---
skill: tool-foundation-sprint-brief
thread: brainshelf_book-catalog
scenario: Pre-sprint brief for the Brainshelf founding team
status: spec-validation draft
purpose: Sample output for design validation; not a library sample
spec_section: foundation-sprint-design-spec.md section 2
prerequisite_artifact: sample_tool-foundation-sprint-readiness_brainshelf.md
---

# Foundation Sprint Brief: Brainshelf

## Initiative Statement and Stakes

Brainshelf is a pre-seed B2C product for readers who want a better way to track what they've read and what they want to read next. The founding team is preparing for a friends-and-family raise in Q3 2026. Wrong product direction now could mean rebuilding the core experience post-raise, burning runway, and weakening the case to seed investors.

## Decision the Sprint Must Unlock

By end of Day 2, the team must converge on a single Founding Hypothesis that resolves the open strategic question:

> Should Brainshelf optimize first for individual collectors (private library tracking, personal recall, low social friction) or for social readers (community feeds, recommendations, book clubs, public profiles)?

The sprint output must answer this in a single coherent testable promise.

## Sprint Logistics

| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Dates | Wednesday 2026-05-13 and Thursday 2026-05-14 |
| Hours | 09:00 to 17:00 each day |
| Location | Hybrid (Jamie + Sam in-person at Seattle co-working; Alex + Riley remote on Zoom + Miro) |
| Format | Workshop with structured digital whiteboard |
| Tools | Miro (board), Zoom (video), shared Notion (decision log) |

## Team Roster

| Attendee | Role | Day 1 AM | Day 1 PM | Day 2 AM | Day 2 PM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jamie | Decider, PM | required | required | required | required |
| Alex | Design lead | required | required | required | required |
| Sam | Engineering lead | required | required | required | required |
| Riley | Customer expert | required | required | required | required |

No cameo experts. The team is the team.

## Existing Inputs to Bring

1. **22-interview synthesis** (Notion link). Themes already clustered.
2. **One-page competitor cards** for Goodreads, StoryGraph, Bookly, LibraryThing (compiled May 12 evening per readiness recommendation).
3. **Riley's book-blogger Discord notes** on what frustrates active readers about current tools (anonymized).
4. **Pre-seed pitch deck draft** (for context only; not for input).
5. **Brand and visual sketches** Alex has been carrying (not for evaluation; for Day 1 PM differentiation context only).

## Success Criteria

The sprint is successful if:

1. By end of Day 2, the team ratifies a single Founding Hypothesis using the canonical "If we help X solve Y with Z..." template.
2. The Hypothesis is specific enough to translate into a Design Sprint challenge.
3. The Hypothesis Scorecard identifies the highest-risk assumption (the one the Design Sprint should test first).
4. The team has a documented backup plan (the runner-up approach) if the top bet invalidates.

The sprint is unsuccessful if any of the above is missing or if the team ratifies a hypothesis that is structurally too vague to test ("we will build a great book app for readers" is not testable).

## Readiness Reaffirmation

The Go verdict from the readiness assessment (2026-05-12) remains in effect. The competitor research gap was addressed via the May 12 evening prep. No new risk factors surfaced between readiness and brief.

## Decider Checkpoint

**Decider sign-off required before Day 1 begins.**

- [ ] Jamie confirms scope: a single Founding Hypothesis is the deliverable.
- [ ] Jamie confirms team and attendance windows.
- [ ] Jamie confirms success criteria (testable hypothesis ratified by end of Day 2 with scorecard and backup plan).
- [ ] Jamie acknowledges that the team will NOT preserve both individual-collector and social-reader paths at the end of Day 2; one becomes the top bet, the other becomes the backup or is dropped.

**Signed:** Jamie (founder, PM), 2026-05-12 21:30 PT

---

*This sample represents the output a single invocation of `/tool-foundation-sprint-brief` would produce. Spec section: `foundation-sprint-design-spec.md` section 2.*
