idea
[Project Management] Use when capturing new ideas, feature requests, or concepts for future refinement.
SKILL.md
Full skill instructions
<!-- PROMPT-ENHANCE:STEP-TASK-ANCHOR:END -->[BLOCKING] Execute skill steps in declared order. NEVER skip, reorder, or merge steps without explicit user approval. [BLOCKING] Before each step or sub-skill call, update task tracking: set
in_progresswhen step starts, setcompletedwhen step ends. [BLOCKING] Every completed/skipped step MUST include brief evidence or explicit skip reason. [BLOCKING] If Task tools are unavailable, create and maintain an equivalent step-by-step plan tracker with the same status transitions.
Quick Summary
Goal: Turn a vague product idea into a validated, tech-agnostic, module-anchored backlog artifact ready for /refine to convert into a PBI — preserving problem intent without leaking solution or stack choices.
MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION TaskCreate task to READ project-specific reference doc:
project-structure-reference.md— project patterns and structure. Not found → search: project documentation, coding standards, architecture docs.
Workflow:
- Gather Info — Ask problem, value, scope, target users
- Generate Artifact — Create idea file with ID (
IDEA-YYMMDD-NNN) + draft status - Detect Module — Auto-match project module, load feature context from docs
- Discovery Interview —
AskUserQuestion3-5 structured questions (MANDATORY) - Validate — Confirm problem statement, scope, stakeholders (MANDATORY)
- Suggest Next — Point to
/refinefor PBI creation
Key Rules:
- Output:
team-artifacts/ideas/{YYMMDD}-{role}-idea-{slug}.md - Validation NEVER optional — MANDATORY step
- Auto-detect module silently; prompt only when ambiguous
- MUST ATTENTION include
t_shirt_size(XS/S/M/L/XL) in artifact for early sizing - [BLOCKING] Tech-agnostic output (M1): the problem statement stays tech-agnostic per
docs/project-reference/spec-principles.md§3 (all modes, not only greenfield) — name no framework/product/language/design-pattern; defer any stack preference to the later tech-research phase. - M3 Logical-ID Assignment (forward to PBI): See
.claude/skills/shared/sdd-artifact-contract.md→ "AI-SDD Mandates (M1-M6)" for BLOCKING criteria. An idea is a tech-agnostic business-intent definition only — do NOT assign logical IDs yet. When the idea advances to a PBI (via/refine), the PBI assigns logical IDs (FR-/BR-) as the PRIMARY citation spine and tracks[Source: namespace/service/id]abstract-anchor evidence (never physical code coordinates or repository-root paths) in a SEPARATE carrier from the business-intent prose. Keep the idea's problem/value narrative free of source identifiers so the PBI can inherit it cleanly.
Greenfield Mode
Auto-detected: No codebase found (no discovered source directories, no manifest files, no populated
project-config.json) → greenfield mode. Planning artifacts (docs/,plans/,.claude/) don't count — repository must have actual code directories with content.
When greenfield detected:
- Skip module auto-detection (no modules exist yet)
- Skip
project-structure-reference.mdread (won't exist) - Focus broader problem-space: market gap, competitors, differentiation
- Output tech-agnostic problem statement
- Enable WebSearch for market/competitor context
- Increase
AskUserQuestionfrequency — capture vision, constraints, team profile, scale expectations - [CRITICAL] NEVER ask about tech stack during idea capture. Tech stack = research-driven decision AFTER full business analysis (business-evaluation phase). User volunteers preference → acknowledge but defer to tech stack research phase.
Detailed Workflow
Step 1: Gather Information
- No title → ask: "What's the idea in one sentence?"
- Ask: "What problem does this solve?"
- Ask: "Who benefits from this?"
- Ask: "Any initial scope thoughts?"
