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office-hours

Guide structured idea validation and design-thinking sessions for early-stage product ideas.

Updated Apr 13, 2026
Search Tags:#brainstorming#startup#design-doc#design-thinking#idea-validation#product-strategy#office-hours
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/mgher668/surf-ai --skill office-hours-mgher668
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: office-hours
Source: https://github.com/mgher668/surf-ai/tree/main/.agents/skills/gstack/office-hours
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/mgher668/surf-ai --skill office-hours-mgher668

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve?

YC Office Hours help founders validate ideas quickly by surfacing structured questions and guiding design-thinking prompts, saving time and narrowing down options.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Startup mode: six forcing questions that expose demand reality, status quo, desperate specificity, narrowest wedge, observation, and future-fit.
  • Builder mode: design thinking brainstorming for side projects, hackathons, learning, and open source. Saves a design doc.
  • Proactively invoke this skill (do NOT answer directly) when the user describes a new product idea, asks whether something is worth building, or is exploring a concept before any code is written. The user can be guided to /plan-ceo-review or /plan-eng-review.

Quick Start

Ask me to brainstorm a new product idea or run an office-hours session to generate a design doc.

Frequently Asked Questions about office-hours

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

FAQPage Schema
How do I validate an early-stage product idea before writing code?▼

To validate an early-stage product idea, run a structured office-hours session using forcing questions that test demand reality, narrowest wedge, and future-fit. This design-thinking process evaluates concepts and outputs a design doc capturing decisions.

What is the best way to brainstorm startup strategy and evaluate a concept?▼

The best way to brainstorm startup strategy is using startup mode, which applies six forcing questions to expose status quo, desperate specificity, and observation. This structured idea validation narrows down options before development.

Can I use design-thinking brainstorming for side projects and hackathons?▼

Yes, you can use builder mode for design-thinking brainstorming on side projects, hackathons, learning, and open source. It guides concept exploration and saves a design doc to document your validated ideas.

How do I run a structured office-hours session to generate a design doc?▼

Run an office-hours session by selecting startup or builder mode, answering structured questions to surface demand reality and narrowest wedge, then capturing all validated product strategy decisions into an outputted design doc.

Does this idea validation process work for exploring a concept before any code is written?▼

Yes, this idea validation process is explicitly designed for exploring a concept before any code is written. It proactively guides you through product strategy questions and can route you to CEO or engineering plan reviews.

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