idea-refine

Refines raw ideas into actionable one-pagers through structured divergent and convergent thinking.

Updated Apr 21, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/alissonpef/copilot_agent_skills --skill idea-refine-alissonpef
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: idea-refine
Source: https://github.com/alissonpef/copilot_agent_skills/tree/main/.github/skills/idea-refine
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/alissonpef/copilot_agent_skills --skill idea-refine-alissonpef

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes scripts (resource) components.

What problem does it solve? Raw ideas often stay vague, untested, or over-scoped, leading teams to build the wrong thing. This Skill turns unstructured concepts into sharp, validated directions by forcing clarity on the target user, surfacing hidden assumptions, and producing a concrete decision artifact. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Three-Phase Ideation Dialogue: Guides users through divergent expansion (5-8 idea variations using lenses like inversion and simplification), convergent evaluation (stress-testing against user value, feasibility, and differentiation), and final sharpening. - Assumption Auditing: Explicitly names dealbreaker assumptions, what could kill the idea, and how to validate each risk before building. - Markdown One-Pager Output: Produces a structured artifact with problem statement, recommended direction, MVP scope, and a "Not Doing" list saved to docs/ideas/. - Use Case: A founder with a vague concept like "help restaurants compete with delivery apps" invokes the skill and ends with a focused MVP plan targeting regular-customer retention via SMS reordering, with explicit validation steps. ## Quick Start Ask the agent to help you refine your idea by describing your concept, for example by saying "Help me refine this idea: a tool that helps local restaurants keep their regular customers ordering directly."

Frequently Asked Questions about idea-refine

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

FAQPage Schema
How do I refine a vague startup idea into an actionable plan?▼

Invoke the skill with your raw concept and it restates it as a How Might We problem statement, asks sharpening questions about the target user, generates 5-8 variations, then stress-tests the strongest directions. The output is a markdown one-pager with MVP scope and validation steps.

How to stress-test a product idea before building it?▼

The skill evaluates each direction against user value, feasibility, and differentiation, then surfaces hidden assumptions categorized as dealbreakers, important, or nice-to-have. Each assumption gets a concrete validation strategy before any building starts.

Can idea-refine work inside an existing codebase?▼

Yes. When run inside a project, the skill scans the codebase for existing architecture, patterns, and constraints, then grounds its idea variations in what actually exists. It references specific files and patterns when generating feature ideas.

What output does an ideation session produce?▼

The session ends with a markdown one-pager containing a problem statement, recommended direction, key assumptions to validate, MVP scope, a Not Doing list, and open questions. It is saved to docs/ideas/ only after user confirmation.

When should I not use structured ideation for a concept?▼

Avoid it when the idea is already fully validated and you need implementation planning instead, or when you want a quick answer rather than a multi-phase dialogue. The skill deliberately pushes back on weak ideas, which slows down simple decisions.