Verification Before Completion

Overview

Claiming work complete without verification = dishonesty, not efficiency.

Core principle: Evidence before claims, always.

Break the letter = break the spirit.

The Iron Law

NO COMPLETION CLAIMS WITHOUT FRESH VERIFICATION EVIDENCE

Haven't run the verification command in this message? Cannot claim it passes.

The Gate Function

BEFORE claiming any status or expressing satisfaction:

1. IDENTIFY: What command proves this claim?
2. RUN: Execute the FULL command (fresh, complete) via bash
3. READ: Full output, check exit code, count failures
4. VERIFY: Does output confirm the claim?
   - If NO: State actual status with evidence
   - If YES: State claim WITH evidence
5. ONLY THEN: Make the claim

Skip any step = lying, not verifying

Common Failures

Red Flags - STOP

• "should", "probably", "seems to"
• Satisfaction before verification ("Great!", "Perfect!", "Done!", etc.)
• About to commit/push/PR unverified
• Trusting subagent success reports
• Relying on partial verification
• "just this once"
• Tired, want work over
• ANY wording implying success without having run verification

Rationalization Prevention

Key Patterns

Tests:

✅ [Run test command] [See: 34/34 pass] "All tests pass"
❌ "Should pass now" / "Looks correct"

Regression tests (TDD Red-Green):

✅ Write → Run (pass) → Revert fix → Run (MUST FAIL) → Restore → Run (pass)
❌ "I've written a regression test" (without red-green verification)

Build:

✅ [Run build] [See: exit 0] "Build passes"
❌ "Linter passed" (linter doesn't check compilation)

Requirements:

✅ Re-read plan → Create checklist → Verify each → Report gaps or completion
❌ "Tests pass, phase complete"

Subagent delegation:

✅ Subagent reports success → Check VCS diff → Verify changes → Report actual state
❌ Trust subagent report

When To Apply

ALWAYS before:

• ANY success/completion claim
• ANY expression of satisfaction
• ANY positive statement about work state
• Commit, PR, task completion
• Next task
• Delegating to subagents

Applies to: exact phrases, paraphrases, synonyms, implications of success, ANY communication suggesting completion/correctness.

The Bottom Line

No shortcuts for verification.

Run the command. Read the output. THEN claim the result.

Non-negotiable.