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source_hash: df414c76bcbc8356816129778053776ea0bce9082cfdbd3cfaab427e92adcdc2
post: /posts/workflows/brainstorming-swarm
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# Context Pack: Brainstorming Swarm V1

Reference for the August 2026 V1 design skill and member distribution. This is distinct from the later public V2 method. It is a portable written protocol; actual execution depends on the host's tools and permissions.

## Verbatim excerpts

> The result is a design you can explain and defend. Implementation needs its own brief and authority.

> A return with the wrong structure, or a dump of raw material, gets one retry. If it still does not meet the contract, the conductor escalates to you.

> One seat can still use the method. Its self-critique is not independent peer review.

## Sequence and decisions

S0 frames the goal, hard constraints and context boundary. S1 uses failure, stakeholder, constraint, temporal and experiential discovery lenses. Human Gate A redirects or approves before proposals. S2 develops competing approaches, with mvp-first, risk-first and portability-first as default axioms. S3 critiques each approach: kill, keep or salvage. Human Gate B selects a winner or hybrid. S4 presents the design for approval. S5 saves the approved design and HALTS. No implementation begins within this skill.

The conductor advises, routes and synthesises; workers perform bounded briefs rather than taking over the human conversation, process or taste choices. Roles are conduct, gather, draft, judge and synth. Lenses/axioms are replaceable cards. Returns use named fields and word limits, with one retry then escalation for bad shape.

## Dispatch and honest fallback

Prefer independent dispatch when available. Large outputs/read sets, sustained execution, capability mismatch and approaches needing isolation are reasons to send work out. Keep small local work inline.

Modes: dispatch means independent seats ran the legs; serial_fallback means one seat performed roles sequentially with the same schemas and gates; partial names which legs were parallel and which serial. A serial floor is required for portability, but is not the default when independent seats are available. Do not call a single seat's self-critique peer review.

## Fit and use

Solo brainstorm fits a small problem one seat can hold. This skill supplies competing design frames. Build swarm fits implementation after the design is agreed. Coding while design is being negotiated defeats this skill's stopping rule.

V1 distribution: MemberDownload slug brainstorming-swarm, label version 1.0.0. Unzip into the host's skill location, invoke SKILL.md with a bounded goal, preserve both gates and stop at the written design. Save For Later can retain decisions/rejections but cannot replace approval. The Markdown pack has no telemetry mechanism; do not infer anything about the host's data handling.

The article retains all five original code diagrams/invocation blocks. Later public method: /documents/workflows/the-swarm-that-refused-to-choose.