---
title: "Foundation Sprint Approach Options"
description: "Day 2 morning move of a Foundation Sprint. Forces generation of 3 to 7 candidate approaches as one-page summaries before the team converges on a top bet. Use after Day 1 is signed and before Magic Lenses on Day 2 afternoon. Enforces a minimum of 3 approaches to prevent first-idea anchoring. Each approach summary names what it is, why it serves the differentiators, and includes a simple visual."
generated: true
source: scripts/generate-skill-pages.py
tags:
  - tool
  - ideation
---

:::note[Quick facts]
**Classification:** tool | **Version:** 0.1.0 | **Category:** ideation | **License:** Apache-2.0
:::

**Try it:** `/tool-foundation-sprint-approach-options "Your context here"`

Day 2 morning of a Foundation Sprint. The team forces itself to generate multiple plausible approaches before committing to one. The skill enforces a minimum of 3 approaches; anchoring on a single approach is the most common Day 2 failure mode.

Family contract: [`docs/reference/skill-families/foundation-sprint-skills-contract.md`](../../reference/skill-families/foundation-sprint-skills-contract.md). This skill is a member of `foundation-sprint-skills`.

## When to Use

- Day 2 morning of a Foundation Sprint.
- Day 1 is signed; the Mini Manifesto, decision principles, and differentiation chart are committed.
- The team is ready to generate candidate approaches before evaluating them through Magic Lenses in the afternoon.

## When NOT to Use

- Day 1 is unresolved. Approach Options without differentiation context produces approaches that miss the strategic position.
- The team has only one approach in mind and is unwilling to generate alternatives. The skill forces minimum 3; if the team refuses, the issue is sprint discipline, not tooling.
- More than 7 approaches are emerging organically. The skill caps generation at 7; beyond that the team is generating features, not strategic approaches.

## How to Use

Use the `/tool-foundation-sprint-approach-options` slash command:

```
/tool-foundation-sprint-approach-options "Your context here"
```

Or reference the skill file directly: `skills/tool-foundation-sprint-approach-options/SKILL.md`

## Output Template

# Foundation Sprint Approach Options: [Initiative name] (Day 2 Morning)

<!-- 3 to 7 candidate approaches, each as a one-page summary, advancing to Magic Lenses in the afternoon. -->

## Approach [N]: [Approach name]

**Label:** [Color / letter / ID, e.g., Yellow / A / "Camera-First"]

**What it is:** [One sentence the customer would understand.]

**Why it's a good idea:**

[One short paragraph naming customer value and team capability. Cite specific evidence from Basics (customer pain) and Differentiation (team advantage).]

**Sketch:**

```text
[Simple ASCII or textual description of what the customer sees or does. Doesn't need to be polished; needs to be concrete enough that someone reading the page can imagine using it.]
```

**How it serves the differentiators:**

- [Differentiator 1]: [How this approach delivers on it.]
- [Differentiator 2]: [How this approach delivers on it.]

---

<!-- Repeat the above block for each approach (3 to 7 total). -->

## Approach Set Summary

| Label | Approach | Primary capture / interaction | Primary value | Top trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Label 1] | [Name 1] | [How the customer interacts] | [Differentiator served strongest] | [What it sacrifices] |
| [Label 2] | [Name 2] | [...] | [...] | [...] |
| [Label 3] | [Name 3] | [...] | [...] | [...] |

[Add rows for each approach in the set.]

## Decider Checkpoint

**Decider sign-off required before Day 2 afternoon (Magic Lenses) begins.**

- [ ] Decider confirms the set of [3-7] approaches advancing to Magic Lenses.
- [ ] Decider confirms all approaches honor the [2] decision principles from Day 1.
- [ ] Decider confirms each approach serves both committed differentiators (not just one).
- [ ] Decider acknowledges that Magic Lenses will narrow to 1 top bet plus 1 backup; not all approaches will survive.
- [ ] Decider has not pre-committed to any specific approach; entering Magic Lenses with genuine uncertainty.

**Signed:** [Decider name, role], [ISO date and local time]

## Example Output

<details>
<summary>Foundation Sprint Approach Options: Brainshelf (Day 2 Morning)</summary>

# Foundation Sprint Approach Options: Brainshelf (Day 2 Morning)

Five candidate approaches generated by the Brainshelf team, advancing to Magic Lenses in the afternoon. The team generated 9 candidates in silent ideation, clustered them, and the Decider narrowed to 5 for one-page evaluation. (Per the ratified spec decision: minimum 3, warn at 4-7, reject at 8 or more.)

## Approach A: Camera-First Capture

**Label:** Yellow / Camera

**What it is:** The home screen is a camera. Point it at a book spine, dust jacket, or shelf and the app captures it via OCR plus cover-recognition into a private library.

