andretauan/tao-brainstorm

TAO Brainstorm (IBIS Method)

When to use

Auto-loaded during brainstorm sessions, BRIEF.md creation, and idea evaluation.

IBIS Framework

Issue-Based Information System (IBIS) structures discussion into:

• Issues — Questions or problems to address
• Positions — Possible answers or approaches
• Arguments — Pros and cons for each position

BRIEF.md Structure

# BRIEF — [Topic]

## Issue
[Clear statement of the problem or decision]

## Positions

### Position A — [Name]
**Arguments for:**
- Pro 1
- Pro 2

**Arguments against:**
- Con 1

### Position B — [Name]
**Arguments for:**
- Pro 1

**Arguments against:**
- Con 1
- Con 2

## Decision
[Selected position with rationale]

## Maturity Score
[X/7] — see scoring criteria below

Maturity Gate (7 criteria)

Score 1 point for each:

1. ✅ Problem/objective is clear (DISCOVERY has a "Core Problem" section defined)
2. ✅ Alternatives were explored (≥ 2 meaningfully different approaches registered)
3. ✅ Trade-offs were evaluated (≥ 1 IBIS issue in DECISIONS with positions + arguments)
4. ✅ Decisions have invalidation conditions (every decision has "Would invalidate if")
5. ✅ Relevant reference docs consulted (registered in DISCOVERY §References)
6. ✅ Scope is defined (what's IN and what's OUT explicitly stated)
7. ✅ Existing codebase patterns considered (patterns from previous phase progress.txt integrated)

Minimum to proceed: 5/7

Brainstorm Anti-Patterns

• ❌ Single-position brainstorm (already decided before thinking)
• ❌ All pros, no cons (confirmation bias)
• ❌ Technical-only evaluation (ignoring maintenance, cost, team skills)
• ❌ Analysis paralysis (too many positions, no convergence)

Convergence Signals

Move from brainstorm to plan when:

• One position clearly dominates on weighted criteria
• Team/stakeholder alignment exists
• Risks are understood and mitigatable
• Technical feasibility is confirmed