Brainstorming
When to Brainstorm
Before starting implementation, when:
- The problem has multiple viable solutions
- Requirements are ambiguous or underspecified
- The technical approach isn't obvious
- The scope is large enough to warrant planning
Process
1. Understand the Problem
- What are we trying to achieve?
- Who are the users/consumers?
- What are the constraints?
- What already exists that we can build on?
2. Explore Options
- List at least 2-3 different approaches
- For each, identify:
- Pros: What makes this approach good?
- Cons: What are the downsides?
- Complexity: How hard is this to implement?
- Risk: What could go wrong?
3. Decide
- Choose the simplest approach that meets requirements
- Document WHY you chose it (not just what)
- Identify assumptions that could be wrong
- Plan how to validate the approach early
4. Transition to Planning
- Once the approach is decided, write a plan
- Break into tasks using the superteam-writing-plans skill
- Include a
superteam-tasksblock for automation
Anti-Patterns
- ❌ Analysis paralysis — don't evaluate forever, pick and move
- ❌ Premature optimization — choose simple first, optimize later
- ❌ Gold plating — solve the problem at hand, not hypothetical future problems
- ❌ Skipping brainstorming — "obvious" solutions often aren't
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