brainstorming

# Brainstorming

Explore ideas collaboratively before committing to an approach.

## Purpose

Jumping from vague ideas to implementation wastes effort. This skill provides
structured exploration to refine concepts, surface constraints, and evaluate
approaches before committing to research or planning. Good brainstorming
prevents building the wrong thing.

## When to Use

Use brainstorming when:

- Requirements are vague or incomplete
- Multiple valid approaches exist
- The problem space is unfamiliar
- Trade-offs need explicit discussion
- Creative design decisions are required

Skip brainstorming when:

- Requirements are clear and specific
- The approach is obvious
- This is a bug fix with known cause
- This is routine maintenance

## The Three Phases

### Phase 1: Understanding the Idea

**Goal**: Clarify what the user wants to accomplish.

Ask questions one at a time using AskUserQuestion:

1. **What problem are you solving?**
   - The underlying need, not the proposed solution
   - Why does this matter?

2. **Who is this for?**
   - End users, developers, operators?
   - What do they need?

3. **What does success look like?**
   - How will you know it works?
   - What would make this valuable?

4. **What constraints exist?**
   - Technical limitations
   - Time constraints
   - Compatibility requirements

5. **What have you considered?**
   - Initial ideas or preferences
   - Approaches to avoid
   - Prior art to reference

**Prefer multiple-choice questions** when possible. Open-ended is fine for
exploration, but specific choices accelerate understanding.

### Phase 2: Exploring Approaches

**Goal**: Present options with trade-offs.

After understanding the idea, present 2-3 approaches:

```text
## Approach A: [Name]
[2-3 sentences describing the approach]

**Pros**: [Key advantages]
**Cons**: [Key disadvantages]
**Best when**: [Situations where this shines]

## Approach B: [Name]
[2-3 sentences describing the approach]

**Pros**: [Key advantages]
**Cons**: [K