Brainstorming

Transform ideas into validated decisions through structured dialogue before committing to a direction.

Brainstorming answers WHAT to do and WHY. It does not answer HOW — leave execution details to planning and implementation phases. This applies equally to software features, business strategies, product designs, market approaches, and any domain requiring structured thinking before action.

Hard Gate

Do NOT write code, scaffold files, create deliverables, or take any action toward execution until the user has explicitly approved a direction. This applies to every task regardless of perceived simplicity. "Simple" problems are exactly where unexamined assumptions waste the most effort — the brainstorm can be brief, but it must happen and the direction must be approved.

When Not To Use

Do NOT use this skill when the user is asking for:

• Clarification only — missing facts, contradictions, or acceptance criteria that must be pinned down before action. Use clarify.
• Review of existing work — code review, document critique, diff analysis, or bug-finding in something already written. Use review.
• Detailed execution planning — implementation breakdowns, task sequencing, or delivery plans after the direction is already decided. Use implementation-planning when the work is complex enough to justify a deep technical plan, or proceed with a lighter planning/execution flow.
• Straightforward execution — the user already knows what they want built, changed, or written and just wants to start.