idea-scope-brief

Idea Scope Brief

Use this skill when the user has a half-formed idea and needs it cleaned up enough to enter the normal research and planning workflow. This skill is intentionally pre-ICP: it clarifies the concept, problem hypothesis, beneficiary hypothesis, value wedge, constraints, non-goals, and unknowns, but does not select an ICP, analyze competitors, define UX/UI, choose architecture, or write implementation specs.

Process

0. Product-Path Scope Resolution

Resolve research scope by product path before using code or app structure as a hint:

1. If $ARGUMENTS names a non-archived research/{slug}/ directory or a product-path ID whose scope_path points there, use that path. Treat {slug} as the product/app name, not the ICP, audience, or segment label.
2. If $ARGUMENTS names only research/_archive/{slug}/ or a manifest entry with status: archived or legacy status: abandoned, stop and warn that the path is archived; do not write or update scoped outputs there.
3. Read research/.progress.yaml when present. Normalize legacy active_path to active_paths on read and write back active_paths on manifest updates. Treat legacy abandoned as archived; exclude archived, abandoned, deferred, revisit_candidate, promoted, and any scope_path under research/_archive/ from active target selection.
4. If active product paths exist in the manifest, use those paths. If multiple active paths exist, ask which one to target unless this skill explicitly supports cross-path output.
5. If no active manifest target exists, list non-archived product directories under research/, excluding research/_archive/ and dot directories. Auto-select only when exactly one exists; ask when multiple exist.
6. If no product directories exist, use flat research/ single-product mode.
7. Detect monorepo/app/package structure only as a secondary hint. Suggest creating a missing research/{slug}/ product path when code clearly exposes an app, but do not require code or monorepo detection before using research/{slug}/.

When product path {slug} is active, read and write research under research/{slug}/, specs under specs/{slug}/, and treat top-level research/*.md files as flat-mode documents or cross-path summaries.

1. Resolve context

   • Read .agents/project.json if it exists.
   • Read README, CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, existing research/, specs/, and task docs when present.
   • Determine whether the current directory is already a bootstrapped project. Treat it as bootstrapped when it has meaningful README.md plus AGENTS.md or CLAUDE.md; treat it as unbootstrapped when those are missing, placeholder-only, or the user is describing an idea outside any project repo.
   • If $ARGUMENTS contains a rough idea, use it as the starting draft.
   • If $ARGUMENTS names a non-archived research/{slug}/ product path, use that path. If it names only research/_archive/{slug}/, stop and warn that the path is archived.
   • Determine the concept identity and a normalized concept slug as soon as either is known from $ARGUMENTS, repo context, or the interview. Normalize by lowercasing, removing URL suffix noise, replacing non-alphanumeric runs with -, trimming leading/trailing -, and dropping only project-wide brand prefixes when the remaining word is the actual scoped concept (for example, poketo.work -> work; Poketo Core -> poketo-core).
   • If existing research or the prompt suggests multiple related concepts may exist, prefer slugged output paths over generic filenames. Reserve generic idea-brief.md only for a single unambiguous project-level concept.
   • If no rough idea is available from arguments or repo context, ask the user for the idea in plain language.
   • Read research/.progress.yaml when present. Normalize active_path (singular legacy) to active_paths (plural list) when reading; treat legacy abandoned as archived and exclude archived/deferred/revisit/promoted paths plus research/_archive/ scopes from active target selection. Treat active_paths as the current product/app/ICP focuses and product_paths[] as parked, archived, or promoted product-path state, not git branch state.
   • When the prompt, repo context, interview, or pivot history surfaces multiple related concepts, apps, product lines, or future pivots, update or propose updates to research/.progress.yaml with product-path entries instead of merging them into one generic concept. Use fields: id, label, scope_path, status, source_skill, reason, archive_reason, archived_at, promoted_at, evidence_refs, revisit_trigger, next_skill, pipeline_stage, and last_touched. Set pipeline_stage: idea-scope-brief on entries created by this skill.
   • Keep the central concept in active_paths when it is the current focus. Record related or future concepts as status: deferred or status: revisit_candidate with a concrete revisit trigger and a likely next skill such as /icp <path/audience>; if business-discovery is not enabled, recommend /pack install business-discovery before /icp.
   • When 3+ product paths exist in the manifest, recommend /product-line review to the user for portfolio management; if business-ops is not enabled, recommend /pack install business-ops before /product-line.

2. Keep the boundary clear

   • Do not run ICP, competitive analysis, journey mapping, UX variation, UI interview, roadmap, or implementation planning inside this skill.
   • Do not validate the market with broad web research. Use light repo/context inspection only; downstream research skills own evidence gathering.
   • Treat every user claim as a hypothesis unless supported by existing project files.

3. Surface an Idea Assumptions Manifest

   • Before deep questioning, present what you think the concept is.
   • Tag assumptions as [from prompt], [from repo], [from research], or [inferred].
   • Cover:
     • concept summary
     • problem hypothesis
     • target beneficiary or user hypothesis
     • product/category guess
     • value wedge
     • constraints
     • non-goals
     • riskiest unknowns
   • Ask the user to confirm, correct, or flag assumptions before writing.

Market Structure Handoff

During the Idea Assumptions Manifest, if the concept appears marketplace/platform/B2B2C/multi-sided, add a compact Market Structure Handoff note:

• Name the apparent sides and the expected value exchange between them.
• Mark those sides and exchanges as hypotheses, not validated ICPs; do not decide which side is the customer, buyer, or primary ICP here.
• Keep the source tag for each side as [from prompt], [from repo], or [inferred] unless the user provides a correction.
• If the concept appears single-sided, omit the handoff or state that no marketplace/platform/B2B2C/multi-sided handoff is apparent.

