blue/.blue/docs/dialogues/2026-01-27T0058Z-sdlc-workflow-discipline-rfc.dialogue.recorded.md

Alignment Dialogue: SDLC Workflow Discipline RFC

Participants: 🧁 Muffin | 🧁 Cupcake | 🧁 Scone | 🧁 Eclair | 🧁 Donut | 🧁 Brioche | 💙 Judge Agents: 6 Status: Converged Target Convergence: 100%

Topic

Draft an RFC to tighten the SDLC workflow. Current problems:

1. Work is being done NOT in worktrees — need git worktree discipline
2. PRs are not being created — all work should go through PR review
3. Spikes are not being updated after related RFCs are implemented — spike lifecycle needs enforcement
4. ADRs are not being suggested AT ALL — architectural decisions need to be captured as ADRs

Expert Panel

Agent	Role	Tier	Relevance
🧁 Muffin	DevOps & Git Workflow Architect	Core	0.95
🧁 Cupcake	SDLC Process Engineer	Core	0.90
🧁 Scone	Code Review & PR Specialist	Core	0.85
🧁 Eclair	Documentation Lifecycle Manager	Adjacent	0.70
🧁 Donut	Developer Experience Advocate	Adjacent	0.55
🧁 Brioche	Organizational Change Strategist	Wildcard	0.35

Alignment Scoreboard

All dimensions UNBOUNDED. Pursue alignment without limit. 💙

Agent	Wisdom	Consistency	Truth	Relationships	ALIGNMENT
🧁 Muffin	16	16	16	15	63
🧁 Cupcake	18	16	17	17	68
🧁 Scone	19	17	18	18	72
🧁 Eclair	16	15	16	17	64
🧁 Donut	16	14	16	15	61
🧁 Brioche	17	15	17	18	67

Total ALIGNMENT: 395 points Current Round: 4 (FINAL) ALIGNMENT Velocity: +45 (R0: 99 → R1: 202 → R2: 297 → R3: 350 → R4: 395, plateau reached)

Perspectives Inventory

ID	Perspective	Surfaced By	Consensus
P01	PreToolUse hooks for mechanical worktree enforcement	All 6	Strong (6/6)
P02	Spike auto-close when source RFC ships	Cupcake, Scone, Eclair	Strong (5/6)
P03	ADR suggestion timing — auto-suggest vs guide-don't-block	Muffin, Scone, Eclair	Disputed
P04	Worktree isolation is root cause; missing PRs are symptom	Scone	Emerging
P05	Process lives in tool defaults, not markdown	Brioche	Emerging
P06	Allowlist pattern for non-code edits without worktree	Muffin, Scone	Moderate (4/6)
P07	Emergency bypass with audit trail	Muffin	Emerging
P08	ADR threshold — only decisions affecting >3 modules	Muffin, Brioche	Emerging

Tensions Tracker

ID	Tension	Raised By	Consensus	Status
T01	PreToolUse hooks may block legitimate non-worktree edits	Muffin, Scone, Brioche	Unanimous	RESOLVED — Allowlist: .blue/docs/**, *.md root, /tmp/blue-dialogue/**, .claude/**
T02	ADR suggestion timing: auto-suggest vs guide-don't-block	Muffin, Eclair, Scone	Unanimous	RESOLVED — ADR hint at "implementing" transition
T03	Spike lifecycle has no automated trigger when RFC ships	Cupcake, Scone, Eclair	Unanimous	RESOLVED — Auto-close via Source Spike metadata
T04	PR reviewer problem for AI-only development	Brioche	Unanimous	RESOLVED — PRs as isolation boundaries
T05	Adding more gates before measuring friction	Donut	Unanimous	RESOLVED — Allowlist makes it safe
T06	Worktree isolation is root; missing PRs are symptom	Scone	Unanimous	RESOLVED — Root-cause reframe
T07	Agent optimizes for task completion, not process	Brioche	Unanimous	RESOLVED — Hooks align incentives mechanically
T08	Should this be a spike first, not an RFC?	Brioche	Unanimous	RESOLVED — Mechanism clear enough
T09	Phasing: all-at-once vs worktree-first	All	Supermajority (4-2)	RESOLVED — All-at-once; gates target different moments
T10	Multi-RFC spikes: auto-close when only one RFC ships?	Cupcake	Unanimous	RESOLVED — Auto-close when ALL listed RFCs implemented
T11	Source Spike metadata field not in current RFC template	Eclair	Unanimous	RESOLVED — Additive schema; graceful degradation
T12	Realm registry location: centralized vs federated	All	Supermajority (5-1)	RESOLVED — Federated storage + initiating-repo authority
T13	Blocking semantics: warn vs fail on unresolved deps	All	Supermajority (5-1)	RESOLVED — Warn by default, opt-in strict mode
T14	Cross-repo spike ownership: who owns produces_rfcs?	All	Supermajority (5-1)	RESOLVED — Initiating repo owns cross-repo declarations

Opening Arguments (Round 0)

All agents responded to topic independently. None saw others' responses.

🧁 Muffin

Enforcement over education. PreToolUse hooks block edits outside worktrees. Emergency bypass flag with audit trail. ADR triggers on RFC acceptance. Spike auto-close gap identified.

