Brainstorming

The most expensive mistake in software is building the wrong thing correctly.

Brainstorming installs a structured pre-implementation dialogue that surfaces what the user actually wants, what approaches exist, and what tradeoffs matter — before a line of code gets written.

When to use it:

• Ambiguous feature requests with multiple valid interpretations
• Before planning or writing implementation tasks
• When the user says "help me think through" or "what should we build"
• Any time the right approach isn't obvious

What it does:

• Surfaces the real goal behind the stated request ("build a form" → "capture leads efficiently")
• Maps 2-4 distinct approaches with honest tradeoffs
• Identifies hidden constraints and dependencies before they become blockers
• Ends with a recommendation and a clear decision point

The discipline: Don't plan until you've brainstormed. Don't implement until you've planned. Brainstorming is the 10-minute investment that saves 10 hours of rework.

Output: a structured exploration with intent summary, approach options, tradeoff analysis, and a recommended path forward.