4. Interview until idea-ready

   • Ask 1 to 3 focused questions per turn.
   • Resolve only concept-level ambiguity:
     • what problem exists
     • who might care
     • what outcome changes for them
     • what makes the idea different enough to investigate
     • what must stay out of scope
     • what constraints are real now
   • When unsure, recommend a practical default and clearly mark it as an assumption.

5. Coverage checkpoint

   • Present the final concept summary, unknowns, and readiness for ICP.
   • Restate the resolved concept identity, slug, and exact output paths before writing.
   • If the conversation pivoted from the initial concept to a different central concept, write the pivoted concept to its own slugged brief and preserve the initial concept as a related or future concept in the brief and interview log. Do not merge both concepts into one generic project-level brief.
   • Ask whether any core premise, constraint, or non-goal is wrong before writing.

6. Build pre-approval alignment preview

   • Before writing any canonical research/**/idea-brief.md, research/**/idea-brief-interview.md, legacy flat research/idea-brief-{slug}.md variant, or research/.progress.yaml, build alignment/idea-scope-brief-{topic}.html as the review artifact.
   • The HTML page must render the Idea/Concept Assumptions Manifest, artifact destinations, proposed file changes, coverage checkpoint, and approval gates, including any Market Structure Handoff.
   • Attempt to open the page in the browser and point the user at the repo-relative path.
   • Treat coverage-checkpoint confirmation as non-final; it only confirms the draft scope is ready to preview. Only final compiled YAML from the alignment page authorizes canonical writes.
   • Before compiled YAML approval, the next action is review or revision of the HTML alignment page. Do not include Recommended next skill, Recommended next command, or downstream routing language until after final compiled YAML approval has been provided and the approved artifacts below have been written or updated.
   • When feedback-only YAML is provided, revise the alignment page and ask again; do not write canonical artifacts until final compiled YAML approval is provided.

Output

Before writing anything in this section, verify the alignment page has final compiled YAML approval. Do not write canonical idea briefs, interview logs, or research/.progress.yaml until alignment/idea-scope-brief-{topic}.html has been reviewed and the user has provided final compiled YAML approval. Coverage-checkpoint confirmation is not final approval and does not authorize these writes.

Write:

• For one unambiguous project-level concept only: research/idea-brief.md and research/idea-brief-interview.md.
• When a product identity is known, multiple concepts exist or may exist, or a pivot occurs: prefer research/{slug}/idea-brief.md and research/{slug}/idea-brief-interview.md; preserve flat research/idea-brief-{slug}.md only as legacy compatibility when no product path is being introduced.
• If $ARGUMENTS names a non-archived product path, use unsuffixed scoped files under research/{slug}/: research/{slug}/idea-brief.md and research/{slug}/idea-brief-interview.md.
• research/.progress.yaml — create or update only when multiple concepts, product paths, product lines, product-path scopes, or pivots are present. Use product_paths terminology instead of branch terminology.

The idea brief must include:

• ## Summary
• ## Problem Hypothesis
• ## Beneficiary Hypothesis
• ## Product Category Guess
• ## Value Wedge
• ## Constraints
• ## Non-Goals
• ## Assumptions And Unknowns
• ## ICP Readiness
• ## Next Steps

The ## ICP Readiness section must state whether the concept is ready for /icp, what inputs /icp should use, and which assumptions should be tested first. If a Market Structure Handoff exists, include the apparent sides and value exchange as explicit inputs for /icp to validate or refute.

The ## Next Steps section must recommend exactly one primary command:

• If the concept appears to be a business app or user-facing product and the business discovery lane is not enabled: /pack install business-discovery — this installs the research skills (ICP, competitive analysis, value prop, positioning, lean canvas) needed before any repo bootstrapping or development.
• If business-discovery or the compatibility business-app alias is enabled: /icp
• If the concept already has ICP/market evidence but needs journey, onboarding, conversion, or retention planning: /pack install customer-lifecycle
• If project type is unclear: /pack recommend

Include 1-3 other options only when they are materially useful.

Alignment Page

When this skill produces durable deliverables (research, specs, plans, reports, prototypes, or any document output), build a full-depth HTML alignment page following ALIGNMENT-PAGE.md in this skill's directory. Output: alignment/idea-scope-brief-{topic}.html.

Constraints

• Keep the skill short and pre-research.
• Do not write specs, UX variants, UI specs, roadmap phases, or implementation tasks.
• Do not recommend /scaffold unless the user explicitly asks to create a package/app shell before research; normal product flow scaffolds after research, prototype consolidation, spec, roadmap, and phase planning identify the first implementation target. /scaffold requires the monorepo pack (/pack install monorepo).
• Do not update tasks/todo.md.
• New files do not need archive snapshots. Before replacing an existing idea brief, including slugged briefs, archive it to docs/history/archive/YYYY-MM-DD/HHMMSS/<original-relative-path>.
• Migration: if a project already has research/concept-brief.md, research/concept-brief-interview.md, or any research/{slug}/concept-brief*.md / research/concept-brief-{slug}*.md from a prior run, rename it to the idea-brief equivalent before re-running. Write only the idea-brief names and no longer recognizes the legacy concept-brief filenames.

Default Shipping Contract

Follow the shared shipping contract convention in CLAUDE.md.