Core Rule
A task is not ready for autonomous execution unless it declares:
- input artifact
- owner branch
- verification gate
- output artifact
- escalation boundary
Sprawl Operating Model
Dev Loops, Not Branch Soup
The fix is to classify every task immediately, give each lane one durable branch at most, and make the protocol cascade a real workflow instead of a heroic prompt.
Default Topology
mainstays mergeable and coherentautoloop/clientowns Agentation and preview polishautoloop/protocolowns active contract wavesautoloop/modelsowns 3D library admin when active
The Seven Lanes
1
Protocol
Contracts, manifests, downstream sync, audit, cleanup.
2
Client Taste
Visual tweaks, UX polish, Agentation annotations, readability.
3
Backend
Admin APIs and runtime systems, only after protocol and client are stable enough.
4
Packaging
Lore cleanup, marketing narrative, landing pages, docs coherence.
5
Runbook
Launch sequencing, reset procedures, upgrade steps, operator drills.
6
AI Faction
Behavior, incentives, endpoints, delegation rules. Mostly spec-first for now.
7
3D Model Admin
Art-factory library hygiene, intake, promotion, metadata, model QA, canon selection.
Loop Split
Annotation -> Preview
Fran comments on live preview. Watcher edits autoloop/client, rebuilds,
updates preview, and resolves each annotation with commit hash and preview URL.
Logic -> Cascade
Rule change enters through spec, then propagates through contracts, client wording, indexer, notifications, and runbooks until the repo is coherent.
Smithers Recommendation
Yes: the protocol cascade loop should become a Smithers workflow.
- It has explicit stages and durable state.
- It benefits from approval gates.
- It should emit artifacts and status packets, not just chat.
- It is much less subjective than Agentation or 3D admin work.
Best split:
- Protocol cascade -> Smithers workflow
- Client annotation loop -> watcher on
autoloop/client - 3D model admin -> separate content/admin lane
- Fuzzy design questions -> executable briefs, not heavy workflows
Approval Surface
Where approvals arrive
Use @SmithersApprovalsBot on Telegram as the inbox. The bot sends an
Open review button that opens the review in the Smithers miniapp at
smithers-approvals.repo.box.
- Telegram DM is the inbox
- The miniapp is the decision surface
- Smithers is the state machine
Default approval gates
- after spec rewrite if interpretation is ambiguous
- after contract patch and downstream propagation
- after audit if findings are serious or design-significant
- before merge to
main
Agentation Escalation
When to escalate
If an annotation looks like UI feedback but probably reveals a missing or wrong rule, the Agentation watcher should stop treating it as a client-only task.
Example: “Why is there a cancel button here? You shouldn’t be able to cancel.”
What happens next
Agentation creates a Smithers review card in the same approval surface instead of rewriting contracts directly.
Client-only fixEscalate to protocol workflowNeed spec clarification
Operational rule
Agentation may patch client/docs, or open an escalation review, or wait. It should not silently jump lanes and rewrite contracts from the client watcher.