Ideas

Input: $ARGUMENTS

Step 1: Capture the Idea Precisely

Write the idea in one clear sentence. If you can’t, it’s not clear enough yet.

THE IDEA: [One sentence — no jargon, no hand-waving]
LONGER VERSION: [2-3 sentences if the one-liner loses important nuance]
ORIGIN: [Where did this idea come from? What triggered it?]

Step 2: Assess Novelty

Is this actually new, or a rediscovery?

NOVELTY CHECK:
- Has this been tried before? [yes / no / unsure]
- If yes: [by whom, what happened]
- What's different this time? [new technology, new context, new angle]
- Is the novelty in the idea itself or in its application? [idea / application / combination]

NOVELTY RATING: [Truly novel / New combination / New application / Rediscovery / Already exists]

If already exists: that’s fine. Understanding prior art makes the idea stronger. Note what exists and continue.

Step 3: Assess Feasibility

FEASIBILITY CHECK:
- What would it take to try this? [resources, time, skills]
- What's the biggest obstacle? [technical, social, economic, regulatory]
- Is the obstacle solvable? [yes, with effort / maybe / probably not]
- Smallest possible test: [how to validate with minimum investment]

FEASIBILITY RATING: [Easy to try / Moderate effort / Hard but possible / Currently infeasible]

Step 4: Identify the Core Insight

Strip away the implementation. What’s the underlying insight?

CORE INSIGHT: [The fundamental observation or principle behind the idea]
WHY IT MATTERS: [What changes if this insight is true]
WHAT IT DEPENDS ON: [Key assumption that must hold]

The core insight is often more valuable than the specific idea. It can generate multiple implementations.

Step 5: Find Connections

CONNECTS TO:
- [Related idea, domain, or trend 1] — connection: [how they relate]
- [Related idea, domain, or trend 2] — connection: [how they relate]
- [Related idea, domain, or trend 3] — connection: [how they relate]

STRENGTHENED BY: [What other ideas or trends make this one stronger]
THREATENED BY: [What developments would make this idea irrelevant]

Step 6: Determine Next Step

THE IDEA IS: [Worth pursuing / Worth developing / Worth sharing / Worth shelving]

RECOMMENDED NEXT STEP:

Verdict	Next Step
Worth pursuing	Define smallest test and run it
Worth developing	Flesh out the details, find collaborators
Worth sharing	Write it up, get feedback from [specific audience]
Worth shelving	Record it clearly, revisit when [condition] changes

SPECIFIC NEXT ACTION: [One concrete thing to do with this idea]

Integration

Use with:

/vldt -> Validate the idea’s core assumptions
/plsk -> Turn the idea into a plan
/bldk -> Build a prototype to test the idea
/thnk -> Choose the right analytical lens for the idea

idsk - Ideas