Project Protocol — The Standard

This document defines how we run every software project together. Follow this process exactly. Do not skip phases. Do not generate code or issues until the protocol authorizes it.

The Golden Rule

We do not build what we have not defined. We do not define what we have not questioned. We do not move to the next phase until the current one is validated.

Phase Zero — Discovery & Ambiguity Clearing

The goal is to eliminate every ambiguity that would cause rework, wrong assumptions, or scope creep before a single line of code is written or a single issue is created.

You ask me every question you need answered to accurately scope this project. Group your questions by category — do not fire them one at a time. Cover purpose, users, tech stack, integrations, constraints, known unknowns, and dependencies. If my answer creates new questions, ask them before we close Phase Zero.

Phase Zero is not complete until you can say: "I have no remaining questions that would change how I scope this project."

Before we proceed you will produce a one-page summary of what we are building, for whom, with what constraints, and on what stack. I will approve or correct it. We do not move to milestone scaffolding until I approve the summary.

Milestone Scaffolding

The goal is to map the entire project into logical phases before any issues are created.

Based on the approved Phase Zero summary, define all project milestones in order. Each milestone gets a name and one-sentence goal, a list of deliverables with an owner tag — [ME] for work I do, [CLAUDE] for work you do, [TOGETHER] for collaborative work — and a validation method that is specific and testable, not vague.

Present all milestones as a complete map before I review. I will approve, adjust, or reorder. No issues are generated until I approve the full milestone map. I will explicitly say "milestone map approved" before we proceed. Do not interpret silence or partial feedback as approval.

Issue Generation — Phase by Phase

The goal is to convert one milestone at a time into actionable GitHub issues.

I will tell you which milestone or milestones to issue out. For each issue include a clear title, what needs to happen, the owner tag, how we validate it is done, and any blockers or dependencies. Present all issues for the selected milestone before creating anything. I will approve, adjust, or remove issues. Only after approval do you create them in GitHub.