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Agent skill

CE Brainstorm

by EveryInc in EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin

Turns a vague or ambitious feature idea into a requirements-only plan through dialogue with you, sized to the work, before any code is written.

MITAuto-check passedAgent Workflows

Install CE Brainstorm

skills CLI
$ npx skills add EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin --skill ce-brainstorm -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin ce-brainstorm --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/ce-brainstorm .claude/skills/ce-brainstorm && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
ce-brainstorm
GitHub stars
25k
Token cost
~1.9k tokens
SKILL.md length
1,029 words
Files
27 (incl. scripts, references)
Skills in repo
37
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Turns a vague or ambitious feature idea into a requirements-only plan through dialogue with you, sized to the work, before any code is written.

  • Scoping a vague feature idea before anyone writes code
  • SKILL.md covers Artifact Root and Execution Flow
  • Calls git
  • Turning an ambitious improvement into clear requirements and success criteria

What it does

This skill covers the what-to-build stage of a feature. Through back-and-forth dialogue it works out requirements, scope boundaries and success criteria, then hands the result to the companion ce-plan skill, which adds the how. It never writes implementation code.

The output is sized to the request. Small, well-bounded work ends with a short chat paragraph and no file. A requirements-only plan is written under a plans folder in the artifact root only when a decision needs recording under a stable ID or you ask for one. Non-software requests go to a separate universal brainstorming reference, and a question about adopting a named outside technology is redirected to ce-pov. The skill ships many reference documents, covering phases, approaches, a blindspot pass, a product pressure test, handoff rules and HTML or Markdown rendering.

When your agent uses it

  • Scoping a vague feature idea before anyone writes code
  • Turning an ambitious improvement into clear requirements and success criteria
  • Producing a requirements-only plan that a planning step can build on
  • Deciding how much planning a small change actually needs

Example prompts

  • “Brainstorm what we should build for team-level notifications in our app.”
  • “I want offline mode in the mobile client, so help me scope it before we plan.”
  • “Work out the requirements for a customer-facing audit log.”

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit cef001f. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    Ships 1 file in scripts/, which the agent can run.

    Shell commands in SKILL.md call:

    • git

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md. Its commands use git, which can reach the network depending on how they are called.

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

CE Brainstorm loads about 1.9k tokens when it runs, and up to ~60k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 67 tokens; SKILL.md has 1,029 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~67
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~1.9k
With references · SKILL.md plus every file in references/, read only if the agent opens them
~60k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); the scripts in this folder are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin at commit cef001f, republished under its MIT licence (© EveryInc). 1,029 words, ~1,943 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/ce-brainstorm/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 26 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
ce-brainstorm
description
Explore vague or ambitious ideas into a right-sized requirements-only unified plan. Use when the user wants to brainstorm or scope what to build. Not for executing already-specified work. Use ce-pov for a verdict on adopting a named external technology.
argument-hint
[feature idea or problem to explore] [output:html]

Brainstorm a Feature or Improvement

Brainstorming answers WHAT to build through dialogue; ce-plan then enriches the same unified plan artifact with HOW. This skill does not implement code. The current year is 2026, for dating the artifact.

Outcome: a result sized to the work that ce-plan can build on without inventing product behavior, scope boundaries, or success criteria: a chat paragraph for Lightweight work, or a requirements-only unified plan under <root>/plans/ when a file is earned.

Done, on the brainstorm path: that artifact is written and passes the Ready for Planning Check — or no file was written because the dialogue produced no decision that a later reader (the planner, a reviewer, or a future reader) needs recorded under a stable ID and the user asked for none — and Phase 4's handoff has been presented.

Lightweight work ends in chat. Phase 0.3 classifies the tier from the request and bounded inline reads before anything is dispatched; when the tier is uncertain, take the heavier one. Lightweight work — small, well-bounded, low ambiguity — ends in a chat paragraph with no file, no grounding scout, no approach generation, and no claim verifier. A file is earned only by a decision that a later reader needs recorded under a stable ID, or by the user asking for one.

Stop and route instead in three cases, decided by references/phase-0.md, not from memory. Each ends the run its own way, so the done condition above does not apply: non-software work, where references/universal-brainstorming.md replaces Phases 0.2–4; a verdict question about a named external candidate, where you offer the ce-pov handoff; and neither — quick help, a factual question, a single-step task — answered directly.

