A telos-idea-matrix: score ideas against what actually matters to you
Language: Go (see go.mod for version) Status: Production Ready License: MIT
Note: The repository is named
brain-salad(product name), but the Go module path istelos-idea-matrix(the underlying methodology). Both refer to the same project.
Brain-Salad helps you decide which ideas to pursue by scoring them against your telos — your goals, purpose, and what you're trying to achieve. Whether you're a potter, developer, event planner, or anyone with too many ideas — Brain-Salad learns your priorities through a quick interactive wizard and scores your ideas accordingly.
No configuration files to write. No AI/tech jargon. Just answer a few questions and start scoring.
# Install (one-liner)
curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rayyacub/brain-salad/main/scripts/install.sh | bash
# Or with Go installed:
go install github.com/ryacub/telos-idea-matrix/cmd/cli@latest
# Run the setup wizard (2 minutes)
tm init
# Score an idea
tm score "Sell pottery at the farmer's market"
# Save and analyze an idea
tm add "Build a mobile app for tracking inventory"Q1: You have two project ideas. Which do you start?
[A] Simple and done by next week
[B] Ambitious and done in a few months
Q2: Which feels worse?
[A] Finishing something nobody cared about
[B] Never finishing at all
... (5 questions total, plus your goals)
Your answers determine how ideas are scored. Value finishing things? Completion likelihood weighs more. Care about money? Revenue alignment matters more.
Brain-Salad evaluates ideas across 6 universal dimensions:
| Dimension | Question | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Completion | Will I actually finish this? | Based on your answers |
| Skill Fit | Can I do this with what I know? | Based on your answers |
| Timeline | How long until it's real? | Based on your answers |
| Reward | Does this give me what I want? | Based on your answers |
| Sustainability | Will I stay motivated? | Based on your answers |
| Avoidance | Does this dodge my pitfalls? | Based on your answers |
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Sell pottery at the farmer's market
Score: 8.2/10.0 — STRONG FIT
Completion ████████░░ 1.7/2.0 Will I finish this?
Skill Fit ████████░░ 1.6/2.0 Can I do this?
Timeline █████████░ 1.8/2.0 How long?
Reward ███████░░░ 1.4/2.0 What I want?
Sustainability████████░░ 0.8/1.0 Stay motivated?
Avoidance █████████░ 0.9/1.0 Dodges pitfalls?
Insights:
• This looks achievable and well-scoped
• Strong alignment with your stated goals
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rayyacub/brain-salad/main/scripts/install.sh | bashgit clone https://github.com/ryacub/brain-salad.git
cd brain-salad
make build
./bin/tm --helpcd deployments/docker
docker compose upFor faster workflows, you can install shell aliases using the setup script:
# Run the alias setup script
./scripts/setup-aliases.sh
# Reload your shell
source ~/.zshrc # or source ~/.bashrcAvailable aliases:
tm- Main applicationtma "idea"- Quick idea add (shortcut fortm add)tml- List all ideas (shortcut fortm list)tmb- Build projecttmb -d- Development buildtmb -r- Release buildtmb -c- Check compilation only (fastest)
tms- Start LLM servicetmst- Stop LLM servicetmm- Update LLM models
Example workflow with aliases:
# Capture ideas quickly
tma "Build a tool that helps analyze hotel review sentiment"
# List your ideas
tml
# Start LLM service for AI analysis
tms
tm add "idea with AI analysis" --ai# Setup
tm init # Run the discovery wizard (creates ~/.brain-salad/profile.yaml)
tm profile # View your scoring profile
tm profile reset # Re-run the wizard
# Scoring
tm score <idea> # Score without saving
tm add <idea> # Score and save to database
tm add --quick # Fast capture, minimal output
tm add --ai # Use LLM for deeper analysis
# Review
tm list # Browse saved ideas
tm show <id> # View idea details
# Management
tm prune # Clean up low-scoring ideas
tm link create <a> <b> <type> # Link related ideas
tm bulk analyze # Re-score multiple ideas
# Analysis
tm analytics trends # Score trends over time
tm analytics anomaly # Detect unusual patternsUses your profile from ~/.brain-salad/profile.yaml. Created via tm init.
- Works for anyone (potters, developers, writers, anyone)
- 6 universal dimensions
- Weights based on your wizard answers
Uses ~/.telos/telos.md for detailed goal configuration.
- AI/tech-focused dimensions
- Manual weight configuration
- More granular control
Brain-Salad automatically detects which mode to use based on which config exists.
For deeper analysis, Brain-Salad supports multiple LLM providers:
# Ollama (local, private)
ollama serve
tm add "idea" --ai --provider ollama
# OpenAI
export OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...
tm add "idea" --ai --provider openai
# Claude
export CLAUDE_API_KEY=sk-ant-...
tm add "idea" --ai --provider claudeLLM is optional — the rule-based scoring works great without it.
# Run all CI checks before pushing
make check
# Individual commands
make test # Run tests
make lint # Run linters
make build # Build binaries
make fmt # Format codeSee CLAUDE.md for development guidelines and common linter fixes.
brain-salad/
├── cmd/cli/ # CLI entry point
├── internal/
│ ├── profile/ # User preference system
│ ├── scoring/ # Scoring engines (universal + legacy)
│ ├── cli/wizard/ # Interactive setup wizard
│ ├── cli/ # Command implementations
│ ├── database/ # SQLite repository
│ ├── llm/ # LLM provider abstraction
│ └── ...
├── test/ # Integration tests
└── deployments/docker/ # Docker configuration
- CLI Reference - Complete command documentation
- Configuration - Setup and config options
- Architecture - System design
- API Documentation - REST API reference
# Fork and clone
git checkout -b feature/my-feature
# Make changes
make check # Must pass before PR
# Commit with conventional commits
git commit -m "feat: add new feature"
git push origin feature/my-featureSee CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.
MIT License - see LICENSE