**Why it's a good idea:**

Eliminates typing entirely. Sub-3-second capture is achievable. Naturally private (no feed). Matches how people physically encounter books they want to remember. The 22 customer interviews repeatedly named typing-friction as the #1 reason for abandoning Goodreads; this approach attacks that pain directly.

**Sketch:**

```text
+----------------+
|                |
|   [CAMERA]     |
|     viewfinder |
|                |
|   "Snap a book"|
|                |
|  [recents]     |
+----------------+
```

**How it serves the differentiators:**

- Capture speed: maximum (single action, no typing).
- Personal recall: requires complementary recall view (separate screen reachable from library badge).

---

## Approach B: Library Browser

**Label:** Blue / Library

**What it is:** The home screen is the user's personal library (visual grid of book covers). A persistent capture button floats above. Recall is by browsing.

**Why it's a good idea:**

Beautiful default state. Matches mental model of a physical shelf. Recall is one tap. Customers who use Apple Books or Kindle's library view recognize the pattern immediately.

**Sketch:**

```text
+----------------+
| [+] My Library |
|  [b][b][b][b]  |
|  [b][b][b][b]  |
|  [b][b][b][b]  |
|                |
+----------------+
```

**How it serves the differentiators:**

- Capture speed: high but requires extra tap (Floating Action Button).
- Personal recall: very high (the home screen IS recall).

---

## Approach C: Voice-First Capture

**Label:** Green / Voice

**What it is:** User speaks: "Just finished Project Hail Mary, loved the alien biology." App resolves the book, captures the note, files it. Recall is also voice ("did I read anything by Andy Weir?").

**Why it's a good idea:**

Hands-free. Captures opinions, not just titles. Especially fast from physical contexts (walking out of bookstore, finishing on a treadmill).

**Sketch:**

```text
+----------------+
|                |
|  "Speak"  [mic]|
|                |
|  Listening...  |
|                |
|  Just heard:   |
|  "Project Hail |
|   Mary"        |
+----------------+
```

**How it serves the differentiators:**

- Capture speed: very high (no UI manipulation).
- Personal recall: medium (voice recall is less reliable for "did I read X?").

---

## Approach D: Bookstore Mode

**Label:** Red / Store

**What it is:** A specialized mode triggered by geofence at bookstores and libraries that switches the app into "have I read this?" lookup. Browse with phone in hand; titles flash up read/unread status.

**Why it's a good idea:**

Surfaces personal recall at the highest-friction moment. Solves the "did I already read this?" pain directly. Differentiated against every competitor (none does this today).

**Sketch:**

```text
+----------------+
|  Powell's      |
|  Books         |
|                |
|  Project Hail  |
|  Mary  [READ]  |
|                |
|  Tomorrow      |
|  [NEW]         |
+----------------+
```

**How it serves the differentiators:**

- Capture speed: lower than A/B/C (mode-specific entry).
- Personal recall: extremely high (context-aware recall).

---

## Approach E: Read-Later Capture Triage

**Label:** Purple / Triage

**What it is:** Brainshelf is a strict capture-and-recall tool for "want to read" intent. Recommendations from any source (article, friend text, podcast) flow into a single triage queue; user processes weekly.

**Why it's a good idea:**

Solves the "I get recommendations and lose them" pain directly. Models the product on Pocket / Instapaper, which is a familiar mental model.

**Sketch:**

```text
+----------------+
| Inbox (8 new)  |
|                |
| Snow Crash     |
|   from Sarah   |
|   [archive]    |
|                |
| Pachinko       |
|   from Vox     |
|   [archive]    |
+----------------+
```

**How it serves the differentiators:**

- Capture speed: high via share extension.
- Personal recall: medium (recall is about queue, not memory).

---

## Approach Set Summary

| Label | Approach | Primary capture / interaction | Primary value | Top trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Camera-First | Visual scan + OCR | Maximum capture speed | Recall is secondary screen |
| Blue | Library Browser | Tap-add (FAB) | Recall-as-home-screen | Capture takes extra tap |
| Green | Voice-First | Voice | Hands-free | Voice recall less reliable |
| Red | Bookstore Mode | Geofenced lookup | Context-aware recall | Niche; requires location data |
| Purple | Triage Inbox | Share extension | Captures recommendations from anywhere | No personal recall mechanism |

## Decider Checkpoint

**Decider sign-off required before Day 2 afternoon (Magic Lenses) begins.**

- [x] Jamie confirms 5 approaches advance to Magic Lenses evaluation.
- [x] Jamie confirms all 5 honor the 5 decision principles from yesterday.
- [x] Jamie confirms each approach serves both committed differentiators (Yellow and Red strongest on opposite poles; Blue, Green, Purple balanced).
- [x] Jamie acknowledges that Magic Lenses will narrow to 1 top bet plus 1 backup; not all 5 will survive.
- [x] Jamie has not pre-committed to any approach; entering Magic Lenses with genuine uncertainty.

**Signed:** Jamie (founder, PM), 2026-05-14 11:50 PT

</details>
