benjaminshoemaker/innovate

Innovate

Identify the single highest-impact, feasible addition to make to the current app or plan. Not a list of 10 safe ideas -- one bold, high-leverage move backed by research and cross-referenced evidence.

Context Gathering

Before proposing anything, deeply understand the current state:

1. Read the Project

Read: README.md, CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md
Glob: src/**/*.{ts,tsx,js,jsx,py,go,rs,swift}
Grep: "TODO|FIXME|HACK|FUTURE"

Understand:

• What the project does and who it's for
• Current architecture and tech stack
• Existing features and capabilities
• Known gaps, TODOs, and pain points

2. Read Any Specs or Plans

Read: PRODUCT_SPEC.md, TECHNICAL_SPEC.md, EXECUTION_PLAN.md, FEATURE_SPEC.md, VISION.md

Understand where the project is headed and what's already planned.

3. Assess the Landscape

Use WebSearch to research:

• What competitors or similar projects are doing
• Emerging technologies relevant to this domain
• User expectations in this space (current year)

4. Verify Research Findings

Cross-reference every key claim from Step 3 against at least 2 independent sources before using it to support a recommendation. Discard any finding that cannot be corroborated. Note which sources confirmed each claim in your internal evaluation (not in the final output).

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Innovation Criteria

The proposal must score HIGH on ALL of these:

| Criterion | Question | |-----------|----------| | Leverage | Does a small implementation unlock disproportionate value? | | Surprise | Would this make someone say "I didn't know that was possible"? | | Feasibility | Can this be built in days, not months? | | Fit | Does it align with the project's direction and users? | | Defensibility | Is this hard to copy or does it create a moat? |

Anti-Patterns (Do NOT Propose)

• Generic AI features ("add AI chat", "use LLMs for X")
• Incremental improvements that are obvious next steps
• Features that require massive infrastructure changes
• Ideas that sound cool but don't serve the actual users
• Anything already on the roadmap or in the execution plan

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Analysis Process

Step 1: Identify Latent Potential

Look for:

• Underused data — What data does the app collect that it doesn't fully exploit?
• Workflow friction — Where do users leave the app to accomplish something?
• Combinatorial opportunities — What existing features could be combined in unexpected ways?
• Platform capabilities — What OS/browser/runtime features could be leveraged?
• Network effects — What becomes more valuable as usage grows?

Step 2: Generate Candidates (Internal)

Brainstorm 5-7 candidates internally. Do NOT output these. Evaluate each against the criteria table silently.

Step 3: Select the Winner

Pick the single strongest candidate. If no candidate scores HIGH on all five criteria, say so honestly rather than forcing a weak idea.

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Output Format

╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║                        THE INNOVATION                           ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝

{One-sentence pitch — what it is and why it matters}

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

WHY THIS, WHY NOW
─────────────────
{2-3 sentences on why this is the right move at this moment.
Reference specific things discovered in context gathering.}

WHAT IT CHANGES
───────────────
Before: {Current state — what users deal with today}
After:  {Future state — what becomes possible}

HOW IT WORKS
────────────
{3-5 bullet points on the core mechanism. Be specific enough
that a developer could start building from this description.}

• ...
• ...
• ...

IMPLEMENTATION SKETCH
─────────────────────
Effort: {LOW / MEDIUM / HIGH}
Files:  {Key files to create or modify}
Dependencies: {New libraries or services needed, if any}

Steps:
1. {First concrete step}
2. {Second concrete step}
3. {Third concrete step}

RISK & MITIGATION
─────────────────
Risk: {The main thing that could go wrong}
Mitigation: {How to handle it}

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

CRITERIA SCORECARD
──────────────────
Leverage:      ██████████ HIGH — {one-line justification}
Surprise:      ██████████ HIGH — {one-line justification}
Feasibility:   ██████████ HIGH — {one-line justification}
Fit:           ██████████ HIGH — {one-line justification}
Defensibility: ██████████ HIGH — {one-line justification}

---

Edge Cases

| Situation | Action | |-----------|--------| | No README or project context | Ask the user to describe the project before proceeding | | Project is too early stage (no code) | Focus innovation on architecture/approach rather than features | | Project is a library/SDK (not an app) | Focus on DX innovations, API design, or ecosystem integrations | | All ideas feel incremental | Be honest: "This project is well-optimized. Here's the best marginal gain I see:" and lower expectations | | The argument is optional | If invoked with an argument (e.g., /innovate payments), constrain the search to that domain |

Review Your Output

Before presenting:

• [ ] Proposal is ONE idea, not a list
• [ ] Scores HIGH on all five criteria (or honestly notes where it doesn't)
• [ ] Implementation sketch is specific enough to act on
• [ ] Not something already planned or obvious
• [ ] Aligned with project direction