SPARK

Break the pattern. Find the unexpected solution.

Usage

/spark [problem or question]
/spark --wild [topic]              - Maximum divergence, no safety nets
/spark --count=N [topic]           - Generate N distinct approaches (default: 5)

What This Is

SPARK generates unconventional, non-obvious approaches to problems. While standard reasoning optimizes for the most likely correct answer, SPARK deliberately explores the long tail — the weird, surprising, and counterintuitive ideas that conventional thinking filters out.

This isn't random brainstorming. It's structured divergent thinking using Claude's tail-sampler agent, which is specifically designed to break out of predictable solution spaces.

How It Works

1. Problem Framing

SPARK reframes your problem from multiple unusual angles:

• Inversion: What if we did the exact opposite?
• Constraint removal: What if [assumed constraint] didn't exist?
• Domain transfer: How is this problem solved in [unrelated field]?
• Scale shift: What if this was 100x bigger? 100x smaller?
• Time shift: How would this be solved in 10 years? 100 years ago?

2. Divergent Generation

Using Claude's tail-sampler agent, SPARK generates ideas that deliberately avoid the top of the probability distribution — the conventional answers. It samples from the tails where surprising connections live.

3. Evaluation

Each generated idea is evaluated for:

• Novelty — is this actually different from standard approaches?
• Feasibility — could this work with effort, or is it pure fantasy?
• Insight — even if impractical, does this reveal something useful?

AUTO-EXECUTE Protocol

When this skill is invoked:

1. Parse the problem from the user's message
2. Launch the tail-sampler agent (Task tool, subagent_type: tail-sampler)
3. Frame the problem with the divergent thinking prompts
4. Generate 5+ unconventional approaches (or count specified)
5. Evaluate each for novelty, feasibility, and insight
6. Present results ranked by potential impact

Output Format

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════
  SPARK — Divergent Solutions
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════

  Problem: [restated problem]

  [1] THE INVERSION
      What if instead of X, we did Y?
      Novelty: High | Feasibility: Medium
      Insight: [what this reveals]

  [2] THE DOMAIN TRANSFER
      In [field], they solve this by...
      Novelty: High | Feasibility: High
      Insight: [what this reveals]

  [3] THE CONSTRAINT BREAKER
      Remove [assumption] and suddenly...
      Novelty: Medium | Feasibility: Low
      Insight: [what this reveals]

  ...

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════

  Wildcard: [one truly out-there idea]

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════

When to Use

• Brainstorming sessions where initial ideas feel too predictable
• Design challenges requiring fresh perspectives
• Problem-solving when standard approaches have failed
• Innovation workshops seeking radical alternatives
• Creative projects needing unexpected angles
• When you're stuck and need to think differently

When NOT to Use

• When you need the most reliable, proven solution
• Time-critical debugging (use STRICT, not SPARK)
• When the answer is well-known and just needs implementing
• Compliance or safety-critical decisions (divergence is the enemy)

Prerequisites

• Claude Code with Task tool access (the tail-sampler is a built-in Claude Code subagent — no external setup needed)
• No external packages required

Important: SPARK generates unconventional ideas, not production code. Always validate SPARK output before implementing. The value is in the insights and angles, not in copy-paste solutions.

The obvious answer is the first one everyone thinks of. The best answer is often the fifth.