/idea

name: idea
description: Chorus Idea workflow — claim ideas, run elaboration rounds, and prepare for proposal creation.
license: AGPL-3.0
metadata:
  author: chorus
  version: "0.24.0"
  category: project-management
  mcp_server: chorus

Idea Skill

This skill covers the **Ideation** stage of the AI-DLC workflow: claiming Ideas, running structured elaboration rounds to clarify requirements, and preparing for Proposal creation.

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Overview

Ideas are the starting point of the AI-DLC pipeline. Humans (or Admin agents) create Ideas describing what they need. The PM Agent claims an Idea, runs elaboration to clarify requirements, and then moves on to `/proposal` to create a Proposal with document and task drafts.

**Idea status lifecycle (3 stored states):**

open --> elaborating --> elaborated

All post-elaboration progress (planning, building, verifying, done) is **derived** from the state of linked Proposals and Tasks. No agent should set Idea status directly beyond elaboration -- all transitions are side-effects of claiming, releasing, or completing elaboration.

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Tools

**Idea Management:**

| Tool | Purpose | |------|---------| | `chorus_pm_create_idea` | Create a new idea in a project (on behalf of humans). Optional `parentUuid` derives a child idea from an existing same-project idea (single-parent lineage). | | `chorus_edit_idea` | Edit an existing idea's title, description, and/or lineage parent. `parentUuid`: another same-project idea to reparent under, `null` to detach to top-level, omit to leave unchanged (cycle-checked + same-project). Single-parent **weak** lineage — a parent shows a read-only `+N derived` rollup but never blocks either idea's flow. Records an "edited" activity and signals presence. | | `chorus_claim_idea` | Claim an open idea (open -> elaborating) | | `chorus_release_idea` | Release a claimed idea (elaborating -> open) | | `chorus_pm_assign_idea` | Assign an idea to an agent (must hold `idea:write`) or a user, on a human's behalf — the counterpart to `chorus_claim_idea` (self-claim). Silently takes over any existing assignee; an `open` idea moves to `elaborating`, any other status is preserved. Optional `instanceUuid` pins an **agent** assignment to a specific AgentInstance (agent-only) — but a project-fixed cwd target configured for the owner takes precedence and supplies the instance automatically, overriding `instanceUuid`. Assigning a **new** owner wakes it best-effort (offline still persists the assignment); re-assigning the same owner may update its pin/cwd but is wake-deduplicated. Assigning to a user notifies them with no daemon wake. Requires `idea:admin`. | | `chorus_move_idea` | Move an Idea to a different Project. Cascade-migrates the Idea **and its full lineage subtree** (all descendant Ideas; the moved root is detached from any parent left behind), all linked Proposals (any status), all materialized Documents and Tasks, and all related Activities atomically. Comments, TaskDependency, AcceptanceCriterion, AgentSession, SessionTaskCheckin, Notification history, and Task assignees are NOT modified. Returns `moved: { ideas, proposals, documents, tasks, activities }` counts. Requires `idea:write` (no `project:*` bit) plus Editor access on both the source and target projects — for an agent, its owner's effective level; a target you cannot see returns `Target project not found`. Fails without moving anything if a live assignee in the moved set lacks Editor on the target; the error names every blocked assignee. |

**Requirements Elaboration:**

| Tool | Purpose | |------|---------| | `chorus_pm_start_elaboration` | Generate an elaboration round (first, follow-up, or appended-after-resolution) | | `chorus_pm_validate_elaboration` | Mark the whole elaboration complete (requires `idea:admin`; requires human confirmation first) | | `chorus_pm_skip_elaboration` | Skip elaboration for trivially clear Ideas | | `chorus_answer_elaboration` | Submit answers for an elaboration round (`roundUuid` optional — auto-locates the active round) | | `chorus_get_elaboration` | Get full elaboration state (rounds, questions, answers) |

**Shared tools** (checkin, query, comment, search, notifications): see `/chorus`

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Tracker Research action: research-only entry

When the current instruction is an explicit Tracker Research action, route directly to `/skill:research` ([research-only contract](../research/SKILL.md)) and the result-saving rules in Step 4.45. Check current authoritative development eligibility before executing. This branch bypasses the normal claim and elaboration sequence below: preserve the existing Idea, root session, pending questions, answers, resolution, proposal approval and task states. Save findings to the latest Idea body with real citations and report, then **return**. If development has begun, report the changed stage without researching or editing. Record impacts on approved scope as follow-up in the Idea; do not mutate locked proposals.

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Team-managed Ideas (check first)

Before the workflow below, call `chorus_get_idea_team_context({ideaUuid})`. If `managed: true` and you are the `orchestrator`, route the work instead of doing every stage yourself:

• **Product work** (elaboration + proposal): `chorus_recommend_team_agent({ideaUuid, role: "product"})`, then `chorus_delegate_team_product({ideaUuid, agentUuid})`. If the recommendation is yourself, do it yourself with the workflow below.
• If you are the **product delegate** (not the orchestrator): run elaboration and author/submit the proposal with the workflow below, but never claim, release or reassign the Idea; leave resolving elaboration to the orchestrator or a human.
• Unmanaged Ideas (`managed: false`): follow the workflow below unchanged. See the orchestrate skill for the full Team routing contract.

Workflow

Step 1: Check In

chorus_checkin()

Review your persona, current assignments, and pending work counts.

Step 2: Find Work