The /brainstorm workflow provides collaborative ideation for exploring problem spaces, evaluating solutions, and clarifying thinking before committing to a formal implementation plan.
Commands Overview
Trigger /brainstorm via your CLI agent to execute the following:
/brainstorm [project-name] [topic]Brainstorm Flow
Context → Ideation (3-5 options) → Refinement → Save → Choose next action1. Context Gathering
Reads existing seeds (.beads/seeds.md) and previous brainstorm outputs from artifacts/para-decisions/. Asks the user to elaborate on the problem.
2. Ideation & Exploration
Generates 3-5 distinct approaches, each with concept, pros, and cons/risks.
3. Refinement
Collaborates with the user to eliminate, combine, and drill down into the most promising approach.
4. Save Structured Output
Saves to artifacts/para-decisions/brainstorm-[topic]-[date].md with a standard template: Problem Statement, Options Evaluated, Decision, Next Steps.
5. Choose Next Action
Five exit paths:
| Option | When to use | Destination |
|---|---|---|
| A. Seeds | Idea needs more incubation | .beads/seeds.md |
| B. Plan | Ready for implementation | /plan (auto-discovers brainstorm) |
| C. Backlog | Simple isolated tasks | /backlog |
| D. Doc | Analysis worth preserving | docs/ + Doc Index |
| E. Learn | Reusable cross-project insight | /learn → Areas/Learning/ |
Integration with /plan
When /plan runs, Step 2.5 automatically checks for recent brainstorm outputs:
ls -t artifacts/para-decisions/brainstorm-*.md | head -1If found, the plan uses the brainstorm’s Options and Decision sections as baseline context — no duplicate analysis needed.