Brainstorming Ideas Into Plans
Purpose
Turn vague ideas into a validated plan or spec through natural, collaborative dialogue.
This is domain-generic: it can be used for product features, websites, backend systems, marketing campaigns, business ideas, content, workflows, or anything else.
Core rules:
- Classify first: ask what type of brainstorming this is (multiple choice).
- One question per message: keep cognitive load low.
- Discovery-first: do not draft solutions until intent and constraints are understood.
- Converge to a deliverable: end with a plan/spec that can be executed.
When to Use
- Any new idea that could branch into multiple directions
- Ambiguous requests (we should…, let’s build…, can we improve…?)
- Planning work that needs clarified goals, scope, trade-offs, and acceptance criteria
Avoid When
- The task is purely mechanical or trivial
- The user provides a complete spec and explicitly wants immediate execution
Inputs That Improve Quality (Optional)
- Constraints: budget, time, team size, deadline
- Existing materials: docs, links, codebase, screenshots, examples
- Success criteria: metrics, target outcomes, definition of done
- Non-goals: what to avoid or explicitly exclude
Step 0: Classification (Required)
Start every brainstorming session by asking a single multiple-choice question:
What are we brainstorming today?
- A) Product / feature (app, SaaS, tool)
- B) Website / UX / UI / design
- C) Engineering / architecture / systems (backend, infra, data)
- D) Bugfix / troubleshooting / quality improvements
- E) Content (blog, video, social, brand)
- F) Marketing / growth / distribution
- G) Business model / pricing / sales
- H) Process / operations / team workflow
- I) Something else (describe in one sentence)
Then ask one follow-up question that is specific to the chosen category.
Rule: until classification is answered, do not assume domain.
The Process
Phase 1: Discovery (One Question at a Time)
Ask one question per message. Prefer multiple choice when possible. Use this ladder in order; skip only if already answered.
1) The Why (Intent and Motivation)
- What problem are we solving, and why now?
- What happens if we do nothing?
2) The Who (Audience / User / Stakeholders)
- Who is this for?
- Who decides what good looks like?
3) The What (Scope)
- What must be true for this to be considered successful?
- What’s in-scope for MVP vs out-of-scope?
Use MoSCoW:
- Must / Should / Could / Won’t (for now)
4) Constraints (Hard Limits)
- Deadline, budget, team capacity
- Tools/stack constraints
- Compliance/legal/privacy constraints
- Brand/tone constraints (for content/marketing)
5) Inputs and Dependencies
- What do we need that we don’t control? (APIs, vendors, approvals, assets)
- What existing systems/content must be reused?
6) Risks and Unknowns
- What are the biggest uncertainties?
- What’s the cost of being wrong?
Unknowns Register rule:
- Any unknown becomes a discovery task with a timebox and decision point.
7) Definition of Done
- What specifically will be delivered?
- How will we validate it worked?
Phase 2: Synthesis (Reflect Back)
Summarize in 150–250 words:
- Problem, audience, MVP scope, constraints, success criteria, open questions Then ask:
- Is this accurate before I propose options?
Phase 3: Explore Approaches (2–3 Options)
Present 2–3 options with trade-offs and a recommendation:
- Option A (Recommended): why it best fits constraints
- Option B: simpler/faster alternative
- Option C: more ambitious/extensible alternative
Each option includes:
- Pros/cons
- Key risks
- Rough effort class (S/M/L) or time range if requested
- What to validate first
Then ask:
- Which option should we proceed with (A/B/C), or should I adjust?
Phase 4: Produce the Deliverable (Incremental Validation)
Once an option is chosen, produce the output in small sections (200–300 words) and ask after each:
- Does this look right so far?
Choose the output type based on the classification:
If A) Product / feature
- Goals and non-goals
- User stories and acceptance criteria
- UX flow (if relevant)
- Data/logic overview
- MVP vs V2
- Rollout and metrics
If B) Website / UX / UI
- Site goals and audience
- Sitemap / IA
- Page-level sections and messaging
- Visual direction and components
- SEO/accessibility basics
- Analytics/events
If C) Engineering / architecture / systems
- Requirements (functional and non-functional)
- Components/services and responsibilities
- Data flow and contracts
- Failure modes and retries
- Security and observability
- Testing and rollout plan
If D) Bugfix / troubleshooting
- Repro and root cause hypotheses
- Fastest validation steps
- Fix options and risk
- Test plan
- Rollback strategy
If E) Content
- Audience and promise
- Angle/hook options
- Outline/script structure
- Examples and CTAs
- Distribution plan
If F) Marketing / growth
- Target segment and channel assumptions
- Positioning and messaging
- Funnel (top to conversion)
- Experiments and metrics
- Timeline and budget assumptions
If G) Business model / pricing / sales
- ICP and value props
- Pricing hypotheses
- Packaging options
- Sales motion and objections
- Metrics and tests
If H) Process / operations / workflow
- Current state and pain points
- Desired outcomes
- Proposed process changes
- Tools and responsibilities
- Rollout and check-ins
If I) Something else
- Ask what output format they want (plan, spec, checklist, outline, roadmap)
Output Handling
Always ask whether the user wants the final deliverable saved to a file. If yes, write a Markdown file and confirm the filename. Default filename: brainstorming-plan.md
Category-Specific Starter Questions (Pick One)
Product / feature
- What user action should this enable that’s currently impossible or painful?
Website / UX / UI
- What is the single most important action you want visitors to take?
Engineering / systems
- What are the top 3 non-functional requirements: latency, cost, reliability, security, or something else?
Bugfix / troubleshooting
- Do we have consistent reproduction steps (Yes/No/Not sure)?
Content
- What platform is this for (YouTube, X, blog, email, TikTok, other)?
Marketing / growth
- Which channel are we prioritizing first (SEO, paid ads, social, partnerships, outbound, other)?
Business model / pricing
- Who is the buyer (end user, team lead, company)?
Process / workflow
- What’s the current workflow step that causes the most friction?
Key Principles
- Classify first (no domain assumptions)
- One question at a time (always)
- Multiple choice preferred (reduce friction)
- Start broad, then narrow
- Explore alternatives (2–3 options)
- YAGNI ruthlessly (MVP-first)
- Incremental validation (section-by-section)
- Make assumptions explicit (and confirm them)
- Stop and clarify whenever uncertainty appears
