Brainstorm
Explore ideas and design solutions before implementation. $ARGUMENTS
Examples
User says: "brainstorm how to add authentication" Actions: Explore auth patterns (JWT vs session), review existing code, discuss trade-offs Result: Design document with recommended approach, file structure, and implementation notes
User says: "how should we approach real-time notifications?" Actions: Compare WebSocket vs SSE vs polling, assess infrastructure needs Result: Architecture recommendation with pros/cons for each approach
Process
Step 1: Understand Context
- Check project state: files, docs, recent commits, tech stack
- Read relevant code in the area being discussed
Step 2: Explore the Idea
- Ask questions one at a time to refine the idea
- Prefer multiple choice when possible
- Focus: purpose, constraints, success criteria, edge cases
- Use AskUserQuestion tool for each question
Step 3: Propose Approaches
- Present 2-3 approaches with trade-offs
- Lead with recommended option and reasoning
- Apply YAGNI — remove unnecessary features from all designs
Step 4: Present Design
- Break into sections of 200-300 words
- Ask after each section if it looks right
- Cover: architecture, components, data flow, error handling, testing
- Go back and clarify if something doesn't fit
Step 5: Document
- Write validated design to
docs/plans/YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>-design.md - Commit the design document
Step 6: Next Steps
- Ask: "Ready to implement?"
- If yes: proceed with implementation or
/mpx-parse-specfor larger features
Key Principles
- One question at a time — don't overwhelm
- Multiple choice preferred — easier to answer
- YAGNI ruthlessly — remove unnecessary features
- Explore alternatives — always 2-3 approaches before settling
- Incremental validation — present in sections, validate each