Brainstorm

What the source does

• FilesystemNone observedNo reads or writes in the source
• NetworkNone observedNo outbound calls in the source
• ShellNone observedNo commands run in the source
• DependenciesPinnedNothing floats
• SecretsNone foundNo keys in source

Five audit layers

Gates applied: no behavioural pass.

Audit 0.4.1 · source sha 492f17636999 · 18 Oct 2026Report an issue or request a re-scan

• Publisheroliver-kriska GitHub userOwner of the repository this skill is read from
• Source folderoliver-kriska/claude-elixir-phoenix/plugins/elixir-phoenix/skills/brainstormThe exact folder we audited
• LicenceMITAs the repository states it
• Commit pinned for this verdict492f17636999A new audit runs when the source changes
• Repository statusNot archivedLast push 2 days ago
• Sandboxed runNot runSkills are read, not executed; layer L4 is skipped

Its description: Brainstorm Elixir/Phoenix features — explore ideas, compare approaches, gather requirements. Use when vague idea, not sure how to approach, or want to discuss before plan.

---
name: brainstorm
description: "Brainstorm Elixir/Phoenix features — explore ideas, compare approaches, gather requirements. Use when vague idea, not sure how to approach, or want to discuss before plan."
effort: high
argument-hint: <topic or feature idea>
---

# Brainstorm — Adaptive Requirements Gathering

Interactive interview → research → synthesis loop. Produces structured
`interview.md` that `/phx:plan` detects and consumes (skipping clarification).

## Usage

```text
/phx:brainstorm Add some kind of notification system
/phx:brainstorm Improve authentication security
/phx:brainstorm                    # starts with open question
```

## Workflow

```
/phx:brainstorm {topic}
    |
    v
[INTERVIEW] ←──────────────────┐
    |                           |
    v (sufficient OR user exit) |
[DECISION POINT]                |
    ├─ Research ──→ [RESEARCH] ─┘
    ├─ Continue interview ──────┘
    ├─ Make a plan ──→ STOP (suggest /phx:plan {slug})
    ├─ Store & exit ──→ STOP (artifacts saved)
    └─ Discuss ──→ freeform ──→ [DECISION POINT]
```

## Phase 1: Adaptive Interview

Create `.claude/plans/{slug}/` directory. Start asking ONE question at a time.

### Coverage Dimensions

Track coverage across 6 dimensions (0=uncovered, 1=partial, 2=sufficient).
**Ask Scope early** — for "optimize X" topics, ask about boundaries (upstream
OK? Local-only? CI vs dev?) before research, not during.

| Dim | Target | Sufficient signal |
|-----|--------|-------------------|
| What | Specific behavior/features | Concrete verbs, not "some kind of" |
| Why | Problem solved, user need | Clear benefit stated |
| Scope | In/out boundaries | Explicit exclusions stated |
| Where | Modules, contexts, pages | File paths or context names mentioned |
| How | Approach, constraints | At least one concrete constraint |
| Edge | Error states, scale, auth | 2+ edge cases identified |

Interview is "sufficient" when total score >= 8 out of 12.

### Context-Aware Questioning

**Before each question**, run a brief codebase scan on topics the user mentioned:

1. User mentions a topic (e.g., "notifications") → run Grep/Glob for related patterns
2. Use scan results to ground your next question in what actually exists
3. Unknown/niche topic → suggest research pause before continuing

### Signal Detection

- **Vague answer** ("maybe", "not sure") → probe deeper on same dimension
- **Niche topic** mentioned → "This involves {X}. Want me to research it first?"
- **Detailed answer** covering 3+ dimensions → mark all covered, advance
- **No new coverage** for 2 consecutive questions → suggest moving to Decision Point

## Phase 2: Decision Point

Write interview.md first, then use AskUserQuestion — every option below
relies on the saved file. Move past this point only on a formal choice.

1. Write current state to `.claude/plans/{slug}/interview.md`
2. Show coverage summary: "Coverage: What 2/2 | Why 2/2 | Scope 1/2 | ..."
3. Use AskUserQuestion with EXACTLY these options (4 max — the tool's
   hard limit; the auto-added "Other" covers freeform discussion):

   - **Research** — search codebase + internet for approaches (2 agents)
   - **Continue interview** — ask more questions
   - **Make a plan** — I'll suggest: `/phx:plan .claude/plans/{slug}/interview.md`
   - **Store & exit** — save everything, come back later

4. Wait for user response. Do NOT proceed without explicit choice

**AskUserQuestion discipline**: decisions only, never narration or
rhetorical check-ins. Every option states concrete impact (what happens,
what it costs) so the user can pick without follow-up questions.

## Phase 3: Research (Diverge → Evaluate → Converge)

**First cycle: MAX 2 agents** — keep it fast (~2-3 min). Spawn in ONE
Tool Use block with `run_in_background: true`:

- `phoenix-patterns-analyst`: "How does this codebase handle {topics}?"
  Write to `.claude/plans/{slug}/research/codebase-scan.md`
- `web-researcher`: "Elixir/Phoenix approaches to {topics}"
  Return 500-word summary

**Do NOT spawn additional specialist agents** in the first cycle.
If user wants deeper investigation, they pick "More research" at the
next Decision Point — then spawn focused agents for specific questions.

**Evaluate** — for each approach found:

- Thesis: why it works for THIS codebase
- Antithesis: why it might NOT work (scale, complexity, pattern conflicts)

**Converge** — present 2-3 approaches with honest trade-offs.
Do NOT recommend one. Return to Decision Point (AskUserQuestion).

See `${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/research-integration.md` for details.

## Iron Laws

1. **NEVER auto-transition** to `/phx:plan` — always present as option, let user choose
2. **ONE question at a time** — never dump a question list
3. **Always write artifacts** — `interview.md` is the contract with `/phx:plan`
4. **Scan codebase between questions** — every question must be context-aware
5. **AskUserQuestion at EVERY decision point** — never flow past without formal choice.
   This is the most critical law. After interview, after research, after discuss — ALWAYS
   present options via AskUserQuestion. Never let conversation skip the checkpoint
6. **STOP after presenting options** — do not proceed without user input
7. **MAX 2 agents in first research cycle** — deeper dives are subsequent cycles.
   User picks "More research" to go deeper, not the skill

## Integration

```
/phx:brainstorm ──→ interview.md ──→ /phx:plan (skips clarification)
                                 ──→ /phx:plan --existing (deepens)
                                 ──→ stored for later session
```

Position: optional upstream of `/phx:plan` in workflow cycle.

## References

- `${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/interview-techniques.md` — coverage scoring,
  question templates, scan patterns, signal detection, interview.md format
- `${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/research-integration.md` — diverge-evaluate-converge,
  agent spawn templates, approach presentation format

Excerpt, first 5,959 characters of SKILL.md, verbatim from the audited commit. It is text from someone else’s repository, quoted so you can judge it before your agent reads it.

git clone https://github.com/oliver-kriska/claude-elixir-phoenix
git -C claude-elixir-phoenix checkout 492f17636999

Works in

1. 2026-10-18
   ✓SAFE B 89 / 100

   first audit · source 492f17636999

Questions about Brainstorm

• github.com/oliver-kriska/claude-elixir-phoenix/tree/main/plugins — the audited source at commit 492f17636999 and every finding aboveObserved · 18 Oct 2026

Spotted something wrong? Report a correction · Methodology