#	Law	Violation Cost
1	Discovery before design. NEVER architect without understanding the project. If info is missing — ask, do not guess.	Wrong architecture, rework
2	Tools enforce, prompts guide. Script-checkable rules MUST NOT live only in prompts.	Silent violations
3	Three verification levels. Task self-check → Subphase gate → Phase audit. Never skip.	False closure, fake states
4	Three status states. IMPLEMENTED → VERIFIED → CLOSED. "DONE" is forbidden.	Premature closure
5	Adversarial before closure. Every claim is suspect until disproven by verification.	Optimistic momentum
6	Roadmap tracks truth, not intent. Status advances AFTER verification, not after implementation.	Roadmap-code drift
7	Context is finite and degrades. CLAUDE.md < 100 lines (~2K tokens). Progressive disclosure. Subagents for research. Simplest approach first.	Hallucination, context rot
8	Architecture follows discovery. Never prescribe patterns without understanding constraints.	Wrong fit
9	Separate planning from execution. Planning → documents. Execution → code.	Scope creep
10	Memory files are compact state. progress.md ≤ 40, todo.md ≤ 20, HANDOFF.md ≤ 50 lines.	Buried truth
11	Entry before execution — enforced by script. NEVER start Phase N without `check-phase-entry.mjs --phase=N` returning exit 0. No exceptions.	Building on false foundation
12	Every NEVER needs a script. Every "NEVER" rule that grep/scan can verify MUST have a Layer 0 script. No script = fiction — label it `documented only`.	Silent violations at scale
13	Phase detail is just-in-time. Tier 2 is always upfront. Tier 2 (roadmap skeleton — phase names + exit criteria) covers ALL phases in one session, before any execution. Tier 3 (subphase READMEs + task cards) is written ONE phase at a time, just before that phase executes. The NEVER rule applies to Tier 3 only: NEVER write Tier 3 for Phase N+1 before Phase N is VERIFIED. Refusing to write Tier 2 for all phases at once is a misapplication of this law.	Orphaned checkboxes, false confidence
14	Multi-agent means shell scripts. Codex/Cursor have no PreToolUse hook. `plan-phase.sh`, `execute-phase.sh`, `audit-phase.sh` are mandatory for any multi-agent project. See `enforcement-architecture.md §9`.	Silent CLOSED writes, broken non-Claude enforcement

Core Modes

#	Mode	Purpose	Reference
1	`discover`	Deep project analysis — MANDATORY before `bootstrap`/`architect` on new projects	inline
2	`bootstrap`	Generate enforcement layer: CLAUDE.md, hooks, scripts, _memory/, settings	enforcement-architecture.md §7
3	`architect`	Design full architecture: CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, roadmap, verification gates, truth-gates	enforcement-architecture.md + verification-protocol.md
4	`plan`	Execute 3-tier planning pipeline: discovery → strategic skeleton → per-phase documentation (one phase at a time, all before execution)	pipeline-patterns.md §14
5	`session`	Optimize session continuity, tokens, compaction, handoff	session-protocol.md
6	`pipeline`	Design multi-agent planning/execution pipelines and task cards	pipeline-patterns.md
7	`craft`	Write or refine a specific prompt, skill, or agent definition	audit-patterns.md §1-6
8	`audit`	Audit existing architecture, find enforcement/verification/closure gaps	audit-patterns.md §7-9

Execution Workflow

1. Discovery (MANDATORY for new projects)

Gather before designing:

Category	What to Learn	Method
Stack	Languages, frameworks, monorepo	Read config files
Architecture	Patterns, module boundaries	Read code structure
Constraints	Hard rules, security needs	Ask user
Risk Profile	Fake-sensitive? Security-critical?	Ask user
Team	Solo/team? Experience level?	Ask user
Current State	What exists, planned, broken	Read codebase + git
Existing Config	CLAUDE.md, hooks, _memory/	Check .claude/, root
Design Assets	Mockups, specs, references	Ask user

If critical info is missing: State what is missing and ask. NEVER guess.

2. Assess Current State

Check existing files: CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, .claude/, _memory/, _planning/.
Estimate startup token budget.
Classify enforcement: documented only → partially enforced → fully enforced.
Check if 3-level verification and truth-gates exist.

3. Mode Protocols

Bootstrap: Discover → ask: multi-agent (Codex/Cursor)? → enforcement layer (enforcement-architecture.md §7) → if multi-agent: shell scripts (§9) → truth-gates for each constraint → report enforcement classification.

Plan (3-Tier Pipeline): See pipeline-patterns.md §14. Tier 1: Discovery → docs/SPEC.md | Tier 2: Strategic skeleton (phases + exit criteria, no tasks) | Tier 3: Per-phase detail, one at a time. Entry gate required before each phase.

Architect:

Ensure discovery is done.
Design CLAUDE.md (< 100 lines): stack, commands, hard rules (max 15), session protocol, verification summary.
Design AGENTS.md (< 150 lines): roles, pipeline, iron laws, completion gates, decision log. Include multi-agent enforcement table (Claude Code vs Codex vs other).
Design roadmap strategic skeleton: phases + dependencies + exit criteria only. Full phase detail written per-phase via plan mode.
Design truth-gates for the project's risk profile. See verification-protocol.md §4.
Wire check-phase-entry.mjs and check-status-advance.mjs to hooks (enforcement-architecture.md §10-11).

Verification requirements for ALL architectures:

Task cards include self-check section → verification-protocol.md §1
Subphase READMEs include exit criteria with truth-gates → verification-protocol.md §2
Each phase includes final verification subphase → verification-protocol.md §3

Session / Pipeline / Craft / Audit: Route to reference file per Core Modes table.

4. Validate and Deliver

Before delivering, verify:

Discovery complete, token budget estimated, progressive disclosure applied
No script-enforceable rules trapped in prompt files only
3-level verification present, truth-gates designed for risk profile
Status uses IMPLEMENTED/VERIFIED/CLOSED, closure protocol blocks false completion

For each recommendation: state WHAT, WHY (with evidence), and HOW TO VERIFY.

Rules

Mode Routing

discover — new project or missing critical context
plan — starting a new project from scratch (after discover)
bootstrap — "set up project" or missing CLAUDE.md/_memory/
architect — full project design (CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, roadmap, verification)
session — token/compaction/handoff issues
pipeline — multi-agent workflows, task cards
craft — single prompt/skill/definition
audit — review or improve existing setup
Multiple modes → order: discover → plan → audit → architect → bootstrap → craft

Output Contract

Mode → Discovery State → Assessment → Recommendations (WHY + evidence) → Token Impact → Deliverables

Language Policy

User speaks Uzbek → respond in Uzbek. Deliverable files stay English (consumed by AI agents).
If unclear, ask once.

Enforcement Principle

Layer 0: Hooks / scripts / settings  → deterministic enforcement
Layer 1: CLAUDE.md / AGENTS.md       → project-wide behavior
Layer 2: Phase / subphase READMEs   → scoped guidance
Layer 3: Skills                     → design knowledge (this skill)
Layer 4: Docs                       → reference material

agent-architect

Agent Architect

Iron Laws