Brainstorm

Brainstorming Session

Objective

Conduct a collaborative brainstorming session on any topic - project-related or general - through natural dialogue, exploration of options, and structured capture of insights.

Guidelines

• Use AskUserQuestion tool for ALL clarifications - provides interactive options for user to choose from
• Ask non-obvious and thought-provoking questions that challenge assumptions
• Continue until the topic is fully explored - don't stop early
• Present multiple perspectives and approaches
• Capture key insights and decisions in the brainstorm notes

Workflow

Step 1: Determine Scope

Ask the user whether the topic is:

• Project-related: Will explore codebase context first
• General: Skip context gathering, proceed to exploration

Step 2: Context Phase (Project-Related Only)

If project-related, invoke the design-exploration skill which will:

• Use multiple Explore agents in parallel (Sonnet) to gather project context
• Identify relevant files, patterns, and existing implementations
• Build understanding of constraints and opportunities

Step 3: Exploration Phase

For ALL topics (project-related or general):

Understanding the Topic:

• Ask clarifying questions (batch related questions)
• Prefer multiple choice when possible
• Focus on: goals, constraints, success criteria, concerns

Exploring Approaches:

• Propose 2-3 different perspectives or options
• Present trade-offs clearly
• Lead with your recommendation and reasoning

Deep Exploration - Ask non-obvious questions across categories:

Practical & Implementation:

• What could go wrong? Edge cases?
• What resources/dependencies are needed?
• How would this scale or evolve?

Perspective & Assumptions:

• What assumptions are we making?
• Who else is affected by this?
• What's the opposite approach look like?

Impact & Value:

• How do we measure success?
• What's the minimum viable version?
• What happens if we don't do this?

Trade-offs:

• Speed vs quality considerations
• Short-term vs long-term implications
• Complexity vs simplicity

Presenting Ideas:

• Break into 200-300 word sections
• Validate understanding after each section
• Be ready to pivot if direction changes

Step 4: Research Phase (When Needed)

If exploration reveals topics requiring code context or external research:

Code Research (Project-Related):

• Use Explore agents with Sonnet to scan relevant modules, patterns, and prior art
• Capture constraints, existing APIs, and integration points

Quick Research (Exa MCP):

• get_code_context_exa — for code-related context, APIs, libraries
• web_search_exa — for trends, market data, best practices

Deep Research:

• Launch comprehensive-researcher agent (Task tool) for topics requiring:
  • Multiple sources and cross-verification
  • Industry benchmarks or competitive analysis
  • Technical documentation deep-dives
• Parallel research: Launch multiple researcher agents simultaneously for different topics

Launch research proactively when:

• Topic requires current or up-to-date information
• Market trends, competitor analysis, or industry standards are relevant
• Technical decisions benefit from external validation
• Exploring unfamiliar domains or technologies
• Knowledge gaps are identified during exploration

No permission needed - launch research agents proactively when the conversation reveals a need. Inform user what's being researched and continue the brainstorming while agents work in background.

Step 5: Capture Phase

After exploration is complete:

1. Create brainstorm notes: docs/brainstorming/brainstorm-YYYY-MM-DD-[topic-slug].md
2. Use template: docs/product-docs/templates/brainstorm-template.md
3. Include:
   • Topic overview and type (project/general)
   • Key questions explored
   • Options discussed with pros/cons
   • Conclusions and insights
   • Action items (if any)
4. Present summary to user for confirmation

Step 6: Codex Validation (Project-Related Only, Optional)

For project-related brainstorms with significant scope, offer cross-AI validation.

AskUserQuestion: "Run cross-AI validation on brainstorm notes via /codex-cli?"

• "Yes" — invoke /codex-cli for review
• "Skip" — finalize without validation

If approved:

• Invoke /codex-cli for brainstorm notes review as senior product analyst
• Focus: completeness, feasibility, no conflicts with existing architecture
• Update notes if needed, add "Cross-AI Validation: PASSED" when approved

Skip this step entirely for general (non-project) brainstorms.

Scope Boundaries

• Feature discovery interviews: use /nf
• PRD/JTBD documentation: use /product
• Deep technical research: use /deep-research
• Pre-implementation design: auto-triggered by design-exploration skill (not this one)
• Task creation: use /ct

Output

docs/brainstorming/brainstorm-YYYY-MM-DD-[topic-slug].md