Ideation

Collaborative creative thinking for new project concepts. Captures insights into IDEA.md and project structure.

Available Environment Variables

These env vars are available in bash commands (use ${VAR} syntax):

• ${PROJECT_NAME} - Current project name
• ${PROJECT_ROOT} - Current project code directory (e.g., ~/development/projects/argus)
• ${WORKFLOW_PROJECTS} - Obsidian projects root (e.g., ~/obsidian/projects)

Derived paths (placeholders for tool calls):

• Project planning/IDEA.md: {WORKFLOW_PROJECTS}/{project-name}/
• Explorations: {WORKFLOW_PROJECTS}/{project-name}/explorations/
• Later backlog: {WORKFLOW_PROJECTS}/{project-name}/later.md

Note: The {project-name} references in this skill refer to the project being ideated about (extracted from user conversation), not the current ${PROJECT_NAME} context.

Workflow Decision Tree

User mentions idea/project
    ↓
Extract project name (ask if ambiguous)
    ↓
Check for existing {WORKFLOW_PROJECTS}/{project-name}/IDEA.md
    ↓
    ├─ Not found → NEW PROJECT flow
    ├─ Found + major pivot → BIG CHANGES flow
    └─ Found + new features → NEW FEATURES flow
    ↓
Engage in creative discussion
    ↓
Capture insights mentally during conversation
    ↓
User triggers save ("save this ideation", "capture this idea", etc.)
    ↓
Execute save based on detected flow

Examples

Example 1: New project from scratch

User: "I have an idea for a tool that tracks reading habits"
→ Extract project name (ask if unclear)
→ Check for existing IDEA.md → not found → NEW PROJECT flow
→ Engage in creative discussion
→ On "save this ideation" → create IDEA.md

Example 2: Evolving existing vision

User: "I want to pivot argus to focus on home automation"
→ Read existing IDEA.md
→ Discuss major changes → BIG CHANGES flow
→ On save → update IDEA.md, preserve history

Example 3: Adding features to backlog

User: "What if we added dark mode to the dashboard?"
→ Read existing IDEA.md
→ Discuss feature → NEW FEATURES flow
→ On save → append to later.md with ID

Phase 1: Project Detection

BEFORE engaging in discussion, determine the context:

Extract Project Name

Identify the project name from the conversation. If ambiguous or not mentioned, ask directly.

Check for Existing Project

Look for {WORKFLOW_PROJECTS}/{project-name}/IDEA.md using the Read tool.

Classify Scope

Based on findings:

• NEW PROJECT: No IDEA.md exists, completely new concept
• BIG CHANGES: IDEA.md exists, but major pivot/vision shifts being discussed
• NEW FEATURES: IDEA.md exists, discussing additions/improvements

If IDEA.md exists, read it to understand the current vision before proceeding.

Phase 2: Creative Discussion

Approach: Think WITH them, not for them. Build on excitement, challenge assumptions, stay concrete.

Track mentally (don't call out explicitly):

• Core problem, target users, key features
• Success criteria, constraints, unique value

For existing projects: Reference current IDEA.md, build on existing vision For new projects: Focus on problem/solution fit, keep asking "who" and "why"

Phase 3: Saving Ideation

Trigger Phrases

Execute save immediately when user says:

• "save this ideation"
• "let's capture this idea"
• "document this concept"
• "create the project"

Save Execution by Scope

NEW PROJECT

1. Create directory: {WORKFLOW_PROJECTS}/{project-name}/
2. Read references/idea_template.md from this skill
3. Generate new IDEA.md by filling template with discussion details
4. Write to {WORKFLOW_PROJECTS}/{project-name}/IDEA.md
5. Confirm: "Created project '{project-name}' at {path}"
6. If PROJECT is "workspace": Say "Run momentum {project-name} to start building."

Template Filling Guidelines:

• Replace [Project Name] with actual project name
• Fill bracketed placeholders with concrete details from discussion
• Use specific examples mentioned during conversation
• Leave sections empty if not discussed (don't invent content)
• Preserve the template structure and section headings

BIG CHANGES

1. Read existing {WORKFLOW_PROJECTS}/{project-name}/IDEA.md
2. Update with new vision while preserving relevant existing parts
3. Move superseded information to "Learning and Evolution" section
4. Write updated content back to same location
5. Confirm: "Updated vision for '{project-name}'"

Preservation Guidelines:

• Keep any "Learning and Evolution" entries
• Preserve success metrics and constraints that still apply
• Update "Evolution Notes" to document the pivot
• Maintain built features in status section

NEW FEATURES

1. Check if {WORKFLOW_PROJECTS}/{project-name}/later.md exists
2. Generate unique ID using scripts/generate_id.py for each feature
3. Format as: - idea:: {description} id::{generated-id} captured::{today's date in YYYY-MM-DD format}
4. Append to later.md (create file if needed)
5. Confirm: "Added feature ideas to '{project-name}' backlog"

ID Format: 6-character lowercase alphanumeric (e.g., g7k2m9, x3p5n1)

Feature Description Guidelines:

• Keep descriptions concise but specific
• Focus on user value, not implementation
• Capture enough context to recall the discussion later
• One line per feature idea

Standards

• Use concrete details from conversation, not invented content
• Execute on trigger phrases—don't ask "would you like me to save?"
• Preserve discussion energy in outputs

Resources

references/idea_template.md

Complete template for creating new project IDEA.md files. Read this file when executing NEW PROJECT saves to ensure proper structure and all required sections.

scripts/generate_id.py

Python script that generates 6-character lowercase alphanumeric IDs for feature tracking in later.md files. Execute without loading into context:

python scripts/generate_id.py

Returns format: a1b2c3 (6 random chars from [a-z0-9])