Overview
The brainstorming skill provides a Socratic questioning protocol combined with effective user communication patterns. It enforces asking clarifying questions before implementation to prevent building the wrong solution.What This Skill Provides
- Socratic Gate: Mandatory questioning before complex implementations
- Dynamic question generation: Context-aware questions based on project type and domain
- Progress reporting: Visual status boards with real-time updates
- Error handling: Structured error response patterns
- Completion messages: Clear success communication with next steps
Key Features
Socratic Gate Enforcement
The skill enforces a mandatory questioning phase for:- Complex or vague requests
- New feature implementations
- Updates without clear requirements
- Architectural decisions
Dynamic Questioning
Instead of static templates, the skill generates questions that:- Reveal architectural consequences
- Connect to concrete implementation decisions
- Show trade-offs with pros/cons analysis
- Provide defaults if user doesn’t answer
Question Format
Each question includes:- Priority level: P0 (blocking), P1 (high-leverage), P2 (nice-to-have)
- Decision point: What needs to be decided
- Why it matters: Architectural impact
- Options table: Comparing alternatives with trade-offs
- Default: What happens if not specified
Progress Reporting
Visual status boards with icons:- ✅ Completed
- 🔄 Running
- ⏳ Waiting
- ❌ Error
- ⚠️ Warning
Communication Principles
- Concise: No unnecessary details
- Visual: Emojis for quick scanning
- Specific: “~2 minutes” not “wait a bit”
- Alternatives: Offer multiple paths when stuck
- Proactive: Suggest next steps after completion
Use Cases
- Building new features from scratch
- Architecting complex systems
- Clarifying vague requirements
- Making technology stack decisions
- Planning multi-phase implementations
- Handling errors with clear user communication
Domain-Specific Question Banks
The skill includes pre-defined question frameworks for:- E-commerce systems
- Authentication flows
- Real-time applications
- Content management systems
Related Skills
- Plan Writing - Turns clarified requirements into actionable plans
- Architecture - Deep architectural decision-making
- App Builder - Uses brainstorming for project initialization
Which Agents Use This Skill
- orchestrator - For coordinating complex multi-agent tasks
- project-planner - Initial requirements gathering
- product-owner - Product definition and scope clarification
- backend-specialist - API design decisions
- frontend-specialist - UI/UX architecture decisions
- game-developer - Game mechanics and architecture
Anti-Patterns to Avoid
- Jumping to solutions before understanding
- Assuming requirements without asking
- Over-engineering first versions
- Ignoring user constraints
- Using “I think” phrases instead of asking
Example Question Generation
For a request like “Build an Instagram clone”:-
Storage Strategy (P0 - Blocking)
- Options: Cloudinary, AWS S3, Supabase
- Impact: Cost, speed, complexity
- Default: Cloudinary for MVP
-
Feed Algorithm (P0 - Blocking)
- Options: Chronological, Follow-only, Algorithmic
- Impact: Query complexity, dev time
- Default: Follow-only
-
Real-time Notifications (P1 - High-leverage)
- Options: WebSocket, Polling, None
- Impact: Infrastructure, scale cost
- Default: Polling for MVP