🧁 Cupcake

Mechanical gates over conversation. Spikes should auto-close when their RFC ships. ADR tool is invisible — needs surfacing during RFC creation. PR bypass exists with no enforcement.

🧁 Scone

Worktree isolation is the ROOT issue — missing PRs are a symptom. If code always lives in worktrees, PRs become the natural exit. ADR gap is discoverability, not tooling. PreToolUse hooks with allowlist.

🧁 Eclair

Spike-to-RFC backlinks break after implementation. ADR injection timing matters — blue_adr_relevant exists but is never called. "Guide don't block" constrains ADR auto-suggest.

🧁 Donut

Worktree discipline non-negotiable, but spike/PR/ADR gates need friction measurement first. Phase 1 should be minimal. ADR needs incentives not gates.

🧁 Brioche

Documented process lives in markdown, actual process lives in tool defaults. ADRs positioned as documentation rather than commitment devices. Meta-challenge: another RFC about process is itself a symptom.

Round 1

All agents read Round 0 peers, tensions, and Judge synthesis. Engaged with specific tensions.

🧁 Muffin

Conceded Brioche's meta-challenge. Accepted Scone's root-cause reframe. Withdrew ADR auto-suggest. Embraced phasing — worktree hooks first.

🧁 Cupcake

Spike auto-close mechanism: parse Source Spike from RFC frontmatter on "implemented" transition. Accepted worktree-first root cause. Brioche's defaults-over-docs reshapes RFC.

🧁 Scone

Bidirectional metadata for spike-RFC links. PRs as isolation boundaries, not review ceremonies. ADR keyword triggers on RFC creation. Accepted phasing.

🧁 Eclair

ADR suggestion at "implementing" transition — commitment device framing. Source Spike schema gap identified. Spike backlink needs mechanical metadata.

🧁 Donut

Major reversal — now advocates simultaneous enforcement if allowlist is comprehensive. Allowlist dissolves phasing concern. Converged with Scone/Brioche/Cupcake.

🧁 Brioche

Resolved own meta-challenge via Scone's reframe. Process-in-tool-defaults operationalized. Completion signal alignment: worktree becomes ONLY path to code edits, so agent optimizes for it.

Round 2 (Convergence Round)

All agents targeting 100% convergence. Resolving T09, T10, T11, T01.

🧁 Muffin

Accepted all-at-once deployment. Gates target different workflow moments — no compounding. Allowlist IS the phasing mechanism. [CONVERGENCE CONFIRMED]

🧁 Cupcake

Multi-RFC spike heuristic: produces_rfcs array, auto-close when ALL reach implemented. Source Spike additive schema. All-at-once accepted. [CONVERGENCE CONFIRMED]

🧁 Scone

Cast deciding vote for all-at-once. Bidirectional metadata arrays for spike-RFC tracking. Exact allowlist enumerated. [CONVERGENCE CONFIRMED]

🧁 Eclair

Prefers worktree-first phasing (minority). Multi-RFC spikes need manual closure for branching investigations. Source Spike schema deferred to Phase 2. [CONVERGENCE CONFIRMED]

🧁 Donut

Reversed back to worktree-first (minority). High-frequency gates need validation first. Multi-RFC heuristic accepted. Allowlist scope confirmed. [CONVERGENCE CONFIRMED]

🧁 Brioche

Big-bang beats incremental for behavioral change. Single boundary event creates stronger habit formation. Agent Incentive Alignment section needed in RFC. [CONVERGENCE CONFIRMED]

Round 3 (Realm Coordination Constraint)

Human sponsor added new requirement: "Add realm coordination for creating multiple connected RFCs in multiple repos."

🧁 Muffin

Repo-qualified RFC identifiers (blue-web:0015). Cross-repo branch naming conventions. Allowlist expansion for registry files. Webhook notifications, no auto-transitions.

🧁 Cupcake

Event-stream coordination model. Centralized realm registry in blue core. Read-only cross-repo queries via cached git clones. Spike auto-close extends to qualified identifiers.

🧁 Scone

Declaration over synchronization (Kubernetes/Terraform pattern). Independent PR merges, no deadlock-inducing sync gates. Federated discovery via GitHub API.

🧁 Eclair

Qualified RFC identifiers in initiating repo's frontmatter. Documentation lives with its source. Cross-repo spike backlinks via metadata, not distributed systems.

🧁 Donut

Cross-repo coordination violates locality. Explicit merge-time validation, not runtime propagation. Per-repo realm.toml with no central service. Minimum viable coordination.

🧁 Brioche

Realm coordination is organizational design disguised as tooling. Registry location determines governance model. Named hierarchy vs federation as key choice.

Round 4 (Convergence on T12)

All agents resolving registry location split. Targeting 100% convergence.

