Brainstorming: From Idea to Plan

Core Process

1. Understand the idea — What are you trying to achieve?
2. Clarify context — Who is this for? What constraints exist?
3. Explore options — Propose 2-3 approaches with trade-offs
4. Decide together — Get your approval on the direction
5. Create a plan — Document the agreed approach

Golden Rules

• Group questions, ask in batches — Identify which questions are independent of each other and ask them together; hold back questions whose answers depend on earlier responses
• Use question tools first — If

  ask_questions

  ,

  ask

  , or

  questions

  tools are available, use them; otherwise ask in plain text
• Start broad, then narrow — Understand the big picture first
• No assumptions — "Simple" ideas often have hidden complexity
• Stay flexible — Go back and clarify when needed

Checklist

1. Understand the goal — What problem are you solving? Who is it for?
2. Clarify context — Timeline, budget, resources, constraints
3. Explore approaches — 2-3 options with pros/cons
4. Get approval — Present your recommendation, confirm with user
5. Document the plan — Create a clear, actionable plan

Process Flow

digraph brainstorming {
    "Explore project context" -> "Ask clarifying questions";
    "Ask clarifying questions" -> "Propose 2-3 approaches";
    "Propose 2-3 approaches" -> "Present design sections";
    "Present design sections" -> "User approves design?";
    "User approves design?" -> "Write design doc" [label="yes"];
    "Write design doc" -> "Implementation";
}

The Process

• Check any existing context first (files, docs, prior notes, recent work)
• Gather all clarifying questions upfront — use

  ask_questions

  ,

  ask

  , or

  questions

  tool if available; plain text otherwise
• Focus on: purpose, who it's for, constraints, success criteria, timeline

• Propose 2-3 different approaches with trade-offs
• Lead with your recommended option and explain why

• Scale depth to complexity of the idea
• Ask after each section whether it looks right
• Cover dimensions relevant to the domain: structure, key decisions, risks, next steps

Key Principles

• Batch questions by dependency - Ask independent questions together in one round; hold dependent ones for the next round after getting answers
• Multiple choice preferred - Easier to answer than open-ended when possible
• YAGNI ruthlessly - Remove unnecessary scope from all plans
• Explore alternatives - Always propose 2-3 approaches before settling
• Incremental validation - Present plan section by section, get approval before moving on
• Domain-agnostic - Works for product, business, creative, process, and technical ideas alike
• Be flexible - Go back and clarify when something doesn't make sense

Cross-References

• Need research? → Invoke

  skilless.ai-research

  to search the web, read pages, extract video transcripts, or conduct deep multi-source investigations
• Ready to document the plan? → Invoke

  skilless.ai-writing

  to produce a professional, structured design doc or report from the approved plan