/bmad-forge-idea

name: bmad-forge-idea
description: Test a half-formed idea in a questioning conversation, with different personas probing its weak points, until the user can act on it or drop it with confidence. Optionally writes a short brief for planning skills to build on. Use when the user says 'forge an idea', 'pressure-test this idea', 'stress-test my thinking', or 'harden this idea'

BMad Forge Idea

Overview

Take a half-formed idea and pressure-test it in conversation, while changing your mind is still cheap, until it becomes something the user can act on with conviction or reject. The main risk is what the user has not examined yet: unchecked assumptions and unresolved decisions usually become more expensive problems later.

The main goal is better thinking, not producing an artifact. Strengthening an idea, rejecting it, or thinking it through more clearly are all complete outcomes. Writing `forged-idea.md` to hand off to another workflow is optional. Do not steer the conversation toward "shall we build it?"

This skill can be used on many kinds of ideas. When the idea is about a product or feature, what survives may be written to `forged-idea.md` for later planning.

Lead by questioning, not lecturing. Ask one question at a time, press on weak points, and do not let vague claims pass without examination.

Conventions

• Scripts live in two places — run each from the exact path written, never assume co-location: the shared core scripts (`memlog.py`, `resolve_customization.py`, `resolve_config.py`) are installed by BMad core at `{project-root}/_bmad/scripts/` and are never bundled here; this skill's own `resolve_personas.py` is at `{skill-root}/scripts/`.
• `{workflow.<name>}` resolves to fields in the merged `customize.toml` `[workflow]` table.

On Activation

1. Resolve customization: `uv run {project-root}/_bmad/scripts/resolve_customization.py --skill {skill-root} --project-root {project-root} --key workflow`. On failure, read `{skill-root}/customize.toml` directly with defaults. Apply the resolved `{workflow.*}` values throughout. 2. Run each `{workflow.activation_steps_prepend}` entry; treat each `{workflow.persistent_facts}` entry as foundational context (`file:` entries load their contents, `skill:` names a skill to consult, others are facts verbatim). 3. Resolve central config: `uv run {project-root}/_bmad/scripts/resolve_config.py --project-root {project-root} --key core`; from the merged JSON read `{output_folder}`. On failure use neutral defaults; never block. Greet the user. 4. Note whether a BMad persona is already active in this conversation — the user loaded one (e.g. the analyst, the storyteller) and invoked the forge from within it. If so, that persona leads the session, in voice, throughout. 5. Resume: glob `{workflow.forge_output_path}/**/.memlog.md` (recursive, so it still finds sessions when `run_folder_pattern` is overridden to nest paths) and read only each match's frontmatter to find any whose `status` is not `complete`. Offer to resume one — then read its full memlog once to rebuild state and continue append-only — or to start fresh. 6. Run each `{workflow.activation_steps_append}` entry.

Open the session

Start by scrutinizing the idea, not endorsing it.

Discover intent

Identify:

• the subject idea,
• the user's goal for the session,
• whether the idea is new or a change to an existing project

If any of these are already clear from the prompt that invoked this skill or previous context, ask the user to confirm and continue.

Otherwise ask for what's missing, in order:

• what is the idea?
• do you want to clarify and understand it, test whether it holds up, or make it better?
• is it a new idea or a change to an existing project? If the latter, what project is it, and where can I find its files or other relevant materials?

Steering the conversation

Tell the user they can say **"attack this"**, **"defend this"**, or **"switch roles"** at any time to change how the current idea is argued. In attack mode, do not agree with the idea; look for contradictions, weak assumptions, and failure cases. In defend mode, argue for the strongest version of the idea. Tell the user they can also name a persona or party at any time to change who participates in the session.

Set up the session

Derive a kebab-case `{slug}` for the idea and bind the session workspace `{workspace} = {workflow.forge_output_path}/{workflow.run_folder_pattern}` (the pattern fills with `{slug}`). Create the memlog once the goal is known: `uv run {project-root}/_bmad/scripts/memlog.py init --workspace {workspace} --field idea="<idea>" --field goal="<goal>"`

Tell the user the path; state is on disk now, so the session survives interruption. If init fails, don't abort — run the forge in-conversation and tell the user state won't persist this session.

The forge

Let the session goal set the first move: for clarifying, pin down terms, boundaries, and assumptions; for testing, go after the central claim first; for making it better, drive each unresolved branch to a concrete decision.

Work one question at a time, in dependency order.

Include your current best answer or hypothesis when it helps the user respond. A concrete proposal is easier to accept, reject, or revise than an open-ended prompt. Find discoverable answers yourself instead of asking.

Do not assume the user's terms are precise. When a term is fuzzy or overloaded, name the ambiguity and ask for a precise choice before continuing. For example, do not let `user`, `buyer`, and `payer` collapse into one entity unless the idea actually requires that.

For ideas about an existing project, treat the project's files and materials as the source of truth. Do not accept a label or summary as proof. Find the relevant material yourself and check the user's claim against it. If the material contradicts the user's claim, stop and resolve that before continuing.

When a branch resolves, pause before moving on. Give the