reference · templates

Templates

Copy-paste skeletons. Each template constrains you toward the right shape — the act of filling the fields is what teaches the practice.

A template is scaffolding — pedagogically distinct from a checklist (recall under pressure) and a practice page (the teacher). Filling a template the first time is itself learning the practice. Every template links to its Practice page and the cycle part it derives from.

Briefs & Discovery

• Feature Brief — what one cycle commits to change. Two pages, trio-signed.
• Initiative Brief — the multi-cycle bet, with a kill criterion.
• Technical Design Brief — the TL's translation: sequence, schema, API, the one ility.
• Prediction — the five-field skeleton inside any brief.

Stories & Scope

• Story — five sections + 9-point DoR.
• Gherkin scenario set — three or more scenarios, at least one negative, person-vantage.

ADRs & Technical Design

• ADR (MADR format) — one decision, ≥2 options including do nothing, signed by two engineers.

Releases & First 48h

• Release brief to client — one page, CS-signed, sent before flag-flip.
• Runbook — reads at 2am in adrenaline in 30 seconds.

Checks & Signal

• Signal reading — five lines + outcome + voice-of-customer.
• Retrospective — three questions, one owned-dated-testable change.
• Model update — the artefact that lets the next cycle inherit what this cycle learned.

Bugs & Incidents

• Bug filing — six dimensions, every bug, before triage.
• Daily triage — fifteen minutes, three outputs per bug, daily for the first week post-release.
• Postmortem — one incident, chain-level walk, one fix.

Operations · Client cadence

• Weekly client update — three sections, under 200 words, sent every Friday.

Operations · Daily

• Helpdesk reading — five lines, theme not count, for the trio.

Operations · Portfolio governance

• Portfolio review — pre-read pack + 90-minute agenda + signed outcome.