arbazkhan971 Activate When
/godmode:rfc, "write a proposal", "RFC for"- "propose a change", "need team buy-in"
- Design decision too large for single-person ADR
Workflow
1. Determine RFC Type
FEATURE: 2 reviewers, 3-day comment period
ARCHITECTURE: 3 reviewers, 5-day comment period
PROCESS: All team, 5-day comment period
DEPRECATION: 2 reviewers + leads, 5-day period
MIGRATION: 3 reviewers, 7-day comment period
STANDARD: All team, 7-day comment period
2. Research & Evidence
git log --oneline --since="3 months ago" -- <paths>
ls docs/rfcs/ docs/adr/ 2>/dev/null
Gather: current state, problem evidence (metrics), prior art, constraints.
IF no quantitative evidence: gather before writing. IF past RFC exists on same topic: reference it.
3. Write the RFC
Required sections:
- Metadata: author, status, type, dates, reviewers
- Summary: 2-3 sentences (most important section)
- Problem Statement: quantitative evidence required
- Proposed Solution: design, API/data/config changes, implementation plan with phased milestones
- Alternatives: minimum 2 + "Do Nothing" (mandatory)
- Risks & Mitigations: every risk needs mitigation
- Testing Strategy: unit, integration, load, canary
- Open Questions: tracked to resolution
Save to docs/rfcs/<NNN>-<kebab-title>.md.
IF RFC > 5 pages: split into parent + child RFCs. IF "Do Nothing" is acceptable: no RFC needed.
4. Manage Review
Track per-reviewer: status (approved/concerns/pending), comments. When concerns raised: acknowledge, research, update RFC, re-request review.
5. Decision Timeline
Log: created, comments, updates, approvals, decision. Set deadline and hold to it.
6. Finalize
- All approve -> Accepted. Create ADR, plan impl.
- Blocking concerns -> Deferred. Set revisit date.
- Rejected -> Document reasons. Preserve for reference.
7. Commit
git add docs/rfcs/<NNN>-<title>.md
git commit -m "rfc: RFC-<NNN> -- <title> (<status>)"
Quality Targets
- Target: <2 weeks from draft to decision
- Target: >=3 reviewers for architecture RFCs
- Target: 100% of breaking changes documented in RFC
Quality Targets (Summary)
- Draft to decision: <2 weeks
- Reviewers: >3 for architecture RFCs
- Target: 100% breaking changes documented
Hard Rules
- EVERY RFC must include "Do Nothing" alternative.
- NEVER write RFC after code is already written.
- EVERY RFC must have a review deadline.
- NEVER accept with unresolved open questions.
- EVERY rejected RFC preserved with rationale.
- RFC scope < 5 pages. Split if longer.
- EVERY RFC must include rollback/migration plan.
- NEVER skip alternatives section.
TSV Logging
Append .godmode/rfc-results.tsv:
timestamp rfc_number title type status reviewers alternatives open_questions
Keep/Discard
KEEP if: evidence-based, concise, actionable,
all sections complete.
DISCARD if: vague, lacks evidence, exceeds 5 pages.
Stop Conditions
STOP when FIRST of:
- All sections complete + committed
- 8 iterations exhausted
- Re-edits produce no new information
Autonomous Operation
On failure: git reset --hard HEAD~1. Never pause.
Error Recovery
| Failure | Action |
|---|---|
| No RFC directory | Create docs/rfcs/, start at 001 |
| Written after code | Convert to ADR, warn user |
| Deadline passes | Extend 3 days or schedule sync |
| Exceeds 5 pages | Split into parent + child RFCs |
| All reviewers reject | Set Rejected, preserve rationale |