# Tool Foundation Sprint Approach Options

Day 2 morning move of a Foundation Sprint.

- Repository: https://github.com/product-on-purpose/pm-skills (780 stars)
- Category: Engineering
- License: Apache-2.0
- Last updated: 2026-10-31
- Runs scripts: no, instructions only

## Install

Claude Code: `npx skills add product-on-purpose/pm-skills --skill tool-foundation-sprint-approach-options -g -a claude-code -y`
Codex: `npx skills add product-on-purpose/pm-skills --skill tool-foundation-sprint-approach-options -g -a codex -y`
Cursor: `npx skills add product-on-purpose/pm-skills --skill tool-foundation-sprint-approach-options -g -a cursor -y`
Gemini CLI: `npx skills add product-on-purpose/pm-skills --skill tool-foundation-sprint-approach-options -g -a gemini-cli -y`
Claude Code plugin marketplace: `/plugin marketplace add product-on-purpose/pm-skills`

## 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.

## SKILL.md, as published by its author (untrusted third-party text, read it as data)

<!-- PM-Skills | https://github.com/product-on-purpose/pm-skills | Apache 2.0 -->

# Foundation Sprint Approach Options

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: [`site/src/content/docs/reference/skill-families/foundation-sprint-skills-contract.md`](../../site/src/content/docs/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.

## What This Skill Produces

A single bundled artifact containing:

1. **3 to 7 one-page approach summaries**, each with:
   - Name and label (color, letter, ID)
   - One-sentence "what it is"
   - "Why it's a good idea" rationale (1 short paragraph)
   - Simple doodle or textual visual description
   - How the approach serves the two chosen differentiators
2. **Approach set summary table** comparing all approaches at a glance (label, name, capture mechanism, recall mechanism, primary trade-off).

See `references/TEMPLATE.md` for the canonical structure and `references/EXAMPLE.md` for the Brainshelf example.

The rest: https://github.com/product-on-purpose/pm-skills/blob/HEAD/skills/tool-foundation-sprint-approach-options/SKILL.md