workflow-brainstorm

name	workflow:brainstorm
description	Explore a single fuzzy idea into a framed concept ready for refinement — collaborative HITL diverge, user-gated converge
argument-hint	[optional: a rough idea, problem, or 'what if' to explore]
user-invocable	true

Concept Brainstorming

Turn one loose, fuzzy idea into a crisp, framed concept that /workflow:refine can take into structured requirements. Brainstorm decides what we're building and why for a single unit; refine decides the exact requirements.

Shared invariant: no durable path decision (Chosen Direction, Status: Explored) without an explicit user selection turn. Draft options; the user commits.

User Input

$ARGUMENTS

When to Use This Skill

Use brainstorm when one idea is still fuzzy:

• You can't yet state the problem as a single sentence.
• You're at "what if we…" or "I have a vague sense we need X."
• Several directions are possible and you haven't chosen one.

Skip it and go straight to /workflow:refine when you can already state the problem and a rough direction — refine's Phase 1–2 will explore from there. Brainstorm exists for the step before that, not as a mandatory gate.

Altitude check (entry) — refuse multi-unit work

If the input is a multi-unit program (multiple independent workstreams, portfolio sequencing, "shape the roadmap," initiative decomposition), do not run this skill as a portfolio workshop.

Stop and offer only (do not auto-invoke):

• Concept still fuzzy at program scale → user should run /workflow:brainstorm only if they first narrow to one concept; otherwise go to /workflow:roadmap (roadmap owns destination framing for multi-unit horizons).
• Direction clear enough to name streams/order → /workflow:roadmap.

Multi-stream English is not "one big concept." One feature with multiple ACs is still single-unit and belongs here or in refine.

Input Interpretation

Input Pattern	Interpretation
Empty	Prompt for the rough idea
continue	Resume ./planning/*/brainstorm.md with Status: Exploring (re-present directions; do not auto-converge)
Text	Use as the seed idea and begin exploring

If input is empty, ask: "What's the rough idea? It's fine if it's half-formed — a problem, a 'what if', or just a direction you're curious about."

When exploring, use the AskUserQuestion tool if available; otherwise ask one question (or a small interrelated group) at a time and wait for the answer before continuing.

The Brainstorming Protocol

Gates (hard)

Gate	Rule
Diverge-complete	Present ≥3 framings that pass the structural test (below). Then hard stop.
Forbidden until user converges	Writing Chosen Direction; Status: Explored; offering /workflow:refine as done; collapsing to one option; same-turn recommendation
Converge	User selects, rejects, ranks, merges, or explicitly asks which you prefer — later turn
Recommend	Only after user selects/ranks/rejects or explicitly asks "which do you prefer?" Never in the same turn as first options presentation
Write Explored	Only after converge; record converged_by: user

User may waive fewer than three options ("only two real frames") — record the waiver.

Structural options test

Each framing must differ on at least two of: problem owner, job-to-be-done, primary constraint, success metric, non-goal set. Each must include a kill criterion that would not kill the other options. Same solution in three outfits → fail the gate; stay in diverge / Exploring.

Steps

1. Frame the fuzz. Capture the raw idea in the user's words. Surface the itch: who feels the pain, why it matters now, what triggered the thought. Don't solve yet.
2. Diverge. Generate options that pass the structural test. Expand lightly: compelling + kill (one or two lines each).
3. Present the field and STOP. Write or update brainstorm.md as Status: Exploring with directions only — no Chosen Direction, no seed as final. Wait for the user.
4. Converge (user turn). Pick, merge, or re-open diverge. Optional recommendation only under the recommend rule above.
5. Pressure-test (optional). If the chosen direction is a big or hard-to-reverse bet, run Pass 1 (Blind-Spot) of the Critic Pass — see @workflow (references/critic-pass.md). Skip for low-stakes ideas.
6. Crystallize the seed. One paragraph: problem, who it's for, chosen direction, why, what is deliberately not decided. Then write Status: Explored with Chosen + seed.

If the superpowers:brainstorming skill is available, you may borrow one-question-at-a-time discipline for diverge only. Do not run its design-doc, user-review-spec, or writing-plans path — return here for gates, artifact, and handoff. If it is not installed, use this protocol directly.

Output Artifact

Determine the project name from the git repository or working directory (the same basis /workflow:refine uses), create ./planning/<project>/ if needed.

While exploring (required shape)

# Brainstorm: [working title]

Status: Exploring

## The Itch

[What problem or itch this addresses, who feels it, why now.]

## Directions Considered

- **[Direction A]** — [compelling] / kill: [criterion that wouldn't kill B/C]
- **[Direction B]** — …
- **[Direction C]** — …

## Deliberately Undecided

[Scope left open — optional at this stage]

## Notes

[Optional: user waiver of option count, open threads]

Do not include ## Chosen Direction or a final ## Seed Concept while Status: Exploring.

After user converges

# Brainstorm: [working title]

Status: Explored
converged_by: user

## Seed Concept

[One paragraph: the problem, who it's for, the chosen direction, why, and what is deliberately
left undecided.]

## The Itch

[…]

## Directions Considered

[…]

## Chosen Direction

[The direction to carry into refinement, and why it won.]

## Deliberately Undecided

[Scope and solution choices intentionally left open for refine/plan to resolve.]

## Open Questions for Refinement

- [ ] [Question to answer during refinement]

This artifact is local-file only. PM-system framing begins at /workflow:refine, not here.

Handoff to Refine

Only after Status: Explored: "Concept framed and saved to planning/<project>/brainstorm.md. Run /workflow:refine to turn this seed into structured requirements."

Key Principles

• Diverge before you converge — and stop so the user actually converges.
• Single-concept only — multi-unit horizons belong to /workflow:roadmap.
• Decide what and why, not how — no ACs, stories, or task breakdown.
• A seed, not a spec — one sharp paragraph is the deliverable.
• Signal, not ceremony — if the idea is already clear, say so and send the user to refine.
• Offer, don't chain-invoke roadmap or refine until the user asks or the Explored handoff applies.