AGENTS/skill/brainstorming/SKILL.md

name, description, compatibility

name	description	compatibility
brainstorming	General-purpose ideation and strategic thinking. Use when: (1) clarifying thoughts on any topic, (2) exploring options and trade-offs, (3) building strategies or plans, (4) making decisions with multiple factors, (5) thinking through problems. Triggers: brainstorm, think through, explore options, clarify, what are my options, help me decide, strategy for, how should I approach.	opencode

Brainstorming

General-purpose ideation for any domain: business decisions, personal projects, creative work, strategic planning, problem-solving. Not tied to software development.

Process

1. Understand Context

Start by understanding the situation:

• What's the situation? What triggered this thinking?
• What's the current state vs desired state?

Ask one question at a time. Prefer multiple choice when options are clear.

2. Clarify the Outcome

Before exploring solutions, clarify what success looks like:

• What would a good outcome enable?
• What would you be able to do that you can't now?
• Are there constraints on what "good" means?

3. Explore Constraints

Map the boundaries before generating options:

• Time: Deadlines, urgency, available hours
• Resources: Budget, people, skills, tools
• External: Dependencies, stakeholders, regulations
• Preferences: Non-negotiables vs nice-to-haves

4. Generate Options

Present 2-3 distinct approaches with trade-offs:

**Option A: [Name]**
- Approach: [Brief description]
- Pros: [Key advantages]
- Cons: [Key disadvantages]
- Best if: [When this option makes sense]

**Option B: [Name]**
...

**My recommendation**: Option [X] because [reasoning].

Lead with your recommendation but present alternatives fairly.

5. Validate Incrementally

Present thinking in 200-300 word sections. After each section, check:

• "Does this capture it correctly?"
• "Anything I'm missing?"
• "Should we go deeper on any aspect?"

Be ready to backtrack and clarify. Brainstorming is non-linear.

6. Capture Decision (Optional)

After reaching clarity, offer:

"Would you like me to save this as an Anytype Brainstorm object for reference?"

If yes, use the Anytype MCP to create a Brainstorm object:

Anytype_API-create-object
  space_id: CHIRON_SPACE_ID
  type_key: "brainstorm_v_2"
  name: "<topic>"
  body: "<full brainstorm content in markdown>"
  icon: { format: "emoji", emoji: "💭" }
  properties: [
    { key: "topic", text: "<short title>" },
    { key: "context", text: "<situation and trigger>" },
    { key: "outcome", text: "<what success looks like>" },
    { key: "constraints", text: "<time, resources, boundaries>" },
    { key: "options", text: "<options considered>" },
    { key: "decision", text: "<final choice>" },
    { key: "rationale", text: "<reasoning behind decision>" },
    { key: "next_steps", text: "<action items>" },
    { key: "framework", select: "<framework_tag_id>" },
    { key: "status", select: "draft" }
  ]

Chiron Space ID: bafyreie5sfq7pjfuq56hxsybos545bi4tok3kx7nab3vnb4tnt4i3575p4.yu20gbnjlbxv

Framework Tag IDs:

• bafyreiatkdbwq53shngaje6wuw752wxnwqlk3uhy6nicamdr56jpvji34i - None
• bafyreiaizrndgxmzbbzo6lurkgi7fc6evemoc5tivswrdu57ngkizy4b3u - Pros/Cons
• bafyreiaym5zkajnsrklivpjkizkuyhy3v5fzo62aaeobdlqzhq47clv6lm - SWOT
• bafyreihgfpsjeyuu7p46ejzd5jce5kmgfsuxy7r5kl4fqdhuq7jqoggtgq - 5 Whys
• bafyreieublfraypplrr5mmnksnytksv4iyh7frspyn64gixaodwmnhmosu - How-Now-Wow
• bafyreieyz6xjpt3zxad7h643m24oloajcae3ocnma3ttqfqykmggrsksk4 - Starbursting
• bafyreigokn5xgdosd4cihehl3tqfsd25mwdaapuhopjgn62tkpvpwn4tmy - Constraint Mapping

Status Tag IDs:

• bafyreig5um57baws2dnntaxsi4smxtrzftpe57a7wyhfextvcq56kdkllq - Draft
• bafyreiffiinadpa2fwxw3iylj7pph3yzbnhe63dcyiwr4x24ne4jsgi24 - Final
• bafyreihk6dlpwh3nljrxcqqe3v6tl52bxuvmx3rcgyzyom6yjmtdegu4ja - Archived

Optional: Link to related objects using linked_projects or linked_tasks properties with object IDs.

---

Template Setup

For a better editing experience, create a template in Anytype:

1. Open Anytype desktop app → Chiron space
2. Go to Content Model → Object Types → Brainstorm v2
3. Click Templates (top right) → Click + to create template
4. Name it "Brainstorm Session" and configure default fields:
   • Pre-populated structure matching the brainstorm workflow
   • Framework selector with options: None, Pros/Cons, SWOT, 5 Whys, How-Now-Wow, Starbursting, Constraint Mapping
   • Status selector with options: Draft, Final, Archived
5. Save the template - it will be available when creating new brainstorms

Key Principles

Principle	Why
One question at a time	Avoids overwhelming, gets better answers
Multiple choice preferred	Easier to respond, clarifies options
Domain-agnostic	Works for any topic, not just technical
YAGNI ruthlessly	Remove unnecessary scope from all explorations
Recommendation-first	Always lead with your suggested approach
Flexible	Go back and clarify when needed

When to Use Frameworks

For structured analysis, consult references/thinking-frameworks.md:

Situation	Framework
Binary decision (A or B, yes or no)	Pros/Cons
Strategic assessment	SWOT
Finding root cause	5 Whys
Prioritizing many ideas	How-Now-Wow Matrix
Comprehensive exploration	Starbursting (6 Questions)
Understanding boundaries	Constraint Mapping

Only suggest frameworks when they add value. Many brainstorms work fine with conversational exploration alone.

Example Session

User: "I'm not sure how to approach launching my new course"

AI: "Let me help you think through this. First, what kind of course is it 
and who's the target audience?"

User: "NixOS course for developers who want to learn Nix"

AI: "Got it. What does success look like for this launch?
a) Maximum enrollments in first week
b) Building long-term audience/community
c) Validating the content before wider release
d) Something else?"

User: "B - building community"

AI: "That shapes the approach. What's your timeline?
a) Ready to launch now
b) 2-4 weeks to prepare
c) Flexible, no deadline"

...continues with options and recommendation...

Handoff to Other Skills

After brainstorming, common next steps:

Output	Next Skill	Trigger
Project decision	plan-writing	"Create a project plan for this"
Task identified	task-management	"Add this to my tasks"
Work project	basecamp	"Set this up in Basecamp"

All handoffs can reference the Anytype Brainstorm object via its ID or linked objects.