The feature description is what the invocation carries, whether the user wrote it or a calling skill passed it. If none came, ask the user what they want to explore and do not proceed until you have one.

mode:return-to-caller (a leading token a calling skill such as lfg sets): strip it, run the dialogue unchanged, and replace Phase 4 with the structured return references/handoff.md defines: no menu, no lfg or ce-plan invocation.

Artifact Root

Resolve <root> the first time you compose or read a <root>/ path, never earlier; a scratch-only or no-repo run that touches none skips this entirely.

<!-- ce-docs-root:start -->

Resolve the CE artifact root <root> before composing any artifact path.

  • Read docs_root from <repo-root>/.compound-engineering/config.yaml only (<repo-root> = git rev-parse --show-toplevel). Do not read it from config.local.yaml. Unset -> <root> is docs, exactly as before.
  • Validate a set value: a repo-relative directory whose real, symlink-resolved path stays inside the repo and is neither the repo root nor under .git/. Otherwise stop with an error naming docs_root and the value -- never fall back to docs.
  • Use <root> as the sole artifact location: create it if absent, compose each path as <root>/<subdir> with this skill's own subdirectory, and never also read docs.
<!-- ce-docs-root:end -->

brainstorm_output and brainstorm_model resolve by this rule instead:

<!-- ce-config-layers:start -->

Resolve ordinary CE yaml keys from the two repo files.

  • Read <repo-root>/.compound-engineering/config.local.yaml, then config.yaml (<repo-root> = git rev-parse --show-toplevel). Missing files are skipped. Gitignore does not change resolution.
  • Win with the first active (non-commented) value. For scalars, empty is unset; an invalid value continues to the next layer, then the skill default. For lists and maps, a present key — including an empty list or map — replaces the whole key.
  • Do not use this rule for docs_root — that key is config.yaml only.
<!-- ce-config-layers:end -->
Show full SKILL.md (470 more words)Show less

Execution Flow

Phases run in this order. Each names the files it cannot run correctly without: read them when you reach it, and never do its work from this table alone.

PhaseRead firstWhat only those files carry
before the first question, and for the whole run — non-software route includedRead references/interaction-rules.mdthe Core Principles, and the Interaction Rules: one question per turn, ask only decisions the environment cannot settle, the blocking-question-tool default and the visual-probe gate that overrides it, when a question is genuinely open-ended, and the one ce-prototype routing test this skill states in full there
before treating a decision the conversation carries as settledRead references/settled-decisions.mdthe settlement test; skipping it re-asks a decided question or promotes an unexamined assertion
0.0 output modereferences/output-mode.mdthe OUTPUT_FORMAT precedence; the token-parsing convention
0.1–0.4 resume, classify, route, scopereferences/phase-0.mdresume scan; the stop-and-route classification; scope tiers; the coherent-work gate (is this one piece of work?); both tripwires (visual or spatial features; unfamiliar territory); the task list
1 understand the ideareferences/dialogue.mdcontext scan and grounding scout; opt-in Slack researcher; pressure test; blindspot and visual-probe gates; the conflict gate against existing CONCEPTS.md and verified code; Phase 1.3 exit condition
2–2.6 approaches, synthesis, verificationreferences/approaches.md, plus references/synthesis-summary.md before composing the synthesisapproach generation; model elevation; the scoping synthesis; the claim verifier
3 write the planreferences/plan-write.md, then references/brainstorm-sections.md and the rendering reference for the formatwhether a doc is warranted; the section contract; the Ready for Planning Check
4 handoffreferences/handoff.mdthe option set and its visibility conditions; the rendering-mode rule; per-selection dispatch, including what ce-plan is passed; closing summaries

These rules hold without any read:

OUTPUT_FORMAT is exclusive — markdown OR HTML, never both. The format is the first that applies: a request in this prompt, a preference the user stated earlier, config, then markdown, in every run including headless ones.

When a file is written on the brainstorm path the artifact contract does not change: write to <root>/plans/YYYY-MM-DD-HHMM-<type>-<topic>-plan.<md|html>, with HHMM from local wall-clock time at write; frontmatter carries artifact_contract: ce-unified-plan/v1 and product_contract_source: ce-brainstorm; the body is a Goal Capsule plus the Product Contract. Do not emit a Goal Launch Block or Reader Index. The non-software route writes none of this.

