Prototype

Lineage and canonical protocol

This is an MIT-licensed Hermes entry point adapted from Matt Pocock's public prototype.

The complete upstream MIT notice is preserved in references/third-party-notices.md.

The canonical shared procedure and handoff schema live in Wayfinder's references/prototype-handler.md. Load that reference with skill_view and follow it exactly. Keeping the protocol there gives standalone prototypes and Wayfinder PROTOTYPE tickets one source of truth.

Invocation and input

Run only when:

• the user explicitly asks to prototype one decision; or
• one existing named Wayfinder PROTOTYPE / HITL ticket invokes it.

For a Wayfinder invocation, require its map and ticket handles and return the canonical wayfinder-prototype-v1 handoff.

For a standalone invocation, establish the equivalent bounded input before building:

• destination;
• exactly one decision question;
• LOGIC or UI branch;
• constraints and direct dependencies;
• artifact authority and allowed location;
• human decision owner.

Use ticket_handle: standalone in the handoff when no authoritative ticket exists. Do not create a Wayfinder package or tracker item merely to supply an ID.

Procedure

1. Load wayfinder, then load references/prototype-handler.md through skill_view.
2. Apply its authority, placement, branch, smoke-verification, human-reaction, evidence-lifecycle, persistence, and no-promotion gates.
3. Build only the smallest runnable artifact needed to answer the named question.
4. Execute the documented command or URL path and verify the decision-bearing interaction or variants.
5. Deliver the artifact to the human and collect actual reaction. A runnable artifact without reaction remains unresolved.
6. Return the complete wayfinder-prototype-v1 handoff.
7. Stop. Production specification, implementation, commit, publication, deployment, and cleanup require their own authority.

Boundaries

• A prototype is decision evidence, not production implementation.
• A burnable visual brief may explain alternatives but cannot replace an interactive prototype when behavior or interaction is the question.
• Do not drive a user-mediated IDE; provide a scoped prompt and independently inspect/verify the resulting artifact when that policy applies.
• Do not install dependencies, mutate production data, merge prototype code, or delete evidence without separate approval.

Verification

• Invocation was explicit or attached to one named prototype ticket.
• The canonical Wayfinder prototype handler was loaded.
• One LOGIC or UI question, owner, authority, and location were explicit.
• The artifact passed a real smoke check.
• Human reaction and accepted/rejected alternatives were preserved.
• Durable context and prototype evidence have resolvable handles.
• The handoff conforms to wayfinder-prototype-v1.
• No production promotion or unauthorized side effect occurred.