brainstorm

Shapes under-specified ideas into a recorded brainstorm.md document before planning or implementation.

Updated Aug 4, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/tschallacka/ai-skills --skill brainstorm-tschallacka
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: brainstorm
Source: https://github.com/tschallacka/ai-skills/tree/main/brainstorm
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/tschallacka/ai-skills --skill brainstorm-tschallacka

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? Vague feature requests often lead agents to build the wrong thing or commit to a plan before the idea is settled. This Skill runs a structured, recorded back-and-forth that pins down what to build — objective, scope, non-goals, risks, and open questions — before any plan or implementation begins. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Recorded collaborative exploration: Every decision, rejected alternative, assumption, and open question is written into .plans/<initiative>/brainstorm.md as the single source of truth. - Adversarial completion pass: A fresh, skill-locked subagent with a contrarian persona reviews the document for gaps and edge cases, returning findings that get folded back in until convergence. - Batched question resolution: Open questions go back to the user in batches of at most five, each with multiple-choice options plus a free-type answer, and every answer is recorded. - Decision gate: Ends by asking whether to hand off to the planning skill or implement directly, and offers a post-implementation review when residual risks remain. - Use Case: A user says "I want search over my notes but I keep flip-flopping on scope." The skill asks focused questions, records the agreed scope and non-goals, runs an adversarial pass for missed edge cases, and produces a brainstorm.md ready for structured planning. ## Quick Start Say "brainstorm: I want to add search over my notes but the scope keeps changing" and answer the questions the agent asks.

Frequently Asked Questions about brainstorm

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I brainstorm a feature idea with an AI coding agent before planning?▼

Invoke the brainstorm skill by saying "brainstorm" or asking to build something under-specified. The agent asks focused questions about objective, scope, and constraints, records every decision in a brainstorm.md file, and converges on an agreed picture before any plan is written.

What is the difference between brainstorming and planning in an agent workflow?▼

Brainstorming settles what to build: objective, scope, non-goals, risks, and open questions. Planning turns that agreed picture into goals, ordered steps, and verification. The brainstorm skill deliberately stays lighter than planning and hands off to the planning skill at its decision gate.

When should I skip brainstorming and go straight to implementation?▼

Skip brainstorming when the change is small, mechanical, or already fully specified, or when you explicitly ask for a plan or implementation directly. The skill exists only for requests that could branch in materially different directions.

How does the adversarial completion pass work in brainstorming?▼

A fresh subagent with a clean context and a contrarian persona reviews the brainstorm document for gaps, edge cases, and undecided items. It returns findings only; the main agent folds them into the document and repeats the pass until no new material items appear.

Where are brainstorm decisions stored for later planning?▼

All decisions live in a single file at .plans/<initiative>/brainstorm.md, covering objective, agreed scope, non-goals, risks, open questions with owners, assumptions, and undecided items. That file becomes the direct input to the planning skill or to implementation.