- name
- idea-spark
- description
- Generate project ideas based on a domain or interest. Use when the user asks for project ideas, wants inspiration, says 'what should I build', 'give me ideas', 'project suggestions', or wants to find underserved niches. Complements idea-check for validation.
- metadata
- {}
Idea Spark
Generates actionable project ideas by scanning real pain points from Hacker News, Reddit, and GitHub, then optionally validates them with idea-check.
Workflow
1. Extract the domain
From the user's message, extract:
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
domain | Area of interest (e.g. "developer tools", "health tracking", "AI agents") |
count | Number of ideas requested (default: 5) |
type | Project type if specified: CLI tool, API, bot, app, library (default: any) |
If the domain is vague, ask for clarification before proceeding.
2. Research pain points
Run 3 searches in parallel using the built-in web_search tool to find real problems people are complaining about or requesting:
{ "tool": "web_search", "query": "site:news.ycombinator.com \"I wish\" OR \"someone should build\" OR \"why isn't there\" <domain> 2025 2026" }{ "tool": "web_search", "query": "site:reddit.com \"looking for\" OR \"is there a\" OR \"frustrated with\" <domain> tool" }{ "tool": "web_search", "query": "github.com trending <domain> OR \"help wanted\" OR \"good first issue\" <domain>" }3. Synthesize ideas
From the search results, extract recurring themes and unmet needs. For each idea, produce:
| Field | Format |
|---|---|
name | Short project name (2-4 words) |
pitch | One-line description of what it does |
pain | The real problem it solves (with source: HN/Reddit/GitHub) |
type | CLI, API, bot, app, library, MCP server, OpenClaw skill |
effort | low / medium / high |
Generate count ideas, ranked by how specific and actionable the pain point is.
4. Validate with idea-check (if available)
For each idea, run a quick validation:
{
"tool": "exec",
"command": "mcporter call idea-reality.idea_check idea_text=\"<pitch>\" depth=quick"
}If mcporter or idea-reality is not available, skip this step and note that validation was not performed.
Add the reality_signal score to each idea. Flag ideas with signal > 70 as "crowded".
5. Present the results
Format — strict:
💡 Idea Spark — <domain> — <count> ideas
1. <name>
<pitch>
Pain: <pain> (source)
Type: <type> · Effort: <effort> · Signal: <score>/100 <status>
2. ...Status mapping:
- Signal < 30: "open field"
- Signal 30-70: "some competition"
- Signal > 70: "crowded"
- Not checked: "not validated"
6. Follow-up
After presenting, suggest:
- "Want me to deep-check any of these?" → run
idea-checkwithdepth=deep - "Want me to start building #N?" → proceed with development
7. Error handling
- If web searches return no results → broaden the domain, try without site filters
- If all ideas score > 70 → tell the user the space is saturated, suggest narrowing the niche
- If mcporter is not available → present ideas without validation, mention idea-check for later
- If the domain is too broad (e.g. "tech") → ask the user to narrow down
Examples
| User says | Domain | Action |
|---|---|---|
| "Give me 5 project ideas for developer tools" | developer tools | Search HN/Reddit/GitHub, generate 5 ideas, validate each |
| "What should I build in the AI agent space?" | AI agents | Search for pain points, generate ideas, validate |
| "I want to build something with MCP servers" | MCP servers | Focus on MCP ecosystem gaps, generate ideas |
| "Startup ideas around health tracking" | health tracking | Search for unmet needs, generate ideas, flag crowded ones |