) / Domain-Shared (cross-domain) / Page (single-page). Duplicate UI code = wrong tier. Search existing component libraries before creating new (>=80% match = reuse). Detail level varies by skill (idea=rough, story=full decomposition).

AI Mistake Prevention — Failure modes to avoid on every task:

Re-read files after context changes. Context compaction, resume, or long-running work can make memory stale; verify current files before acting. Verify generated content against source evidence. AI hallucinates APIs, names, claims, and document facts. Check the relevant source before documenting or referencing. Check downstream references before deleting or renaming. Removing an artifact can stale docs, generated mirrors, configs, and callers; map references first. Trace the full impact chain after edits. Changing a definition can miss derived outputs and consumers. Follow the affected chain before declaring done. Verify ALL affected outputs, not just the first. One green check is not all green checks; validate every output surface the change can affect. Assume existing values are intentional — ask WHY before changing. Before changing a constant, limit, flag, wording, or pattern, read nearby context and history. Surface ambiguity before acting — don't pick silently. Multiple valid interpretations require an explicit question or stated assumption with risk. Keep shared guidance role-relevant. Universal guidance must help every receiving skill or agent; code-specific obligations belong only in code-specific protocols.

Critical Thinking Mindset — Apply critical thinking, sequential thinking. Every claim needs traced proof, confidence >80% to act. Anti-hallucination: Never present guess as fact — cite sources for every claim, admit uncertainty freely, self-check output for errors, cross-reference independently, stay skeptical of own confidence — certainty without evidence root of all hallucination.

Sequential Thinking Protocol — Structured multi-step reasoning for complex/ambiguous work. Use when planning, reviewing, debugging, or refining ideas where one-shot reasoning is unsafe.

Trigger when: complex problem decomposition · adaptive plans needing revision · analysis with course correction · unclear/emerging scope · multi-step solutions · hypothesis-driven debugging · cross-cutting trade-off evaluation.

Format (explicit mode — visible thought trail):

1. Thought N/M: [aspect] — one aspect per thought, state assumptions/uncertainty
2. Thought N/M [REVISION of Thought K]: ... — when prior reasoning invalidated; state Original / Why revised / Impact
3. Thought N/M [BRANCH A from Thought K]: ... — explore alternative; converge with decision rationale
4. Thought N/M [HYPOTHESIS]: ... then [VERIFICATION]: ... — test before acting
5. Thought N/N [FINAL] — only when verified, all critical aspects addressed, confidence >80%

Mandatory closers: Confidence % stated · Assumptions listed · Open questions surfaced · Next action concrete.

Stop conditions: confidence <80% on any critical decision → escalate via AskUserQuestion · ≥3 revisions on same thought → re-frame the problem · branch count >3 → split into sub-task.

Implicit mode: apply methodology internally without visible markers when adding markers would clutter the response (routine work where reasoning aids accuracy).

Deep-dive: see /sequential-thinking skill (.claude/skills/sequential-thinking/SKILL.md) for worked examples (API design, debugging, architecture), advanced techniques (spiral refinement, hypothesis testing, convergence), and meta-strategies (uncertainty handling, revision cascades).

MUST ATTENTION apply critical + sequential thinking — every claim needs appropriate traced evidence (file:line for repo/code claims; source URL or artifact section for research, product, content, and docs claims); confidence >80% to act, <60% DO NOT recommend. Anti-hallucination: never present guess as fact, admit uncertainty freely, cross-reference independently, stay skeptical of own confidence.

MUST ATTENTION apply sequential-thinking — multi-step Thought N/M, REVISION/BRANCH/HYPOTHESIS markers, confidence % closer; see /sequential-thinking skill.

MUST ATTENTION apply AI mistake prevention — verify generated content against evidence, trace downstream references before deleting or renaming, verify all affected outputs, re-read files after context loss, and surface ambiguity before acting.

