Agent Skills: brainstorming

<skill_overview> Shape first, then execute. Lock intent in plan.md; keep execution flexible in tasks.md. </skill_overview>

<rigidity_level> HIGH FREEDOM - Ask enough questions to stabilize intent, but always end with an approved plan.md and a task directory stub. </rigidity_level>

<quick_reference> | Step | Action | Deliverable | |------|--------|-------------| | 1 | Ask questions | Goals, anti-goals, constraints | | 2 | Research | Existing patterns plus 3+ internet sources | | 3 | Compare approaches | Chosen approach and rejected alternatives | | 4 | Write spec | local plans/active/<slug>/plan.md | | 5 | Seed docs | context.md and tasks.md skeleton |

Contract: plan.md holds intent. tasks.md must not replace the spec. Delete the finished local task directory when the work is complete. </quick_reference>

<when_to_use>

• New feature work
• Large process changes
• Architecture decisions
• Any task where the problem or constraints are still fuzzy </when_to_use>

<the_process>

1. Clarify the problem

Ask focused questions until you can state:

• problem
• goals
• anti-goals
• constraints
• audience
• success conditions

2. Research before proposing

• Inspect repo patterns
• Use subagents for codebase or internet research when useful
• Collect at least 3 current internet sources about best practices for the specific feature or task
• Use a real web-search tool call or the internet-researcher agent
• Do not summarize “best practices” from memory
• Bring back a short list of real options

3. Recommend an approach

Present 2-3 approaches with trade-offs. Lead with the recommended option and explain why it fits the repo.

4. Write the approved spec

Create a local plans/active/<slug>/plan.md with:

• problem
• goals
• anti-goals
• constraints
• research notes with at least 3 sources
• chosen approach
• rejected alternatives
• acceptance checks

5. Create the task directory shell

Add:

• context.md with known files and decisions
• tasks.md with headings for Now, Next, Later, Blocked, and Done

Only seed 1-2 Now items. </the_process>

<why_it_fails>

• The backlog optimizes for motion instead of intent
• Rejected shortcuts come back during implementation </why_it_fails>

<why_it_fails>

• The backlog becomes stale immediately
• Agents optimize for checking boxes, not adapting to reality </why_it_fails>