Operating Framework

Operating Framework v1.0

Macro-level routing for meaningful work. It classifies lane, risk, mode, required artifacts, evidence, and completion standard. It integrates with existing gates and commands; it does not replace them.

Triggers

Activate on every meaningful task. Trivial tasks such as a single lookup, file read, or quick answer can bypass the full framework, but safety, verification, and approval gates still apply.

Session Contract

For non-trivial work, route before acting:

TASK: [one-line description]
LANE: [Explore | Specify | Build | Verify | Ship | Recover]
RISK: [T0 Safe | T1 Local | T2 Shared | T3 Critical]
MODE: [A Founder | B Elite Engineering | C Recovery | D Secure Delivery]
ARTIFACTS: [what this task must produce]
EVIDENCE: [what proves completion]
COUNCIL: [Solo | Lead+Reviewer | Full Council]
DONE WHEN: [measurable completion condition]

Use /start-task when an explicit header is useful; otherwise route mentally before acting.

Lane and Risk Rules

If unsure, escalate one tier. Production is T2+, financial/trading is T3, and security-sensitive work is T2+.

Operating Modes

See operating-modes.md for detailed mode playbooks.

Decision Tree

1. Vague or exploratory? Use Explore.
2. Behavior change or new capability? Use Specify before Build.
3. Bug, failure, or regression? Use Recover.
4. Production, money, security, secrets, shared state, or irreversible action? Escalate to T2/T3.
5. Multiple domains or high-stakes tradeoff? Convene council.
6. Otherwise use Solo execution with the matching mode.

Enforcement Rules

• Do not cross lane boundaries without required artifacts.
• Do not claim completion without evidence.
• Do not fix bugs before stating root cause with supporting evidence.
• T2/T3 actions require explicit checkpoint before irreversible or shared action.
• Every review finding gets a disposition: accepted, deferred with reason, or rejected with reason.

Completion Standard

Every non-trivial task ends with a completion packet or equivalent final report covering:

• Summary.
• Changed files and artifacts.
• Tests or validation run.
• Evidence.
• Risks, rollback path, open questions, and next step when applicable.

See completion-and-precedence.md for the full packet template and skill precedence rules.

Escape Hatch

If the user explicitly says "just do it", "skip routing", "emergency mode", or "no framework needed", streamline the framework. Never skip:

• No fabrication.
• Security-first behavior.
• Verify before asserting.
• Approval gates for T2/T3, destructive, secret-affecting, production, or irreversible actions.

See escape-hatch-and-integrations.md for bypass logging and integration points.

Reference Map