Step 2: Generate Artifact
- Template:
.claude/docs/team-artifacts/templates/idea-template.md - ID:
IDEA-{YYMMDD}-{NNN}(sequential) - Status:
draft
Step 3: Capture Details
- Document problem statement, expected value, target users
Step 4: Detect Project Module
Dynamic Discovery:
- Run:
Glob("docs/specs/*/README.md") - Extract module names from paths
- Match idea keywords against module keywords
| Scenario | Action |
|---|---|
| Clear match | Auto-detect — NEVER show confidence levels |
| Ambiguous / no match | Prompt: "Which project module?" + Glob results + "Cross-cutting/Infrastructure" |
| 2+ modules detected | Load ALL modules, add all to related_features |
If module detected:
- Read
docs/specs/{module}/README.md(first 200 lines) - Extract feature list from Quick Navigation section
- Add to frontmatter:
module: {detected_module},related_features: [Feature1, Feature2]
Step 5: Load Feature Context
- Read module README overview (~2K tokens)
- Identify closest matching feature(s)
- Read corresponding feature doc (3-5K tokens)
- Extract: related entities, existing business rules (BR-{MOD}-XXX), test case patterns (TC-{FEATURE}-{NNN})
Token Budget: Target 8-12K tokens total.
Step 6: Save Artifact
- Path:
team-artifacts/ideas/{YYMMDD}-{role}-idea-{slug}.md - Role: infer from context or ask
- Include domain context if detected
Step 6.5: Discovery Interview (MANDATORY)
Use AskUserQuestion — 3-5 structured questions. Each MUST ATTENTION have 2-4 options with one marked "(Recommended)".
| Category | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Problem Clarity | Distinguish problem from solution | "What problem does this solve?" + options |
| User Persona | Identify primary user | "Who benefits most?" + role options |
| Scope | MVP vs full vision | "What's smallest valuable version?" |
| Testability | Define done? | "How would you verify this works?" |
| Impact | Business value sizing | "How many users/processes affected?" |
| Constraints | Known blockers | "Any technical/business constraints?" |
| Scale | Expected load/growth | "How many users/transactions expected?" |
Greenfield: NEVER include tech stack questions. Focus on business problem, users, scale, constraints.
Testability Question (ALWAYS include): "How would you verify this feature works correctly?" — Options: manual test steps, automated test criteria, metric thresholds.
Document all answers under ## Discovery Interview.
Step 7: Validate Idea (MANDATORY)
AskUserQuestion — 2-3 validation questions:
| Category | Example Question |
|---|---|
| Problem | "Is the problem statement clear and user-focused?" |
| Value | "What's the expected business value or user benefit?" |
| Scope | "Any scope boundaries to clarify now?" |
| Stakeholders | "Who else should review this idea?" |
Document under ## Validation Summary. Update artifact based on answers.
Validation Output Format:
## Validation Summary
**Validated:** {date}
### Confirmed
- {decision}: {user choice}
### Action Items
- [ ] {follow-up if any}
Step 8: Suggest Next Step
AskUserQuestion after capture:
/refine— Refine into PBI (Recommended)/spec [mode=tests]— Jump straight to test spec/plan— Start implementation planning
Output: "Idea captured! To refine into a PBI, run: /refine {filename}"
Module detected: "Module context from {module} will be used during refinement."
Output Formats
Domain Context Section
## Domain Context (Project Features)
### Module
{module_name}
### Related Features
- {Feature1} - [docs link]
- {Feature2} - [docs link]
### Domain Entities
- **Primary:** {Entity1}, {Entity2}
- **Related:** {Entity3}
### Existing Business Rules
- BR-{MOD}-XXX: {Brief description}
UI Sketch Section
## UI Sketch
### Layout
{Rough ASCII wireframe — see UI wireframe protocol}
### Key Components
- **{Component}** — {purpose} _(tier: common | domain-shared | page/app)_
Search existing libs before proposing new components. Backend-only idea:
