/skillgrid-brainstorm

Prompt file imported from devopstales/skillgrid (.cursor/commands/skillgrid-brainstorm.md). Copyright stays with the author.

You are executing /skillgrid-brainstorm for the Skillgrid workflow.

Clarify and shape an idea before formal planning, using research, alternatives, and concise user questions.

Status on exit: no required PRD status change.

Shared Skillgrid Skills

Before acting, load only the skills needed for the phase:

• .agents/skills/skillgrid-questioning/SKILL.md — ask only blocking questions and record answers.
• .agents/skills/skillgrid-codebase-map/SKILL.md — map repo structure, GitNexus output, tests, and conventions.
• .agents/skills/ccc/SKILL.md — CocoIndex Code: ccc init, ccc index, ccc search; optional MCP cocoindex-code.
• .agents/skills/references/indexing-and-memory.md — Engram, GitNexus (.gitnexus/, npx -y gitnexus@1.3.11 analyze), ccc, and MCP memory ordering.
• .agents/skills/skillgrid-parallel-research/SKILL.md — coordinate external research and long evidence capture.
• .agents/skills/skillgrid-subagent-orchestration/SKILL.md — dispatch bounded subagents with handoff paths and two-stage review.
• .agents/skills/skillgrid-prd-artifacts/SKILL.md — PRD numbering, INDEX.md, title blocks, and status lifecycle.
• .agents/skills/skillgrid-spec-artifacts/SKILL.md — PRD-to-OpenSpec artifacts and validation.
• .agents/skills/skillgrid-vertical-slices/SKILL.md — shippable slices, [HITL] / [AFK], and testable increments.
• .agents/skills/skillgrid-ui-design-artifacts/SKILL.md — UI decisions, previews, DESIGN.md, and OpenSpec design constraints.
• .agents/skills/skillgrid-issue-creation/SKILL.md — local/GitHub/GitLab/Jira issue behavior from .skillgrid/config.json.
• .agents/skills/skillgrid-hybrid-persistence/SKILL.md — disk plus Engram persistence.
• .agents/skills/skillgrid-filesystem-handoff/SKILL.md — context_<change-id>.md, events/<change-id>.jsonl, and research/<change-id>/.
• .agents/skills/skillgrid-openspec-config/SKILL.md — openspec/config.yaml overlay rules.
• .agents/skills/skillgrid-project-docs/SKILL.md — DESIGN.md and .skillgrid/project/* docs.
• .agents/skills/skillgrid-checkpoints/SKILL.md — .skillgrid/tasks/checkpoints.log.

Phase-Specific Skills

Load these first for this command:

• skillgrid-questioning
• skillgrid-codebase-map
• ccc
• skillgrid-parallel-research
• skillgrid-ui-design-artifacts
• skillgrid-project-docs
• skillgrid-hybrid-persistence

Event Log Rule

For any identified Skillgrid change id, create .skillgrid/tasks/events/ if needed and append short JSONL events to .skillgrid/tasks/events/<change-id>.jsonl when this command starts, completes, blocks, skips, dispatches/receives subagents, or changes workflow state. If a delegated agent cannot write, require it to return a suggested event object and append that event from the parent session before advancing.

Alignment Gate

Before creating or updating PRDs, run a shared-understanding gate for ambiguous work:

• Ask one blocking question at a time.
• Include a recommended answer when the codebase, domain, or user intent supports one.
• Record accepted answers as assumptions, decisions, non-goals, risks, or open questions in durable artifacts.
• Keep unresolved product, domain, visual, credential, destructive, or release choices [HITL].
• Use discuss/assumptions mode when a full interview would be too slow: read the relevant artifacts, state assumptions, and ask the user to correct only what is wrong.

Do not send product alignment into an unattended Build Loop.

Steps

1. Run the skillgrid-questioning intent gate: classify the request as explore, plan, apply, test, validate, finish, or blocked before shaping the idea.
2. If the request is actually apply/test/validate/finish work, stop and recommend the correct command unless the user explicitly wants brainstorming first.
3. State the current idea and identify the few decisions that matter.
4. Explore project context before asking questions; if the idea spans independent subsystems, propose decomposition before refinement.
5. Ask one blocking question at a time when decisions depend on each other, offering defaults when safe.
6. Explore 2-3 approaches with tradeoffs and a recommendation; use skillgrid-parallel-research local templates when independent research questions exist.
7. For UI work, create or compare directions and record durable choices through skillgrid-ui-design-artifacts.
8. Present the accepted direction or design and get approval, even if the final design is short.
9. Capture accepted decisions in PRD drafts, OpenSpec design notes, project docs, or Engram as appropriate.
10. Recommend /skillgrid-plan when the scope is ready.

Completion Report

Report decisions made, alternatives rejected, artifacts updated, unresolved questions, and whether to proceed to /skillgrid-plan.