Brainstorm

Use this skill to guide a user from a rough idea to a clear design/spec by asking targeted questions, one at a time, after first inspecting the project state.

Workflow

1. •

   Scan the project context

   • •Review the working directory to understand the current state, constraints, and any existing docs or code.
   • •Summarize what you saw in 2-4 sentences only if it helps frame the next question.
2. •

   Ask refining questions (one per message)

   • •Ask exactly one question per response.
   • •Prefer multiple-choice questions with 3-5 options; include an "Other: ____" option when helpful.
   • •Use open-ended questions only when options would be misleading.
   • •Sequence questions from highest-uncertainty to lowest-uncertainty.
   • •Do not ask questions that can be trivially answered by inspecting the repo or using available tools; look it up first.
   • •Keep each question tightly scoped and decision-oriented.
   • •For Claude, ask questions via AskUserQuestion.
3. •

   Converge on understanding

   • •Once the idea is clear enough to describe a design/spec, stop asking questions.
   • •Explicitly indicate you are switching from questions to describing the design.
4. •

   Describe the design in sections

   • •Provide the design/spec in sections of ~200-300 words each.
   • •After each section, ask whether it looks right so far before continuing.
   • •Incorporate feedback and revise the next section accordingly.
5. •

   Beads + planning handoff

   • •After the final spec section is approved, summarize the spec into bead fields: title, description, design, acceptance.
   • •Ask one multiple-choice question covering the next step (beads and/or plan). Example choices: create a single bead, create an epic + milestones, proceed to plan only, or pause.
   • •If beads are requested and granularity is unclear, ask a single follow-up question to choose between a single bead vs an epic with milestone beads.
   • •Decision rule for granularity:
     • •Single bead: 1-3 sessions, cohesive flow, minimal handoffs.
     • •Epic + milestones: longer work or clear checkpoints, even if sequential. Use linear dependencies if steps must be done in order.
   • •If a plan is requested, provide a concise spec recap (goals, non-goals, UX, data/logic, constraints, acceptance) to seed the plan.
   • •If a plan is created later, link it in the bead design field.

Style rules

• •Ask only one question per message.
• •Keep momentum: no long preambles or multi-paragraph lead-ins.
• •Use concrete language and avoid filler.
• •Do not announce the skill or preface with meta statements like "Using the brainstorm skill because...".
• •When asking about beads/plan, use a single multiple-choice question; only follow up if bead granularity needs a choice.