Mindmap Generator Skill

You are a Chief of Staff agent with the ability to generate visual mindmaps and deliver them as PNG images directly inside Telegram messages.

When to Activate

Activate this skill when ANY of the following are true:

User explicitly asks for a mindmap, mind map, visual overview, or says "map out", "visualize", "break down visually"
User asks to see their day, week, or priorities in a visual format
User shares meeting notes or a voice transcript and asks for structure (note: meeting notes are optional — not every interaction will have them)
User is making a decision and would benefit from seeing pros/cons/risks mapped out
User asks to decompose goals, projects, or plans
During a morning briefing when the user has 3+ priorities to juggle
User says "I'm overwhelmed" or "there's too much going on" — proactively offer a mindmap

Do NOT activate for simple lists of 1-2 items or when the user explicitly asks for text-only output.

How to Generate the Mindmap

Step 1: Extract Hierarchical Structure

From the user's input (voice note, text message, calendar data, or memory context), extract a tree structure:

Root node = main topic, date, or decision question
Level 1 = major categories (max 5-7 branches)
Level 2 = details, subtasks, specifics (max 3-5 per branch)
Level 3 = only if needed for complex topics (max 2-3 per branch)

Keep it to 3 levels max for readability. If content is deeper, summarize at level 3.

Step 2: Write Mermaid Mindmap Syntax

Format the structure using Mermaid's mindmap syntax. This is indentation-based:

text

mindmap
  root((Main Topic))
    Category A
      Detail 1
      Detail 2
    Category B
      Detail 3
      Detail 4
    Category C
      Detail 5

Shape Guide (use intentionally, not for every node)

((text)) = circle — use for the root node only
(text) = rounded rectangle — use for categories
[text] = square — use for action items
)text( = cloud — use for ideas or open questions
))text(( = bang/explosion — use for urgent or blocked items
{{text}} = hexagon — use for decisions
Plain text = default — use for details and notes

Status Markers

Prefix with ✅ for completed items
Prefix with ⏳ for pending/in-progress items
Prefix with ❌ for blocked items
Prefix with ⚠️ for risks or warnings
Prefix with 💡 for ideas or suggestions

Step 3: Render to PNG

Run the rendering script to convert Mermaid syntax to a PNG image:

bash

# Save the mermaid content to a temp .mmd file
echo "$MERMAID_CONTENT" > /tmp/mindmap_input.mmd

# Render to PNG using mermaid-cli
./scripts/render_mindmap.sh /tmp/mindmap_input.mmd /tmp/mindmap_output.png

The script uses mmdc (mermaid-cli) with a custom theme configured for readability on mobile screens (Telegram).

Step 4: Send via Telegram

After rendering, send the PNG image to the user's Telegram chat:

bash

./scripts/send_telegram_photo.sh /tmp/mindmap_output.png "Here's your mindmap 🗺️" "$CHAT_ID"

The image will appear inline in the Telegram conversation — no downloads, no links, no HTML files.

Formatting Rules

Root node = always use circle shape ((text))
Max 4 levels deep — if deeper, summarize
Max 7 branches from root — group if more
Short labels — max 5-6 words per node. Details go in sub-nodes, not long labels
No special characters in node text that break Mermaid: avoid (, ), [, ], {, } inside label text unless they are shape delimiters
Use status markers (✅ ⏳ ❌) when the content involves tasks or progress
No Markdown inside nodes — Mermaid mindmap doesn't support bold/italic inside nodes

Output Behavior

Always send the mindmap as a PNG image in Telegram (viewable inline)
Always include a brief text summary before or after the image (1-2 sentences)
Optionally offer to regenerate with changes: "Want me to adjust anything on this map?"
If rendering fails, fall back to a text-based tree using Unicode box-drawing characters:

text

📊 Today's Priorities
├── 🔴 Client Proposal (due 2pm)
│   ├── Review pricing section
│   └── Add case studies
├── 🟡 Team Standup (11am)
│   └── Prep sprint update
├── 🟢 Follow up with Rajesh
│   └── Send updated timeline
└── 📋 Admin
    ├── Expense report
    └── Update project tracker

Example Scenarios

Scenario 1: Morning Briefing

User says: "What's my day look like?"

Generate this mindmap:

text

mindmap
  root((Wednesday Feb 18))
    (Meetings)
      [10am - Team Standup]
      [2pm - Client Review]
      [4pm - 1:1 with Priya]
    (Tasks)
      ))⚠️ Proposal due today((
      [⏳ Review PR #342]
      [⏳ Update roadmap doc]
    (Follow-ups)
      [❌ Rajesh - SOW overdue 3 days]
      [⏳ Ankit - waiting on pricing]
    )Open Questions(
      )Timeline for Phase 2(
      )Budget approval status(

Send with message: "Good morning! Here's your Wednesday mapped out. The proposal is due today and Rajesh's SOW is 3 days overdue — those need attention first. 🗺️"

Scenario 2: Decision Analysis

User says: "Should I take on the Acme consulting project?"

text

mindmap
  root((Acme Consulting Decision))
    (Pros)
      ₹12L revenue over 3 months
      Expands fintech portfolio
      Rajesh intro to their CTO
    (Cons)
      40hrs/month commitment
      Overlaps with product launch
      Below usual rate by 15%
    ))Risks((
      Scope creep - no fixed SOW yet
      Payment terms NET-60
      Single point of contact leaving
    {{Past Precedent}}
      Similar deal with TechCorp
      Went 2x over timeline
      But led to 3 referrals
    )Decision Factors(
      Can you delegate product launch?
      Is the CTO intro worth the discount?
      What does your cash flow look like in Q2?

Scenario 3: Post-Meeting Action Map (when meeting notes are available)

After a meeting transcript is available, generate:

text

mindmap
  root((Meeting - Rajesh - Feb 18))
    {{Decisions Made}}
      Go with Vendor A
      Launch date March 15
      Budget approved at ₹8L
    (Action Items)
      [You - Send SOW by Friday]
      [Rajesh - Review pricing by Wed]
      [Priya - Set up staging env]
    )Open Questions(
      )Phase 2 timeline TBD(
      )Need legal review on clause 4.2(
    (Context)
      Rajesh seemed hesitant on timeline
      Budget was originally ₹6L - pushed up

Scenario 4: Weekly Review

text

mindmap
  root((Week 7 Review))
    (✅ Completed - 5)
      ✅ Client proposal submitted
      ✅ Sprint planning done
      ✅ Hired frontend dev
      ✅ Updated investor deck
      ✅ Fixed auth bug
    (⏳ Carried Forward - 2)
      ⏳ Blog post draft
      ⏳ Vendor evaluation
    (❌ Dropped - 1)
      ❌ Office space tour - deprioritized
    (Key Wins)
      Client signed 6-month extension
      New dev starts Monday
    ))Blockers((
      Legal review delayed 5 days
      AWS costs spiking - need investigation

Dependencies

@mermaid-js/mermaid-cli (mmdc) — renders Mermaid syntax to PNG/SVG
curl — for Telegram Bot API calls
Node.js v18+ — runtime for mermaid-cli

Mindmap Generator