brainstorming

Guides collaborative dialogue to turn ideas into approved design specs before implementation.

Updated Jul 22, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/johnstegeman/pi-packages --skill brainstorming-johnstegeman
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: brainstorming
Source: https://github.com/johnstegeman/pi-packages/tree/main/packages/pi-superpowers-plus/skills/brainstorming
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/johnstegeman/pi-packages --skill brainstorming-johnstegeman

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve? Jumping straight into code without a validated design leads to rework and misunderstood requirements. This Skill enforces a structured brainstorming workflow that explores user intent, constraints, and approaches before any implementation begins. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Structured Design Dialogue: Explores project context, asks clarifying questions one at a time, proposes 2-3 approaches with trade-offs, and presents the design in sections for approval. - Spec Generation & Review: Writes the approved design to docs/superpowers/specs/ as a dated Markdown file, commits it to git, and runs a self-review for placeholders, contradictions, and ambiguity. - Workflow Tracking: Integrates with beads molecules (bd cook, beads_mol_pour, beads_mol_current) to track each step and display a live progress widget, then hands off to the writing-plans skill via /plan. - Use Case: Before building a new feature, run this Skill to refine the idea through dialogue, produce a committed design spec, and transition cleanly into implementation planning. ## Quick Start Ask the AI to brainstorm and design the new feature you have in mind before writing any code.

Frequently Asked Questions about brainstorming

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I brainstorm a feature design before coding?

Invoke the brainstorming skill before any creative work. It explores project context, asks clarifying questions one at a time, proposes 2-3 approaches with trade-offs, and presents a design for your approval before any implementation begins.

What happens after the design is approved in brainstorming?

The approved design is written to docs/superpowers/specs/ as a dated Markdown file and committed to git. After a self-review and your approval of the spec, the skill prints /plan so you can load the writing-plans skill for implementation planning.

Does brainstorming work with an existing beads epic?

Yes, but you must still pour a new workflow molecule and link it to the existing issue with a discovered-from or related dependency type. The existing issue's type, parent, and status are never modified.

Why does brainstorming require pouring a beads molecule first?

Step 0 pours the superpowers-workflow molecule and shows the widget so every step is tracked and visible. This prevents silently skipping tracking, keeps the current step honest, and lets sessions resume with full context.

Can brainstorming write code or scaffold a project?

No. A hard gate prohibits invoking implementation skills, writing code, or scaffolding until a design is presented and approved. Its only write access is to docs/superpowers/specs/ for the design document.