## UI Sketch→N/A — Backend-only change. No UI affected.
Examples
/idea "Dark mode toggle for settings"
# Creates: team-artifacts/ideas/260119-po-idea-dark-mode-toggle.md
/idea "Add goal progress tracking notification"
# Creates with module context: team-artifacts/ideas/260119-po-idea-goal-progress-notification.md
Workflow Recommendation
MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION — NO EXCEPTIONS: Not already in workflow → MUST ATTENTION use
AskUserQuestion:
- Activate
workflow-idea-to-pbiworkflow (Recommended) — idea → refine → review-artifact --type=pbi → story → review-artifact --type=story → prioritize- Execute
/ideadirectly — run standalone
Next Steps
MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION — NO EXCEPTIONS after completing skill, use AskUserQuestion:
- "/refine (Recommended)" — Transform idea into actionable PBI
- "/web-research" — Idea needs market research first
- "Skip, continue manually" — user decides
[IMPORTANT]
TaskCreatebreak ALL work into small tasks BEFORE starting — including tasks each file read. Simple tasks: AI MUST ATTENTION ask user whether to skip.
External Memory: Complex/lengthy work (research, analysis, scan, review) → write intermediate findings to
plans/reports/— prevents context loss, serves as deliverable.
<!-- SYNC:ui-wireframe -->Evidence Gate: MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION — every claim, finding, recommendation requires
file:lineproof or traced evidence, confidence percentage (>80% act, <80% verify first).
<!-- /SYNC:ui-wireframe --> <!-- SYNC:ai-mistake-prevention -->UI Wireframe — Process visual design input (Figma URLs, screenshots, wireframes) via appropriate tool BEFORE creating wireframes. Use box-drawing ASCII characters for spatial layout. Classify every component into exactly ONE tier: Common (cross-app reusable) / Domain-Shared (cross-domain) / Page (single-page). Duplicate UI code = wrong tier. Search existing component libraries before creating new (>=80% match = reuse). Detail level varies by skill (idea=rough, story=full decomposition).
<!-- /SYNC:ai-mistake-prevention --> <!-- SYNC:critical-thinking-mindset -->AI Mistake Prevention — Failure modes to avoid on every task:
Check downstream references before deleting. Deleting components causes documentation and code staleness cascades. Map all referencing files before removal. Verify AI-generated content against actual code. AI hallucinates APIs, class names, and method signatures. Always grep to confirm existence before documenting or referencing. Trace full dependency chain after edits. Changing a definition misses downstream variables and consumers derived from it. Always trace the full chain. Trace ALL code paths when verifying correctness. Confirming code exists is not confirming it executes. Always trace early exits, error branches, and conditional skips — not just happy path. When debugging, ask "whose responsibility?" before fixing. Trace whether bug is in caller (wrong data) or callee (wrong handling). Fix at responsible layer — never patch symptom site. Assume existing values are intentional — ask WHY before changing. Before changing any constant, limit, flag, or pattern: read comments, check git blame, examine surrounding code. Verify ALL affected outputs, not just the first. Changes touching multiple stacks require verifying EVERY output. One green check is not all green checks. Holistic-first debugging — resist nearest-attention trap. When investigating any failure, list EVERY precondition first (config, env vars, DB names, endpoints, DI registrations, data preconditions), then verify each against evidence before forming any code-layer hypothesis. Surgical changes — apply the diff test. Bug fix: every changed line must trace directly to the bug. Don't restyle or improve adjacent code. Enhancement task: implement improvements AND announce them explicitly. Surface ambiguity before coding — don't pick silently. If request has multiple interpretations, present each with effort estimate and ask. Never assume all-records, file-based, or more complex path. Keep domain concepts out of generic/shared/infrastructure layers. A reusable layer (shared library, framework, infra module) must reference NO consumer-specific domain concept — tenant/customer/product IDs, business entities, feature rules. The leak compiles and runs, so it passes review silently while coupling the "reusable" layer to one consumer. Push domain fields/logic down into the consumer via subclass or composition.
<!-- /SYNC:critical-thinking-mindset --> <!-- SYNC:sequential-thinking-protocol -->Critical Thinking Mindset — Apply critical thinking, sequential thinking. Every claim needs traced proof, confidence >80% to act. Anti-hallucination: Never present guess as fact — cite sources for every claim, admit uncertainty freely, self-check output for errors, cross-reference independently, stay skeptical of own confidence — certainty without evidence root of all hallucination.