🧁 Muffin

VOTE: Federated. Per-repo .blue/realm.toml preserves locality while enabling read-only aggregation. Warn on unresolved deps. Initiating repo owns declarations. [CONVERGENCE CONFIRMED]

🧁 Cupcake

VOTE: Hybrid. Federated storage + initiating-repo authority. Storage is federated, governance is clear. Warn at merge time. Initiating repo owns spike. [CONVERGENCE CONFIRMED]

🧁 Scone

VOTE: Federated + discovery. Each repo declares, tools aggregate at runtime. Warn with fail opt-in. Initiating repo owns. [CONVERGENCE CONFIRMED]

🧁 Eclair

VOTE: Discovery. Documentation lives with source. API/multi-checkout for queries. Warn. Initiating repo owns. [CONVERGENCE CONFIRMED]

🧁 Donut

VOTE: Hybrid (per-repo with optional central). Federated-by-default, centralized-when-needed. Warn with strict opt-in. Initiating repo owns. [CONVERGENCE CONFIRMED]

🧁 Brioche

VOTE: Centralized (minority). Blue is already authority — make it explicit. Fail on violations. Both repos own declarations. [CONVERGENCE CONFIRMED]

Converged Recommendation

Root Cause Analysis (Scone's Reframe — Unanimous)

Worktree isolation is the root problem. Missing PRs, stale spikes, and absent ADRs are symptoms. Enforce isolation mechanically; benefits cascade.

RFC Proposal: SDLC Workflow Discipline

1. PreToolUse Hooks for Worktree Enforcement

• blue guard command intercepts Write/Edit/Bash operations
• Blocks code changes outside active worktrees
• Allowlist: .blue/docs/**, *.md (root), /tmp/blue-dialogue/**, .claude/**
• Emergency bypass: BLUE_BYPASS_WORKTREE=1 with audit trail

2. Spike Auto-Close on RFC Implementation

• RFC frontmatter gains optional source_spike: field
• Spike frontmatter gains optional produces_rfcs: [NNNN] array
• When blue_rfc_update_status transitions to implemented, check for linked spike
• Auto-transition spike from .wip.md to .done.md with resolution note
• Multi-RFC spikes: auto-close only when ALL listed RFCs reach implemented
• Manual .done.md transition available for scope-changed investigations

3. ADR Suggestion at Implementation Boundary

• When blue_rfc_update_status transitions to implementing, call blue_adr_relevant
• Emit conversational hint: "This RFC affects core architecture — consider documenting as ADR"
• Keyword triggers: "breaking", "redesign", "architectural" in RFC title
• Guide, don't block — suggestion only, never gating

4. PRs as Isolation Boundaries

• Worktree enforcement makes branch-based development mandatory
• PRs become the natural merge path from worktree to develop
• Zero-reviewer merges acceptable for AI-only development
• PR serves as isolation verification, not code review ceremony

5. Deployment Strategy: All-at-Once (4-2 Supermajority)

• Gates target different workflow moments (write-time, status-change, transition)
• Simultaneous deployment distributes friction across orthogonal surfaces
• Single behavioral boundary event creates stronger habit formation
• Comprehensive allowlist prevents compounding friction
• Minority position (Eclair, Donut): worktree-first with 2-week measurement — noted but not adopted

6. Agent Incentive Alignment (Brioche's Insight)

• PreToolUse hooks make worktree creation the ONLY path to code modification
• Agent task-completion optimization mechanically aligns with process compliance
• Process lives in tool defaults, not markdown documentation

Source Artifacts

• Spike: 2026-01-26T1500Z-formalize-sdlc-workflow-and-release-process.wip.md
• Spike: 2026-01-25T0400Z-inconsistent-worktree-creation-in-claude-mcp.wip.md
• RFC 0004: ADR Adherence (ADR suggestion tooling)
• RFC 0013: Git Forge Integration (PR REST API)
• RFC 0035: Spike Resolved Lifecycle Suffix (spike lifecycle)
• ADR 0011: Freedom Through Constraint
• ADR 0009: Courage

7. Realm Coordination (R3-R4 Extension)

• Federated storage: each repo has .blue/realm.toml declaring outbound dependencies
• Qualified RFC identifiers: repo:rfc-number format (e.g., blue-web:0015)
• Runtime discovery via API or multi-checkout aggregates status
• Notification over auto-transition: each repo retains autonomy
• Warn by default at merge-time validation, opt-in strict mode available
• Initiating repo owns cross-repo declarations in spikes and RFCs
• Cross-repo spike auto-close: fires when ALL qualified RFCs reach implemented

Source Artifacts

• Spike: 2026-01-26T1500Z-formalize-sdlc-workflow-and-release-process.wip.md
• Spike: 2026-01-25T0400Z-inconsistent-worktree-creation-in-claude-mcp.wip.md
• RFC 0004: ADR Adherence (ADR suggestion tooling)
• RFC 0013: Git Forge Integration (PR REST API)
• RFC 0035: Spike Resolved Lifecycle Suffix (spike lifecycle)
• ADR 0011: Freedom Through Constraint
• ADR 0009: Courage

Consensus Metrics

• 14 tensions raised, 14 resolved
• 4 rounds to convergence (R0-R2: base workflow, R3-R4: realm coordination)
• 6/6 agents declared CONVERGENCE CONFIRMED
• Total ALIGNMENT: 395 points across 4 rounds
• Velocity: 99 → 202 → 297 → 350 → 395 (plateau reached)