Idea to Product

Idea to Product

Idea to Product is a multi-runtime AI PM plugin that helps non-developers turn ideas into product-ready requirements.

Supported runtimes:

• Claude Code
• Codex
• Claude Cowork + Claude Design

Supported operating systems:

• Windows
• macOS

Quick Install

Install Codex and Claude Code support with one command.

macOS, Linux, WSL, or Git Bash:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/howbuild/idea-to-product/main/install.sh | sh

Windows PowerShell:

irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/howbuild/idea-to-product/main/install.ps1 | iex

Install only one runtime on macOS, Linux, WSL, or Git Bash:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/howbuild/idea-to-product/main/install.sh | sh -s -- --codex
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/howbuild/idea-to-product/main/install.sh | sh -s -- --claude

Install only one runtime on Windows PowerShell:

$env:ITP_INSTALL_TARGET="codex"; irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/howbuild/idea-to-product/main/install.ps1 | iex; Remove-Item Env:ITP_INSTALL_TARGET
$env:ITP_INSTALL_TARGET="claude"; irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/howbuild/idea-to-product/main/install.ps1 | iex; Remove-Item Env:ITP_INSTALL_TARGET

For local testing after cloning the repo:

./install.sh

.\install.ps1

The installer registers idea-to-product-marketplace, installs idea-to-product, and refreshes an existing install when the marketplace already exists.

Installer vs Marketplace Commands

The installer is a convenience wrapper around the marketplace flow. It still uses the runtime marketplace system internally.

• Installer: best for users. One command registers the marketplace, installs the plugin, and refreshes an existing registration.
• Marketplace commands: best for debugging or manual control. You run marketplace add and plugin add / plugin install yourself.
• ZIP packages are local build artifacts. They do not need to be committed to this repo.

It is not a PRD generator and it is not a loose collection of skills. The plugin is built around PM workflow orchestration, command entrypoints, hook-based review gates, and specialist reviewer agents. Skills are small reusable helpers used inside that workflow.

What It Is

Idea to Product helps non-developers participate in product design by working from a structural HTML wireframe, product questions, A/B/C/D choices, recommendation cards, policy decisions, state definitions, event/log design, AC, and final documentation.

The core value is that a non-developer naturally learns product thinking while shaping a buildable requirement set. The plugin does not think instead of the user. It works more like an AI PM partner that asks grounded questions, explains tradeoffs, and keeps product scope from drifting.

Questions are written so the decision is easy to understand at first read, while useful product terms such as PRD, AC, KPI, permission policy, state values, events, logs, and data-req-id are kept.

The workflow also uses a Core User Flow:

• Entry and next action: where the user starts and what the user should do next
• Usage scale: how often or how much the action is expected to happen
• Quality criteria: what rules keep the product useful and trustworthy when usage grows

Users learn by:

• looking at a screen structure
• answering questions tied to visible elements
• comparing choices
• reading recommendation reasons
• deciding policies and states
• considering records, events, and KPIs
• separating Must-have from Nice-to-have
• seeing why some features should not be added yet

Why It Exists

AI tools can quickly create HTML prototypes, but those prototypes often miss the PM layer that developers need before implementation:

• PRD
• AC
• policy
• state values
• exception cases
• permission policy
• measurement and logging
• decision rationale

Without those, the screen may look plausible but still be hard to build, test, operate, or maintain.

Core Structure

• workflows/: defines the PM process from idea intake to final output
• commands/: user-facing entrypoints for starting, adding features, generating docs, and reviews
• hooks/: automatic quality gates for scope drift, wireframe changes, policy consistency, measurement coverage, completeness, consistency, and final writing
• agents/: specialist reviewers for PM, scope, product flow, policy, measurement, QA, tech, and human writing
• skills/: small reusable helpers called by workflows, hooks, commands, or agents
• domains/: domain-pack injection structure and templates
• templates/: output templates for PRD, AC, policy, measurement, decision log, completeness, and review reports
• mcp/: suggested MCP integrations and example configuration
• Claude Design handoff: brief and prompt templates for visualizing product structure without expanding scope

Idea to Product helps users create: