ash4180/explore

Explore Skill

Quick idea exploration before PRD creation. Creates a structured exploration document.

Core Process: Ask 10+ questions → Analyze options → Draft document → Save as markdown.

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Step 1: Ask 10+ Questions

MANDATORY: Ask at least 10 questions before generating options.

Generate 10 questions specific to the topic. Ask in batches of 3-4 using AskUserQuestion - wait for responses before asking the next batch.

Example for "notification system":

1. What triggers a notification? (user action, system event, schedule)
2. Which channels needed? (email, SMS, push, in-app)
3. Can users configure their preferences?
4. What's the expected volume? (10/day, 1000/hour)
5. Are notifications time-sensitive?
6. Should notifications be batched/digested?
7. What happens if delivery fails?
8. Are there compliance requirements? (GDPR opt-out)
9. Who can send notifications? (system only, other users)
10. What's the budget constraint for external services?

Questions should probe:

• Core functionality decisions
• Scale and performance needs
• User control and preferences
• Error handling and edge cases
• Constraints (budget, time, compliance)

Then ask follow-ups:

• Competitors: "Who are existing solutions?"
• User scenarios: "Describe 3 real scenarios"
• Constraints: "Budget, timeline, or technical limitations?"
• Confirm: "Which are most important? What's missing?"

DO NOT proceed until you have answers to 10+ questions.

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Step 2: Analyze

After gathering context:

1. Summarize insights from all question answers
2. Identify root cause (not symptoms)
3. Propose 2-3 approaches with pros/cons/effort/risk
4. Make recommendation addressing constraints

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Step 3: Draft in Chat

Show the complete exploration document in chat for review:

# [Topic] - Exploration

## Problem Statement
[One sentence identifying root cause]

## Context
[Summary of insights from questions]

## Options

### Option 1: [Name]
- **Description**: ...
- **Pros**: ...
- **Cons**: ...
- **Effort**: Low/Medium/High
- **Risk**: Low/Medium/High

### Option 2: [Name]
...

## Recommendation
[Which option and why, addressing constraints]

After showing draft, ask: "Does this look good? Ready to save?"

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Step 4: Save Document

Only proceed after user confirms the draft.

Save the exploration document as a markdown file in the user's workspace folder.

Filename format: explore-[topic-kebab-case].md

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Step 5: Report

After saving:

• Provide file link
• Summary of recommended approach
• Suggest next step: "Ready to create a PRD? Just say 'create PRD for [topic]'"

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Explore Schema & Validation

Required Sections

| Section | Required | Rules | |---------|----------|-------| | Context Summary | Yes | Key insights from ALL question answers | | Problem Statement | Yes | One sentence, root cause focus | | Options | Yes | 2-3 approaches with pros/cons | | Recommendation | Yes | Which option and why |

Options Format

Each option must have:

• Name: Short descriptive name
• How: One sentence approach
• Pros: 2-3 benefits
• Cons: 2-3 drawbacks
• Effort: Low / Medium / High
• Risk: Low / Medium / High

Validation Rules

• Context includes answers to 10+ questions
• Problem identifies root cause, not symptoms
• Each option has concrete approach (not vague)
• Effort and risk honestly assessed
• No option obviously superior (otherwise why explore?)
• Recommendation addresses constraints from context

Template

# Explore: [TOPIC]

## Context Summary
Key insights from conversation:
- [Answer to Q1 insight]
- [Answer to Q2 insight]
- ...
- [Answer to Q10 insight]

Constraints: [budget, timeline, compliance from follow-up]
Competitors: [existing solutions mentioned]

## Problem Statement
[One sentence - what's the root cause?]

## Options

### Option 1: [Name]
**How**: [One sentence approach]
**Pros**:
- [Benefit 1]
- [Benefit 2]
**Cons**:
- [Drawback 1]
- [Drawback 2]
**Effort**: [Low/Medium/High]
**Risk**: [Low/Medium/High]

### Option 2: [Name]
...

### Option 3: [Name]
...

## Recommendation
[Which option and why, addressing constraints]