/idea-genie

name: idea-genie
description: 'Generate evidenced options or challenge an idea. Use when: deciding what to build or comparing alternatives; exploration does not authorize implementation.'
practices: [lean-startup, bdd-gherkin, design-by-contract, llm-eval-harness, adr]
hexagonal_role: domain
consumes: [repo-context, task-question, idea-portfolio.v1]
produces: [idea-portfolio.v1, idea-challenge.v1]
context_rel:
- kind: customer-of
  with: research
- kind: supplier-to
  with: plan
skill_api_version: 1
user-invocable: true
metadata:
  tier: execution
  dependencies: []
  capabilities: [generate_evidenced_options, dueling_idea_genies]
  effects: [write_idea_portfolio]
  canonical_status: canonical
  disposition: keep_strategy
output_contract: idea-portfolio.v1 JSON validated by skills/idea-genie/scripts/validate-output.sh (elicit mode), or idea-challenge.v1 JSON validated by skills/idea-genie/scripts/validate-challenge.sh (duel mode)

Idea Genie

One canonical root for idea work: elicit an evidence-grounded opportunity portfolio, or challenge a consequential idea with sealed independent perspectives. Both modes explore and advise; neither selects, schedules, tracks, implements, or validates work.

Modes

| Trigger phrases | Mode | Output contract | |---|---|---| | "idea genie", "what should we build", "supported opportunities" | elicit (single genie) | `idea-portfolio.v1` via `scripts/validate-output.sh` | | "challenge this idea", "compare independent proposals", "stress-test a one-way door" | duel (adversarial challenge) | `idea-challenge.v1` via `scripts/validate-challenge.sh` |

Elicitation is the entry mode. Dueling is an optional escalation for a consequential choice, typically consuming an `idea-portfolio.v1` or a framed question.

Elicit mode

Generate a small portfolio of evidenced options.

1. State the question, constraints, non-goals, and sources. Hydrate only the sources this question needs and cite them; no merged context store. 2. Separate cited observations from assumptions. 3. Give each candidate its supporting evidence, overlap with existing capabilities, and one normal or edge scenario. 4. Run a novelty pass, merge equivalents, and discard unsupported ideas. 5. Stop when no materially new evidenced candidate appears. 6. Write and validate `idea-portfolio.v1`, then return it to the caller or Plan.

An empty `no-new-work` portfolio is valid. Plan alone may incorporate a selected option into the existing bead or caller intent.

Duel mode

Produce independent challenges for a consequential choice. The result is advisory evidence for Plan. It never decides whether a plan is ready and never turns a later optional Premortem challenge into an approval gate.

Constraints

• Keep generation sealed until every perspective is complete to prevent later

proposals from anchoring on earlier ones.

• Preserve dissent and concrete refutation attempts because Plan must see alternatives

that synthesis might otherwise erase.

• Keep reversible choices lightweight because they do not warrant a pane manager,

messaging service, council, or model-family rule.

• Emit no readiness, approval, quorum, retry, budget, helper, delivery, or

tracker state because this strategy supplies evidence rather than lifecycle authority.

Workflow

1. Freeze the question, constraints, evidence paths, and comparison rubric. 2. For a one-way door, create at least two fresh contexts with distinct context identifiers. Each produces its perspective before any is revealed. When the caller pins perspectives to model profiles, record each perspective's `model_identity` (see the `agent-native` model-dispatch recipe); a duel may use two distinct models on request. Sealed generation is unchanged: no perspective may see another before reveal. Unavailable profiles → disclose and continue single-model. 3. Reveal the sealed perspectives and cross-review by evidence, reversibility, system fit, failure modes, and cost. 4. Attempt concrete refutations. Preserve disagreements, failed refutations, and minority reasoning. 5. Write `idea-challenge.v1`, validate it, and pass the artifact to Plan as one optional input alongside research and operator intent.

For a cheap two-way door, emit the lightweight packet directly after one fresh challenge. Do not manufacture panel ceremony.

Output Specification

• **Artifact directory:** `.agents/scratch/ideas/<run-id>/`
• **Filename:** `idea-challenge.json`
• **Format:** `idea-challenge.v1` JSON with route-specific fields enforced by

the validator

• **Validation command:**

`skills/idea-genie/scripts/validate-challenge.sh <idea-challenge.json>`

• **Downstream handoff:** `handoff.owner` is exactly `plan`; Plan may accept,

reject, or combine the advisory evidence

Quality

• One-way packets prove distinct context IDs and cross-review another

perspective by named dimensions.

• Dissent and refutation attempts remain explicit.
• The packet contains no semantic readiness field or decision.
• The validator passes before handoff to Plan.

Do not

• Let perspectives see one another before sealed generation completes.
• Convert consensus, transport availability, or a self-score into readiness.
• Require orchestration infrastructure for a reversible choice.

References

• [Idea Genie behavior](references/idea-genie.feature)
• [Idea challenge behavior](references/idea-challenge.feature)