Idea Sketch
Help turn a vague idea into a clear starting point. Keep it conversational and lightweight.
Process
1. Understand the Core Idea
Ask one or two questions to get clarity:
- •What's the basic idea? (if not already clear)
- •What's the simplest version that would be useful?
Don't interrogate. If the idea is already clear, skip straight to sketching.
2. Sketch It Out
Respond with a short sketch covering:
What it is — One sentence summary
Core functionality — 3-5 bullet points of what it actually does
What it doesn't do — 1-2 things explicitly out of scope (helps focus)
Starting point — A concrete first step or two to begin building
3. Offer to Go Deeper (Optional)
After the sketch, ask if they want to:
- •Explore any part further
- •Think through technical approach
- •Just start building
Don't push toward more planning if they're ready to code.
Example Output
What it is: A CLI tool that watches a directory and auto-commits changes with AI-generated commit messages.
Core functionality:
- •Watch specified directory for file changes
- •Generate commit message from diff using Claude API
- •Auto-commit (with optional confirmation prompt)
- •Simple config file for API key and watched paths
Not in scope: Branch management, PR creation, multi-repo support
Starting point: Get a basic file watcher working that prints diffs to stdout. Then add the Claude API call.
Anti-Patterns
- •Don't turn this into a full design session unless asked
- •Don't ask more than 2 questions before providing value
- •Don't suggest architecture patterns, dependency choices, or project structure
- •Don't create files unless asked — the sketch can just be in chat