<!-- /SYNC:sequential-thinking-protocol --> <!-- SYNC:critical-thinking-mindset:reminder -->Sequential Thinking Protocol — Structured multi-step reasoning for complex/ambiguous work. Use when planning, reviewing, debugging, or refining ideas where one-shot reasoning is unsafe.
Trigger when: complex problem decomposition · adaptive plans needing revision · analysis with course correction · unclear/emerging scope · multi-step solutions · hypothesis-driven debugging · cross-cutting trade-off evaluation.
Format (explicit mode — visible thought trail):
Thought N/M: [aspect]— one aspect per thought, state assumptions/uncertaintyThought N/M [REVISION of Thought K]: ...— when prior reasoning invalidated; state Original / Why revised / ImpactThought N/M [BRANCH A from Thought K]: ...— explore alternative; converge with decision rationaleThought N/M [HYPOTHESIS]: ...then[VERIFICATION]: ...— test before actingThought N/N [FINAL]— only when verified, all critical aspects addressed, confidence >80%Mandatory closers: Confidence % stated · Assumptions listed · Open questions surfaced · Next action concrete.
Stop conditions: confidence <80% on any critical decision → escalate via AskUserQuestion · ≥3 revisions on same thought → re-frame the problem · branch count >3 → split into sub-task.
Implicit mode: apply methodology internally without visible markers when adding markers would clutter the response (routine work where reasoning aids accuracy).
Deep-dive: see
/sequential-thinkingskill (.claude/skills/sequential-thinking/SKILL.md) for worked examples (API design, debugging, architecture), advanced techniques (spiral refinement, hypothesis testing, convergence), and meta-strategies (uncertainty handling, revision cascades).
MUST ATTENTION apply critical thinking — every claim needs traced proof, confidence >80% to act. Anti-hallucination: never present guess as fact.
<!-- /SYNC:critical-thinking-mindset:reminder --> <!-- SYNC:sequential-thinking-protocol:reminder -->MUST ATTENTION apply sequential-thinking — multi-step Thought N/M, REVISION/BRANCH/HYPOTHESIS markers, confidence % closer; see /sequential-thinking skill.
MUST ATTENTION apply AI mistake prevention — holistic-first debugging, fix at responsible layer, surface ambiguity before coding, re-read files after compaction.
<!-- /SYNC:ai-mistake-prevention:reminder --> <!-- PROMPT-ENHANCE:STEP-TASK-CLOSING:START -->Prompt-Enhance Closing Anchors
IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION follow declared step order for this skill; NEVER skip, reorder, or merge steps without explicit user approval
IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION for every step/sub-skill call: set in_progress before execution, set completed after execution
IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION every skipped step MUST include explicit reason; every completed step MUST include concise evidence
IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION if Task tools unavailable, maintain an equivalent step-by-step plan tracker with synchronized statuses
Closing Reminders
IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION Goal: Turn a vague product idea into a validated, tech-agnostic, module-anchored backlog artifact ready for /refine to convert into a PBI — preserving problem intent without leaking solution or stack choices.
IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION TaskCreate break ALL work into small tasks BEFORE starting
IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION validate all decisions with user via AskUserQuestion — NEVER auto-decide
IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION Discovery Interview + Validation NEVER optional — MANDATORY steps
IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION NEVER ask about tech stack in greenfield mode — defer to business-evaluation phase — why: stack is a research-driven decision after business analysis, not a capture-time guess
IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION ALWAYS keep problem statement tech-agnostic (M1) — name no framework/product/language/pattern — why: PBI inherits the narrative cleanly downstream
IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION auto-detect module silently — prompt only when ambiguous
IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION add final review task to verify work quality
Anti-Rationalization:
| Evasion | Rebuttal |
|---|---|
| "Idea is simple, skip interview" | NEVER skip — discovery uncovers hidden constraints |
| "Module is obvious, skip detection" | Still run Glob() — confirm with evidence not assumption |
| "Validation is redundant after interview" | ALWAYS run both — different question categories |
| "Greenfield check is optional" | Auto-detect is MANDATORY — no manual override |
[TASK-PLANNING] Before acting, analyze task scope and systematically break it into small todo tasks and sub-tasks using TaskCreate.
