snqb/brainstorm

Deep Brainstorming

Turn ideas into fully-formed designs through collaborative dialogue, systems analysis, and cross-domain thinking.

Announce at start: "Starting brainstorm session. I'll ask one question at a time."

The Process

Phase 1: Understand the Idea

1. Check current project context (files, docs, recent commits)
2. Ask questions one at a time to refine the idea
3. Prefer multiple choice when possible
4. Focus on: purpose, constraints, success criteria, stakeholders

Phase 2: Analyze the System

Before proposing solutions, map the system:

1. Map players & incentives — Who's involved? What does each want?
2. Identify stocks & flows — What accumulates? What moves between states?
3. Trace 2nd-order effects — If we do X, what happens next? Then what?
4. Find leverage points — Where can small changes create large impact?
5. Spot feedback loops — What reinforces or balances itself?

Phase 3: Apply Mental Models

Pick 2-3 relevant lenses from the toolbox below to analyze from different angles.

Phase 4: Explore Approaches

• Propose 2-3 different approaches with trade-offs
• Lead with your recommendation and explain why
• Apply YAGNI ruthlessly — remove unnecessary features

Phase 5: Present the Design

• Break into sections of 200-300 words
• Ask after each section: "Does this look right so far?"
• Cover: architecture, components, data flow, error handling, testing
• Go back and clarify when something doesn't fit

Phase 6: Document

Write validated design to docs/plans/YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>-design.md

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Systems Thinking Framework

Core Questions

| Question | Purpose | |----------|---------| | Who are all the players, and what does each want? | Map incentives | | If we do X, what happens next? Then what? | Trace cascading effects | | What accumulates over time? What flows? | Model dynamics | | Where are the feedback loops? | Find reinforcing/balancing forces | | What constraint, if removed, unlocks the most value? | Find leverage | | What recurring pain could be systematized? | Identify automation opportunities |

Common Mistakes to Flag

• Only seeing first-order effects — Changes ripple in non-obvious ways
• Ignoring incentives — Players respond to their incentives, not yours
• Optimizing locally — Improving one part can worsen the whole
• Missing feedback loops — Systems amplify or dampen changes
• Treating symptoms — Address root causes, not visible symptoms

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25 Mental Models Toolbox

| # | Lens | Core Question | Best For | |---|------|---------------|----------| | 1 | Artist | What makes this unique? | Creative blocks, innovation | | 2 | Economist | How do people respond to incentives? | Behavior prediction | | 3 | Engineer | Can I model and calculate this? | Data-driven decisions | | 4 | Entrepreneur | What works if I try many things? | Uncertainty, experimentation | | 5 | Doctor | What's the diagnosis from symptoms? | Root cause analysis | | 6 | Journalist | Have I verified from independent sources? | Research, validation | | 7 | Scientist | Does this withstand controlled testing? | Hypothesis testing | | 8 | Mathematician | Can I prove this rigorously? | Logic, error detection | | 9 | Programmer | What patterns can I automate? | Process optimization | | 10 | Architect | What will this look like at full scale? | Future visualization | | 11 | Salesperson | What do people really want beneath stated needs? | Understanding motivations | | 12 | Soldier | What procedure must I follow exactly? | Risk prevention | | 13 | Chess Master | What happens next if I simulate this? | Strategic foresight | | 14 | Designer | Does this intuitively suggest how to use it? | UX, communication | | 15 | Teacher | How do I build knowledge in a learner's mind? | Explanation, transfer | | 16 | Anthropologist | Can I understand this group from inside? | Culture analysis | | 17 | Psychologist | Does my model predict actual behavior? | Human behavior | | 18 | Critic | How can I build on others' work? | Analysis, synthesis | | 19 | Philosopher | What happens when I push this to extremes? | Finding flaws | | 20 | Accountant | What ratios reveal hidden truths? | Metrics analysis | | 21 | Politician | What will people believe about this? | Perception strategy | | 22 | Novelist | Does my story make coherent sense? | Narrative structure | | 23 | Actor | Can I actually feel the state I need? | Emotional management | | 24 | Plumber | What would I find by examining directly? | Hands-on debugging | | 25 | Hacker | What's really happening underneath? | Deep system understanding |

Quick Model Selection

| Problem Type | Recommended Lenses | |--------------|-------------------| | Need creativity | Artist, Entrepreneur, Designer | | Understanding behavior | Economist, Psychologist, Salesperson | | Making predictions | Engineer, Chess Master, Scientist | | Debugging issues | Doctor, Plumber, Hacker | | Improving processes | Programmer, Accountant, Architect | | Communication | Novelist, Teacher, Designer | | Decision under uncertainty | Entrepreneur, Scientist, Politician | | Understanding people | Anthropologist, Psychologist, Actor | | Finding hidden assumptions | Philosopher, Mathematician, Critic | | Risk management | Soldier, Accountant, Engineer |

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Long Session Discipline

Pacing

• One question per message — Don't overwhelm
• Validate incrementally — Check understanding before building on it
• Take breaks — After major design sections, pause for confirmation
• Document as you go — Don't rely on memory across long sessions

Staying Grounded

• Evidence before claims — Don't assume; verify
• Name your lens — "Looking at this as an Economist..." makes reasoning visible
• Revisit assumptions — Early assumptions may become invalid as understanding deepens
• Track open questions — Maintain a list of unresolved items

Session Markers

Use these to structure long sessions:

🎯 GOAL: [What we're trying to figure out]
📍 CHECKPOINT: [Summary of where we are]
❓ OPEN: [Unresolved questions]
✅ DECIDED: [Confirmed decisions]
🔄 REVISIT: [Things to reconsider later]

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Key Principles

• One question at a time — Don't overwhelm with multiple questions
• Multiple choice preferred — Easier to answer than open-ended
• YAGNI ruthlessly — Remove unnecessary features from all designs
• Explore alternatives — Always propose 2-3 approaches before settling
• Incremental validation — Present design in sections, validate each
• Be flexible — Go back and clarify when something doesn't make sense
• Guide, don't answer — Use questions to help thinking, not give solutions
• Combine lenses — Powerful insights come from mixing perspectives

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Output Template

# [Topic] Design

**Date:** YYYY-MM-DD
**Goal:** [One sentence]
**Status:** Draft | Validated

## Context
[Current state, constraints, stakeholders]

## System Map
- **Players:** [Who's involved and their incentives]
- **Stocks:** [What accumulates]
- **Flows:** [What moves between states]
- **Leverage points:** [Where small changes have big impact]

## Approaches Considered
1. [Approach A] — [Trade-offs]
2. [Approach B] — [Trade-offs]
3. [Approach C] — [Trade-offs]

**Chosen:** [Which and why]

## Design
[Architecture, components, data flow]

## Open Questions
- [ ] [Unresolved item 1]
- [ ] [Unresolved item 2]

## Next Steps
1. [Action 1]
2. [Action 2]

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Sources

Fused from:

• obra/superpowers@brainstorming — Collaborative dialogue process
• refoundai/lenny-skills@systems-thinking — Systems analysis framework
• hexbee/hello-skills@cross-domain-thinking-toolbox — 25 mental models