Ideation Synthesize

Ideation Synthesis

Generate solution hypotheses, synthesize findings, and prepare for the formal requirements process. This is the final skill in the ideation sequence.

Prerequisites

• Web search capability: This skill researches prior attempts at similar solutions. Ensure you have Brave Search, WebSearch, or equivalent search tools available.
• Completed /ideation-research: Requires ideation.md with Status = "Research".
• Write access: Completes ideation.md in the project root.

First Action: Validate Prerequisites

1. Check for ideation.md in project root

   • If not found: "This skill requires /ideation-simple and /ideation-research to be completed first. Please start with /ideation-simple."
   • If found: Read and verify Status field

2. Check Status

   • If Status < "Research": "The research phase isn't complete yet. Please run /ideation-research first."
   • If Status = "Research": Proceed
   • If Status = "Ready for Kickoff": Ask "Ideation is already complete. Would you like to:"
     • "Proceed to /kickoff"
     • "Revise the solution hypotheses (this will update sections 6-8)"

Context Loading

Read ideation.md and load full context:

• Problem statement and jobs to be done
• User segments with their motivations and barriers
• Competitive landscape and opportunity gaps
• Assumptions log with priority matrix

Summarize: "Based on our discovery and research, we're solving [problem] for [users]. The biggest opportunity gaps are [gaps]. Our highest-risk assumptions are [Test First items]. Let's generate solution hypotheses."

Phase 1: Solution Hypothesis Generation

Creative Ideation with SCAMPER

Use SCAMPER prompts to generate diverse solution approaches:

Substitute: "What if we replaced [current approach] with something entirely different?" Combine: "What if we combined [solution A] with [solution B]?" Adapt: "What can we borrow from [adjacent domain] and adapt?" Modify/Magnify/Minimize: "What if we made [aspect] much bigger/smaller/different?" Put to other use: "What if the solution served a different purpose than expected?" Eliminate: "What if we eliminated [feature/step] entirely?" Reverse/Rearrange: "What if we did things in the opposite order?"

Walk through at least 3-4 prompts conversationally:

• Present the prompt
• Brainstorm with the user
• Capture ideas that emerge

Hypothesis Formulation

From the brainstorming, formulate 2-3 distinct solution hypotheses. Aim for fewer, better hypotheses over many shallow ones — if you find yourself generating 4+, consolidate the most similar ones before proceeding.

For each hypothesis:

• Name: Give it a memorable name
• Description: What is it? How does it work?
• Key differentiator: What makes it different from competitors?
• Target segment: Which user segment does it best serve?
• Validates assumptions: Which assumptions (A1, A2, etc.) does this approach test?
• Key risks: What could go wrong with this approach?

RESEARCH INTERLUDE: Prior Attempts

Do this research only for the top 1-2 hypotheses — not all of them. Skip this entirely if a hypothesis is a clear evolution of an existing category (e.g., "a better CRM"). The value is in finding failures and edge cases for novel approaches where the path isn't obvious.

For each qualifying hypothesis:

1. Announce: "Let me search for others who've tried [approach]..."
2. Search for:
   • "[approach/solution type] startup"
   • "[similar product] post-mortem"
   • "[approach] case study"
   • "why [similar product] failed/succeeded"
3. Report: "I found these relevant examples: [summary]"
4. Note lessons learned, pitfalls to avoid, success factors

Hypothesis Ranking

After exploring all hypotheses, discuss with user:

• "Based on our research and assumptions, I'd recommend [hypothesis] because [reasons]"
• "Here's how I'd rank them: [ranking with brief rationale]"
• Ask: "Does this ranking feel right? Any hypotheses you want to explore further or deprioritize?"

Phase 2: Final Synthesis

Open Questions Compilation

Review everything and identify questions that need resolution in /kickoff:

• Unresolved requirements questions: Scope, features, constraints not yet decided
• Technical unknowns: Architecture, integration, feasibility questions
• Business model questions: Pricing, go-to-market, monetization
• User research gaps: Things we assumed but should validate with real users

Frame each as a question for the requirements phase.

