Brainstorm Solutions

Explore the solution space broadly before committing to a single path.

Position in Workflow

Step 2 of development workflow:

1. /research - Understand problem and constraints
2. /brainstorm-solutions - Explore solution space (THIS)
3. /design-solution - Converge on a single solution
4. Plan, code, review, ship

Core Principle

Breadth first. Generate multiple distinct options before evaluating or ranking them.

Input

Default: Use research findings from the current conversation.

If argument provided:

• File path: Read the file for research context
• GitHub issue number/URL: Fetch with scripts/gh_issue_phase.sh get-issue $ARG

Workflow

1. Gather Context

• Summarize the problem, constraints, and goals from research.
• Identify existing architecture patterns and similar implementations.

2. Ask Clarifying Questions

Ask only what improves solution quality:

• Business goals and priorities
• User workflows and usage patterns
• Performance or scalability requirements
• Extensibility or future roadmap considerations
• Hard constraints (timeline, compatibility, cost)

3. Generate Options

Generate at least 3-5 distinct approaches across dimensions:

Dimension	Examples
Architectural approach	Event-driven vs request-response, monolith vs service
Implementation strategy	Extend existing module vs new module, refactor vs add
Library/tool choice	Redis vs in-memory, REST vs GraphQL
Feature design	Wizard flow vs single form, eager vs lazy loading

Avoid anchoring on the first idea. Expand, then refine.

4. First Principles Check

For each option, challenge assumptions:

• Do we need this?
• Are requirements correct?
• Are existing patterns optimal?
• What is the simplest viable solution?
• What would we regret in 6 months?

Output Format

## Solution Brainstorm

### Context Summary
[Brief restatement of problem and key constraints]

### Clarifying Questions
[Questions about strategy, usage, or requirements - if any]

---

### Options

#### Option 1: [Name]
[Description]

#### Option 2: [Name]
[Description]

#### Option 3: [Name]
[Description]

[Add Option 4/5 if useful]

---

### Notes
[Any assumptions or risks that should be validated before choosing]

### Next Step
Ready to converge on a single solution. Run `/design-solution`.

GitHub Issue Tracking

If a GitHub issue was provided or is available from prior phases:

Post brainstorm output as a phase comment and set the label:

echo "$BRAINSTORM_SUMMARY" | scripts/gh_issue_phase.sh post-phase $ISSUE brainstorm
scripts/gh_issue_phase.sh set-label $ISSUE phase:brainstorm

Pass the issue number to the next skill (e.g., /design-solution #42).

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Fix
Anchoring on first idea	Generate 3-5 options BEFORE evaluating any
Shallow codebase exploration	Read related files and patterns first
Assuming requirements	Ask clarifying questions early
Skipping first principles	Apply first principles to each option
Rushing to recommendation	Save evaluation for design-solution

What NOT to Do

• Do NOT present only one option
• Do NOT recommend a solution yet
• Do NOT skip clarifying questions when uncertainty exists
• Do NOT ignore existing codebase patterns