v1truv1us Idea Refine
Overview
Turn vague product ideas or technical concepts into concrete, evaluable proposals through structured divergent and convergent thinking. This skill runs before spec-driven-development when the problem space is still ambiguous.
When to Use
- A feature request is vague or open-ended
- You have competing approaches and need to evaluate tradeoffs
- A stakeholder describes a problem without a clear solution
- You need to explore the design space before committing to a direction
Process
Step 1: Problem Framing
State the problem clearly:
- Who is affected
- What outcome they need
- What constraints exist
- What success looks like
Step 2: Divergent Exploration
Generate multiple approaches without judgment:
- List at least three substantially different solutions
- Include at least one unconventional approach
- Note assumptions each approach depends on
- Identify risks unique to each approach
Step 3: Convergent Evaluation
Score each approach against:
- User impact: how well it solves the stated problem
- Implementation cost: time, complexity, and dependencies
- Risk: what could go wrong and how recoverable it is
- Extensibility: how well it supports future related work
Step 4: Proposal
Write a concise proposal covering:
- Recommended approach and why
- Key tradeoffs accepted
- Assumptions that need validation
- Open questions for the team
Common Rationalizations
| Rationalization | Reality |
|---|---|
| "The first idea is usually fine" | First ideas tend to be the most obvious, not the most effective. |
| "We can refine later" | Later refinement is more expensive than early exploration. |
| "This is too small for structured thinking" | Even small features benefit from a minute of structured evaluation. |
Verification
- Problem is stated clearly with affected users
- At least three approaches were considered
- Each approach was scored against consistent criteria
- A clear recommendation exists with accepted tradeoffs documented
Anti-Rationalization Table
| Excuse | Counter |
|---|---|
| "The first idea is usually fine" | First ideas tend to be the most obvious, not the most effective. |
| "We can refine later" | Later refinement is more expensive than early exploration. |
| "This is too small for structured thinking" | Even small features benefit from a minute of structured evaluation. |
| "Three approaches is too many for this" | Two approaches is the minimum for comparison. Three reveals non-obvious options. |
| "The stakeholder already knows what they want" | Stakeholders describe problems, not solutions. Explore the solution space. |