Recommendation Summary

Write a clear recommendation:

• Which hypothesis to pursue
• Why this hypothesis (connects to assumptions, gaps, user needs)
• Key risks to monitor
• Critical assumptions to validate early

Complete Research Log

Ensure all research conducted across all three skills is captured in the Research Log.

Output: Complete ideation.md

Update sections 6-8 of ideation.md:

## 6. Solution Hypotheses

### Hypothesis 1: [Name] (Recommended)
- **Description**: [What it is and how it works]
- **Key Differentiator**: [What makes it unique vs competitors]
- **Target Segment**: [Primary user segment]
- **Validates Assumptions**: [A1, A4, etc.]
- **Key Risks**: [What could go wrong]
- **Prior Art**: [Similar attempts found in research, lessons learned]

### Hypothesis 2: [Name]
- **Description**: [What it is and how it works]
- **Key Differentiator**: [What makes it unique]
- **Target Segment**: [Primary user segment]
- **Validates Assumptions**: [A2, A3, etc.]
- **Key Risks**: [What could go wrong]
- **Prior Art**: [Similar attempts, lessons]

### Hypothesis 3: [Name] (if applicable)
...

### Recommendation
**Pursue Hypothesis 1 ([Name])** because:
- [Reason 1: connects to key opportunity gap]
- [Reason 2: validates highest-risk assumptions]
- [Reason 3: best fit for target users]

Key risks to monitor: [list]
Critical assumptions to validate early: [A1, A4]

## 7. Open Questions for /kickoff

### Requirements Questions
- [ ] [Scope/feature question]
- [ ] [Constraint question]

### Technical Questions
- [ ] [Architecture/feasibility question]
- [ ] [Integration question]

### Business Questions
- [ ] [Pricing/monetization question]
- [ ] [Go-to-market question]

### User Research Gaps
- [ ] [Assumption to validate with users]
- [ ] [Behavior to observe/test]

## 8. Research Log
| Date | Topic | Source | Key Findings |
|------|-------|--------|--------------|
| [date] | Landscape scan | [sources] | [findings] |
| [date] | Pain point validation | [sources] | [findings] |
| [date] | User sentiment | [sources] | [findings] |
| [date] | Competitive analysis | [sources] | [findings] |
| [date] | Market trends | [sources] | [findings] |
| [date] | Assumption validation | [sources] | [findings] |
| [date] | Prior attempts | [sources] | [findings] |

Also update:

• Meta.Status → "Ready for Kickoff"
• Meta.Last Updated → today's date
• Increment Meta.Sessions if this is a continuation

Completion

After completing ideation.md:

1. Present the recommendation:

   • "Based on our ideation process, I recommend pursuing [Hypothesis Name]."
   • Brief summary of why

2. Highlight what's ready:

   • "Your ideation document captures [N] user segments, [N] assumptions (with [N] high-priority), and [N] solution hypotheses."
   • "The research log documents [N] searches across landscape, competition, users, and prior attempts."

3. Highlight what's still open:

   • "There are [N] open questions to resolve during requirements."
   • Call out the most critical ones

4. Next step: "You're ready for the formal requirements process. Run /kickoff ideation.md to begin. The kickoff will use your ideation work to accelerate the requirements gathering."

5. Traceability note: "During kickoff, your assumption IDs (A1, A2, etc.) will be referenced in requirements so you can trace each requirement back to the underlying assumption it addresses."

When to Use

• After completing /ideation-research
• User says "synthesize", "generate solutions", "ready for kickoff prep"
• Ready to move from research to solution definition

When NOT to Use

• Research phase not complete - use /ideation-research first
• Just need quick brainstorming - do it conversationally
• Already in formal requirements - continue with /kickoff