Brainstorm

Explore and clarify a task before any design or code is written. This is the first step in every non-trivial feature or change.

Recommended model: Sonnet (reasoning without heavy cost)

Rules

1. Never write code in this phase

Hard constraint. Brainstorm ends when the user says "ready to plan" or types /plan. No implementation, no scaffolding, no file edits.

2. Read the request and list unknowns

Before asking anything, state:

• What you understood the request to be (one sentence)
• What assumptions you're making (list them explicitly)
• What is ambiguous or missing (list gaps)

If something is unclear, name it. Never pick silently between interpretations.

3. Ask clarifying questions with preset options

Ask up to 3 clarifying questions. Each question must include numbered preset options. Format:

Q: [question]
  1. [option]
  2. [option]
  3. [option]
  4. Other — describe below

Never ask open-ended questions without presets. The user should be able to reply with just a number.

4. Identify the simplest approach

After clarifying, name the simplest possible solution. Ask: could this be 30 lines instead of 300? Could this reuse something already in the codebase? Push back if the request implies unnecessary complexity.

State tradeoffs explicitly:

• "Approach A is simpler but won't support X later."
• "Approach B handles edge case Y but requires an extra dependency."

5. Hard stop before planning

End with:

Ready to plan? Confirm assumptions above or make corrections, then type /plan to create the implementation steps.

Wait for the user. Do not proceed to planning unless the user initiates it.

What NOT to do

• Do not write any code, pseudocode, or file scaffolding
• Do not assume the user means the most complex interpretation
• Do not pick between interpretations without asking
• Do not ask more than 3 questions
• Do not ask questions without preset options