/idea-engine

name: idea-engine
description: >
  Activate when the user needs to evaluate whether a research idea is worth pursuing,
  brainstorm new research directions, or stress-test a paper concept before committing.
  This is Phase 0 of the paper machine — the gate that decides whether the full
  8-phase pipeline should run. Also activates standalone via /evaluate-idea.

  Integrates Carlini's research philosophy (conclusion-first test, taste for problems,
  kill conditions, unreasonable effort) with structured evaluation (7 dimensions,
  RS1-RS8 principles, 3 specialist agents).

Idea Engine — Phase 0: Is This Paper Worth Writing?

Purpose

Most AI tools help you *write* papers. This engine helps you decide *which* papers to write.

The current paper machine takes any topic and produces. This engine adds the missing gate: **Phase 0 — Is this paper the right use of my time?**

Great research starts with taste, strategic problem selection, honest self-evaluation, and knowing when to kill your darlings.

When to Activate

• User runs `/evaluate-idea [topic]`
• User asks "is this worth pursuing?", "should I write this paper?"
• Phase 0 of the `/write-paper` pipeline (before Reconnaissance)
• User wants to compare multiple research directions
• User questions whether to continue an ongoing project

The 8 Research Strategy Principles (RS1-RS8)

Reference: `principles/research-strategy.md` for full details.

Problem Selection

• **RS1 (Novelty Test):** If you don't do this, how many months until someone else does?
• **RS2 (Conclusion-First Test):** Can you write a compelling conclusion without doing the work?
• **RS3 (Nugget Test):** Can you state the key insight in one sentence?

Execution Strategy

• **RS4 (Fail Fast):** Start with the sub-problem most likely to kill the project.
• **RS5 (Kill Early):** A working project with low impact is worse than a killed project.
• **RS6 (Unreasonable Effort):** Strengthen "sometimes" to "usually" — but only AFTER RS4 and RS5.

Strategic Positioning

• **RS7 (Comparative Advantage):** Research space is high-dimensional; find your unique corner.
• **RS8 (Timing Awareness):** Impact = skill x domain importance at this moment.

The 6-Phase Orchestration Pipeline

Phase 1: SEED — Understand the Problem Space

**Goal:** Gather enough context to brainstorm and evaluate intelligently.

1. Check for prior evaluations in `research-evaluations/*.md`

• If KILL exists: check whether reasons still hold
• If PARK exists: check whether revisit conditions are met

2. Brief interview (3-5 questions max, skip what's already answered):

• What's the problem space? What's bugging you about it?
• What's your background/expertise relevant to this?
• Any constraints (timeline, venue, data availability)?
• What would success look like?

Phase 2: DIVERGE — Generate Ideas

**Goal:** Expand the possibility space before narrowing.

1. Deploy the **Brainstormer** agent (`agents/brainstormer.md`) 2. Organize results by type:

• Cross-field connections
• Assumptions worth challenging
• Novel framings
• Extensions of the original idea

3. Present results. User stars their top 2-3 ideas.

Phase 3: EVALUATE — Stress-Test Top Ideas

**Goal:** Honest, structured assessment of each candidate.

1. Deploy **Idea Critic** agents in parallel — one per selected idea (`agents/idea-critic.md`) 2. Each evaluation covers all 7 dimensions with signal ratings 3. Present side-by-side comparison table:

| Dimension    | Idea A        | Idea B        | Idea C        |
|-------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
| Novelty     | Years         | Months        | Weeks         |
| Impact      | High          | Medium        | Low           |
| Timing      | Well-Timed    | Well-Timed    | Too Late      |
| Feasibility | Medium Risk   | Low Risk      | Low Risk      |
| Competition | Open          | Moderate      | Crowded       |
| Nugget      | Clear         | Fuzzy         | Clear         |
| Narrative   | Compelling    | Workable      | Weak          |
| **VERDICT** | **PURSUE**    | **REFINE**    | **KILL**      |

4. Highlight which ideas survived and which were killed, with reasoning.

Phase 4: DEEPEN — Strategic Reality Check

**Goal:** For surviving ideas, assess strategic viability.

1. Deploy **Research Strategist** for each PURSUE/REFINE idea (in parallel, `agents/research-strategist.md`)

• Scooping risk assessment
• Competitive landscape analysis
• Timing evaluation
• Comparative advantage mapping

2. Present as reality check with traffic lights:

• Green flags (strong strategic position)
• Yellow flags (manageable risks)
• Red flags (serious concerns)

Phase 5: FRAME — The Conclusion-First Test

**Goal:** The decisive test. Can this paper tell a compelling story?

For each surviving idea, write:

1. **The Nugget** — one sentence, the core insight 2. **Draft Abstract** (5 sentences following Carlini's Formula A):

• (1) Topic
• (2) Problem within that topic
• (3) Results or methods
• (4) Whichever sentence 3 didn't cover
• (5) Why it matters

3. **Draft Conclusion** (2-3 sentences):

• What can we say? What changed? So what?

**The critical test:** If the conclusion feels hollow or generic — if it only says "our method achieves X% improvement" — that IS the signal. The idea doesn't have enough impact to justify months of work.

Phase 6: DECIDE — Final Verdict and Next Steps

**Goal:** Clear, actionable decision for each idea.

For each idea, deliver one of three verdicts:

**PURSUE** — This is worth your time. Next steps:

• Specific, risk-targeted first step (RS4: start with what's most likely to kill it)
• Time-bounded: achievable in 1-2 weeks
• What to do first, what to defer

**PARK** — Not now, but potentially later. Document:

• What would need to change for this to become PURSUE
• Conditions to revisit (new dataset, field shift, new collaborator)
• Set a revisit dat