Brainstorm

3. Design

Read .autopilot/research-<branch>.md (written by the researcher in step 2) and present 1-3 approaches with trade-offs. For each approach:

• Files to modify — which files change and roughly how
• Data model changes — new tables, fields, indexes (if any)
• Key code shapes — pseudocode or interface sketches showing the approach, not full implementations
• Risks — what could go wrong, what's hard, what's uncertain
• Trade-offs — what you gain vs what you give up compared to the other approaches

Recommend one with a clear reason. Prefer the simplest approach that meets the requirements (KISS).

4. Gate

Wait for explicit user approval before proceeding. Present the options clearly and ask:

Which approach would you like to go with? Or would you like to explore a different direction?

After approval, offer to hand off to:

• /autopilot for single-agent implementation
• /autopilot-team for parallel team implementation
• Or let the user implement manually with the design as a guide

When to Use

Use /brainstorm when:

• New data model or schema changes with multiple valid approaches
• New system boundary (API endpoint, Convex action/mutation, external integration)
• Feature description is ambiguous or underspecified
• Multiple architectural approaches exist with meaningful trade-offs

Skip and implement directly when:

• The approach is obvious from existing patterns
• The user has given specific, detailed instructions
• It's a bug fix, refactor, or enhancement to existing behavior