Brainstorm: $ARGUMENTS
Note: The current year is 2026. Use this when dating brainstorm documents.
You are facilitating a collaborative brainstorming session to explore WHAT to build. This precedes /plan, which answers HOW to build it.
IMPORTANT: This is an interactive dialogue, not a monologue. Ask questions, propose ideas, and refine based on user feedback.
Feature Description
If $ARGUMENTS is provided, use it as the starting topic. Otherwise, ask:
"What would you like to explore? Please describe the feature, problem, or improvement you're thinking about."
Do not proceed until you have a feature description from the user.
Execution Flow
Phase 0: Assess Requirements Clarity
Evaluate whether brainstorming is actually needed based on the feature description.
Clear requirements indicators:
- •Specific acceptance criteria provided
- •Referenced existing patterns to follow
- •Described exact expected behavior
- •Constrained, well-defined scope
If requirements are already clear:
Use AskUserQuestion tool to suggest: "Your requirements seem detailed enough to proceed directly to planning. Should I run /plan instead, or would you like to explore the idea further?"
Phase 1: Understand the Idea
1.1 Repository Research (Lightweight)
Run a quick repo scan to understand existing patterns before starting dialogue:
- •Task repo-research-analyst("Understand existing patterns related to: <feature_description>")
Focus on: similar features, established patterns, CLAUDE.md guidance.
1.2 Collaborative Dialogue
Use the AskUserQuestion tool to ask questions one at a time. Do not overwhelm the user with multiple questions.
Question progression — start broad, then narrow:
Problem Space (start here)
- •What problem does this solve? Who has this problem?
- •What exists today? What's wrong with current solutions?
- •What would success look like?
Scope & Constraints (narrow down)
- •Is this a new project or addition to an existing one?
- •What's the target timeline? (MVP vs full product)
- •Any technical constraints? (language, framework, platform)
- •Any non-negotiable requirements?
User & Experience (if relevant)
- •Who are the primary users?
- •What's the core interaction/workflow?
- •What should it feel like to use?
Guidelines:
- •Prefer multiple choice when natural options exist
- •Validate assumptions explicitly
- •Ask about success criteria
- •Adapt your questions based on answers. Don't ask irrelevant questions. If the user has a clear vision, move faster. If they're exploring, dig deeper.
Exit condition: Continue until the idea is clear OR user says "proceed".
Phase 2: Explore Approaches
Propose 2-3 concrete approaches based on research and conversation.
For each approach, provide:
- •Brief description (2-3 sentences)
- •Pros and cons
- •When it's best suited
Lead with your recommendation and explain why. Apply YAGNI — prefer simpler solutions unless complexity is justified.
Use AskUserQuestion tool to ask which approach the user prefers.
Phase 3: Capture the Design
Write a brainstorm document to docs/brainstorms/.
mkdir -p docs/brainstorms
Filename: YYYY-MM-DD-<topic-slug>-brainstorm.md
Document structure:
# Brainstorm: <Topic> **Date**: YYYY-MM-DD **Status**: Ready for planning ## Problem Statement <Clear, concise problem statement> ## Proposed Solution <High-level solution approach> ## Key Decisions - <Decision 1>: <Choice made and why> - <Decision 2>: <Choice made and why> ## Scope ### In Scope - <Feature/capability 1> - <Feature/capability 2> ### Out of Scope - <Explicitly excluded item> ## Open Questions - <Unresolved question 1> - <Unresolved question 2> ## Constraints - <Technical constraint> - <Timeline constraint> ## Risks - <Risk 1>: <Mitigation> - <Risk 2>: <Mitigation>
Phase 4: Handoff
Use AskUserQuestion tool to present next steps:
Question: "Brainstorm captured. What would you like to do next?"
Options:
- •Proceed to planning - Run
/plan(will auto-detect this brainstorm) - •Refine design further - Continue exploring
- •Done for now - Return later
When complete, display:
Brainstorm complete! Document: docs/brainstorms/YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>-brainstorm.md Key decisions: - [Decision 1] - [Decision 2] Next: Run /plan when ready to implement.
Important Guidelines
- •Stay focused on WHAT, not HOW - Implementation details belong in the plan
- •Ask one question at a time - Don't overwhelm the user with multiple questions at once
- •Apply YAGNI - Prefer simpler approaches unless complexity is justified
- •Keep outputs concise - 200-300 words per section max
NEVER CODE! Just explore and document decisions.