Diverge solutions

Skill: diverge-solutions

Turn a known opportunity into ≥3 structured, comparable solution options — so place-bet (step 5) has the full option space to reason against, not just the first idea that came to mind.

When to invoke

Confirm the input is an initiative- or capability-scope opportunity, not a feature request. Feature-scoped input → name the altitude mismatch and offer to redirect to explore-options. Altitude genuinely ambiguous → ask; never force one level.

User wants a freeform brainstorm without structured comparable options → name the output-contract difference ("this skill requires ≥3 structured options place-bet can reason against; explore-options is the right tool for open brainstorm") and offer to redirect.

If no identify-opportunities (step-2) artifact is provided, see step 2 below.

Procedure

1. Intake. Read the opportunity (step-2 artifact or free-form description). Confirm altitude in one sentence; proceed once confirmed.

2. Step 2 readiness check. If no identify-opportunities artifact is provided:

• Skill available in the roster: offer to run identify-opportunities first and pause — verbal hand-off; do not auto-invoke.
• Skill absent: explain what step 2 provides — functional, emotional, and social JTBD grounding — so the user knows what signal is missing.
• In both cases: if the user proceeds without step 2, include a "Step 2 readiness" section in the artifact naming the missing input and its impact on option quality (key bets may lack JTBD grounding).

3. Generate ≥3 options. Options must span meaningfully different approaches — at least one of mechanic (how the opportunity is seized), scope (breadth addressed), or bet (what must be true) must differ across the set. For each option produce: name (short descriptive title), approach (one paragraph), key bets (1–3 assumptions that must hold), trade-offs (relative to other options). If all candidates collapse to trivial variations, name the constraint and ask before reducing below 3.

4. Recommend one option. State the recommended option with one-sentence rationale naming the dominant bet and why the team is willing to take it. Tag non-recommended options rejected (definitively out) or parked (revisable). Do not delete any option — retained options are revivable.

5. Emit solution-options.md. Resolve output_dir via the three-tier config procedure (repo-scope agentbundle-layout.toml [product] → user-scope → two-branch elicitation). Realpath-expand; reject .. escapes and any symlink chain that exits the root; surface the resolved absolute path before writing. Write to <output_dir>/shaping/<slug>/solution-options.md.

Frontmatter: type: solution-options, slug, opportunity (one-line description), date, recommendation (name of the recommended option — same value as that option's name field). Sections: Opportunity, Options (≥3 entries each with name, Approach, Key bets list, Trade-offs, Status), Recommendation (option name + rationale), Residual bets (what must hold across options regardless of which is selected), Step 2 readiness (include only when proceeding without a step-2 artifact), Suggested workspace.toml entry. Status values the skill writes: recommended (one option only), parked, rejected. selected is the PE's post-emission value — not written by this skill.

6. Suggest workspace.toml entry. Print the TOML snippet and direct the user to add it via capture-work or manually. Do not write to workspace.toml.

{slug = "<slug>", type = "shape"},

Anti-patterns to refuse

• Committing to an option on the PE's behalf — recommend and present; the PE selects selected after the fact.
• Generating fewer than 3 options without surfacing the constraint first.
• Deleting non-recommended options from the artifact.
• Writing to workspace.toml or any literal hardcoded path.
• Producing a brief — that is place-bet + author-brief's responsibility.