Kickoff

Turn intent into an accepted build contract before execution. Do not replace repository evidence with interview questions, and do not force ceremony onto trivial, fully specified changes.

Gate

Kickoff is required before non-trivial implementation or agent dispatch when any applies:

• product behavior, failure semantics, boundaries, or acceptance remain implicit;
• more than one materially different path is plausible;
• feasibility depends on unknown code, runtime, library, API, cost, or permission facts;
• work spans modules, agents, phases, or durable checkpoints;
• changing direction after implementation would be costly.

Skip only for trivial, reversible, fully specified work with one evident path and direct verification. Record why the gate was skipped when an orchestration skill consumes the task.

Workflow

Read workflow and contract schema.

1. Derive repository/runtime facts first. Ask only for material product or risk decisions tools cannot resolve.
2. Freeze goal: problem, outcome, non-goals, invariants, user journeys, and observable acceptance.
3. Freeze path: constraints, candidate routes, probes, selected route, rejected routes, decisions, consequences, and revalidation triggers.
4. Freeze execution: accepted base, dependency nodes, exclusive scope, required evidence, minimal E2E smoke, and change-control triggers.
5. Build traceability from every required goal/invariant to decision, execution node, and evidence producer. Reject or remove orphan nodes.
6. Persist exact contract bytes in an owner-controlled artifact. Set status: accepted only after the user or authorized owner accepts every material decision; clear, already-authorized intent with no material unresolved choice may be owner-accepted without another prompt.
7. Pin contract_id, version, and SHA-256 digest at dispatch. Workers receive read-only projections and cannot amend or accept the contract.

Unresolved material decisions mean needs-decision, never accepted. Execution discoveries that invalidate goal, path, scope, or acceptance stop affected nodes, create impact analysis, increment the version, and require renewed acceptance. Evidence may satisfy a contract; it cannot silently rewrite one.