# Brainstorm

> Multi-agent brainstorming and strategic thinking on any complex topic. Explores the subject deeply, then spawns specialized sub-agents in parallel for diverse expert perspectives. MUST BE USED PROACTIVELY when user faces any decision, architectural choice, design question, strategic dilemma, or open-ended problem that benefits from multiple viewpoints. Triggers: "brainstorm", "explore ideas", "what are the options", "how should I approach", "pros and cons", "compare approaches", "what do you think about", "best way to", "should I use X or Y", "what's the best approach", "help me decide", "trade-offs", "alternatives", "strategy for", "how would you", "what's your take", "opinions on", "which one", "recommend", "suggest", "ideas for", "possibilities", "ways to", "what direction", "where to start", "what's better".

- Skill: `aedelon/brainstorm` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add aedelon/brainstorm`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/aedelon/brainstorm/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: AI & ML
- Author: aedelon (https://skillmd.com/u/aedelon)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/aedelon/brainstorm

---


# Multi-Agent Brainstorm

## Overview

Structured brainstorming that combines clarifying dialogue with parallel expert sub-agents.
The goal: understand the problem first, then get diverse expert perspectives, then synthesize.

## Process

```
Phase 1: CLARIFY   → Understand the topic (2-3 targeted questions)
Phase 2: MAP       → Select relevant expert agents
Phase 3: EXPLORE   → Spawn agents in parallel
Phase 4: SYNTHESIZE → Combine and present findings
```

## Phase 1: Clarify the Topic

Before spawning any agent, understand what the user actually needs.

**Ask 2-3 targeted questions** (one at a time, prefer multiple choice):

- What is the core problem or goal?
- What constraints exist? (tech stack, budget, timeline, existing code)
- What does success look like?

**Rules:**
- One question per message
- Prefer multiple choice via AskUserQuestion when possible
- Max 3 questions — don't interrogate, get enough context to spawn useful agents
- If the topic is already clear and specific, skip to Phase 2

## Phase 2: Map to Expert Agents

Select **2-4 relevant agents** from this mapping:

| Domain | Agent Type |
|--------|------------|
| AI/ML Research | research-synthesizer |
| Creative / Image Gen | midjourney-expert |
| Finance/Crypto/Tax | finance-advisor |
| Prompt Engineering | prompt-engineer |
| Architecture/Design | feature-dev:code-architect |
| Code Review | feature-dev:code-reviewer |
| General research | general-purpose |

**Selection criteria:**
- Pick agents that bring **different perspectives** on the topic
- At least one agent should challenge the obvious approach
- For cross-domain topics, pick agents from different domains

## Phase 3: Explore via Parallel Agents

Spawn all selected agents **simultaneously** using the Agent tool.

**Each agent prompt MUST include:**

```
Brainstorm: [topic with context from Phase 1]

Context: [key constraints and goals identified]

Your task:
1. Propose 2-3 approaches from your domain expertise
2. For each approach: trade-offs, risks, and when it works best
3. Justify every recommendation with sources (docs, papers, experience)
4. State confidence level (HIGH/MEDIUM/LOW) for each claim
5. Flag anything you cannot verify
6. Highlight what you'd do differently from the obvious approach
```

**Important:**
- Use `model: "opus"` for complex/architectural topics
- Use `model: "sonnet"` for straightforward domain questions
- All agents run in parallel — never sequential

## Phase 4: Synthesize

After all agents return, present a unified synthesis:

```markdown
## Synthesis: [Topic]

### Consensus
[What multiple agents agree on — strongest signal]

### Divergent Views
[Where agents disagree, with rationale from each side]

### Recommended Approach
[Best path forward, justified by agent findings]
[State which agent perspectives informed this recommendation]

### Trade-offs to Consider
[Key decisions the user still needs to make]

### Sources
[All sources cited by agents, deduplicated]

### Confidence: [LEVEL]
[Based on source agreement and verification quality]
```

## Edge Cases

### Topic too vague
Ask one clarifying question. If still vague after 2 questions, brainstorm at the level of abstraction given.

### No obvious agent match
Use `general-purpose` agents with specific domain prompts. Always spawn at least 2.

### User wants to go deeper
After synthesis, offer to spawn additional agents on specific sub-topics that emerged.

### Quick brainstorm
If user says "quick" or the topic is narrow, skip Phase 1 and spawn 2 agents directly.