When a file is written, do not declare it written or enter Phase 4 while any check fails in the Ready for Planning Check; a chat result enters Phase 4 (the handoff) with no check to run. An improvised handoff menu is the other silent failure: it shows options that should be hidden and passes the wrong input to the next skill.

The Phase 1.1 grounding scout, the Phase 2.6 claim verifier, and the opt-in Slack researcher are tiered by task shape, never hardcoded to a model name; read references/model-tiers.md before dispatching one. Model elevation is a separate mechanism (references/reasoning-elevation.md).

© EveryInc, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

SKILL.md and 26 other files (scripts, references) in skills/ce-brainstorm of EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin.

  • SKILL.md
  • references/agents/slack-researcher.md
  • references/approaches.md
  • references/bakeoff.md
  • references/blindspot-pass.md
  • references/brainstorm-sections.md
  • references/dialogue.md
  • references/handoff.md
  • references/html-rendering.md
  • references/interaction-rules.md
  • references/markdown-rendering.md
  • references/model-tiers.md
  • references/output-mode.md
  • references/phase-0.md
  • references/plan-write.md
  • references/product-pressure-test.md
  • references/reasoning-elevation.md
  • references/settled-decisions.md
  • references/synthesis-summary.md
  • … and 8 more

Open the folder on GitHubat commit cef001f

Compare with similar skills

CE Brainstorm next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

CE Brainstorm compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
CE Brainstorm this skillEveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin25k—~1.9kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Feature BrainstormVeryGoodOpenSource/vgv-wingspan108—~1.8kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Brainstorming Before BuildingjnMetaCode/superpowers-zh8.3k—~1.8kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Architect Before You Buildjsmastery-pro/jsm-agent-skill216—~1.1kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Interview-Driven Spec Writerposhan0126/dotclaude871—~804Automated safety check: PassMIT
Interview Meaddyosmani/agent-skills102k6 repos~3.8kAutomated safety check: PassMIT

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Categories

Questions about CE Brainstorm

What does CE Brainstorm do?

Turns a vague or ambitious feature idea into a requirements-only plan through dialogue with you, sized to the work, before any code is written. This skill covers the what-to-build stage of a feature. Through back-and-forth dialogue it works out requirements, scope boundaries and success criteria, then hands the result to the companion ce-plan skill, which adds the how.

When should I use CE Brainstorm?

CE Brainstorm fits situations like: scoping a vague feature idea before anyone writes code; turning an ambitious improvement into clear requirements and success criteria; producing a requirements-only plan that a planning step can build on; deciding how much planning a small change actually needs.

How do I install CE Brainstorm in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin --skill ce-brainstorm -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/ce-brainstorm in EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin) into .claude/skills/ce-brainstorm in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install CE Brainstorm in Codex?

Run `npx skills add EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin --skill ce-brainstorm -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/ce-brainstorm in EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin) into .agents/skills/ce-brainstorm in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use CE Brainstorm in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin --skill ce-brainstorm -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/ce-brainstorm, .gemini/skills/ce-brainstorm, .github/skills/ce-brainstorm and .opencode/skills/ce-brainstorm in your project.

What does CE Brainstorm need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, CE Brainstorm needs the command-line tools its instructions call (git).

Does CE Brainstorm access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Its commands use git, which can reach the network depending on how they are called. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is CE Brainstorm safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. The check reads SKILL.md only: the scripts in the folder are not scanned, so read them before running anything.

What licence does CE Brainstorm use?

CE Brainstorm is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does CE Brainstorm use?

About 1.9k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 7.8k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 58k tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.

What are the alternatives to CE Brainstorm?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with CE Brainstorm: Feature Brainstorm (VeryGoodOpenSource/vgv-wingspan, 108 stars), Brainstorming Before Building (jnMetaCode/superpowers-zh, 8.3k stars), Architect Before You Build (jsmastery-pro/jsm-agent-skill, 216 stars) and Interview-Driven Spec Writer (poshan0126/dotclaude, 871 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains CE Brainstorm?

EveryInc (a GitHub organization) maintains it in EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin, which has 25,412 GitHub stars. The repository holds 37 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 7, 2026.

Source: EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.