Prompt-Enhance Closing Anchors

IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION follow declared step order for this skill; NEVER skip, reorder, or merge steps without explicit user approval IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION for every step/sub-skill call: set in_progress before execution, set completed after execution IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION every skipped step MUST include explicit reason; every completed step MUST include concise evidence IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION if Task tools unavailable, maintain an equivalent step-by-step plan tracker with synchronized statuses

Closing Reminders

IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION Goal: Turn a vague product idea into a validated, tech-agnostic, module-anchored backlog artifact ready for /refine to convert into a PBI — preserving problem intent without leaking solution or stack choices.

IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION — Protocols in force (concise digest of the SYNC/shared blocks this skill carries):

• UI Wireframe: classify each component into ONE tier; search libs first, reuse ≥80% match.
• AI Mistake Prevention: verify generated content against evidence, trace downstream references, verify all affected outputs, re-read after context loss, surface ambiguity.
• Critical Thinking: traced proof per claim; confidence >80% to act; never present guess as fact.
• Sequential Thinking: multi-step Thought N/M with REVISION/BRANCH/HYPOTHESIS markers and confidence closer.

IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION Discovery Interview (Step 6.5) + Validation (Step 7) NEVER optional — run BOTH AskUserQuestion gates even for "simple" ideas — why: discovery uncovers hidden constraints, validation confirms problem framing; different question categories IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION ALWAYS keep problem statement tech-agnostic (M1, spec-principles.md §3, all modes) — name no framework/product/language/design-pattern; defer any stack preference to the later tech-research phase — why: PBI inherits the narrative cleanly downstream IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION in greenfield mode NEVER ask about tech stack — acknowledge a volunteered preference, then defer to the business-evaluation phase — why: stack is a research-driven decision after business analysis, not a capture-time guess IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION TaskCreate break ALL work into small tasks BEFORE starting — including a task to READ project-structure-reference.md (skip in greenfield — it won't exist) IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION validate all decisions with user via AskUserQuestion — NEVER auto-decide — and NEVER show confidence levels on an auto-detected module match IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION auto-detect module silently via Glob("docs/specs/*/README.md") — prompt only when ambiguous or no match; greenfield → skip module detection — why: confirm with Glob() evidence, not assumption IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION assign NO logical IDs (M3) — an idea is tech-agnostic business intent only; the downstream PBI owns FR-/BR- assignment and [Source: namespace/service/id] anchors — why: keep the problem/value narrative free of source identifiers so the PBI inherits it cleanly IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION include t_shirt_size (XS/S/M/L/XL) in the artifact and keep the feature-context load within the 8-12K token budget — why: early sizing feeds prioritization; over-budget reads dilute attention IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION persist to team-artifacts/ideas/{YYMMDD}-{role}-idea-{slug}.md, then hand off to /refine for PBI conversion — why: canonical path keeps downstream tooling aligned IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION search existing component libraries before proposing any new UI component (≥80% match = reuse); classify each into exactly ONE tier — why: duplicate UI code = wrong tier IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION cite file:line proof or traced evidence for every claim/recommendation, confidence >80% to act, <80% verify first — why: certainty without evidence is the root of hallucination add a final review task to verify work quality

Anti-Rationalization:

Evasion	Rebuttal
"Idea is simple, skip interview"	NEVER skip — discovery uncovers hidden constraints
"Module is obvious, skip detection"	Still run Glob() — confirm with evidence not assumption
"Validation is redundant after interview"	ALWAYS run both — different question categories
"Greenfield check is optional"	Auto-detect is MANDATORY — no manual override
"User mentioned a framework, capture it"	Stay tech-agnostic — acknowledge, defer to tech-research phase
"I'll assign FR-/BR- IDs now"	NO logical IDs at idea stage — the PBI assigns them downstream
"Reuse an existing component? new is faster"	Search libs first — ≥80% match = reuse; new without search = wrong tier

[TASK-PLANNING] Before acting, analyze task scope and systematically break it into small todo tasks and sub-tasks using TaskCreate.

IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION the 3 rules to never skip: (1) run BOTH Discovery + Validation AskUserQuestion gates; (2) keep the problem statement tech-agnostic (no stack/IDs); (3) cite file:line evidence, confidence >80% to act.