architectural-gate

Architectural Gate

The Core Invariance Skill

This is the primary quality gate for the 3-Surgeons invariance suite. It ensures that no significant change proceeds without proportional scrutiny.

Do NOT implement changes until this gate passes. The gate can be quick (Light mode) or thorough (Full mode), but it MUST run. Skipping this gate violates epistemological invariance.

Auto-Invocation Triggers

Invoke this skill when ANY of these signals are present:

Signal	Examples
Architectural decision	New subsystem, data flow change, module restructuring
>3 files will change	Multi-file refactor, cross-cutting concern
New dependency added	npm/pip package, external service, API integration
Security-sensitive code	Auth, crypto, input validation, secrets handling
Database schema change	Migration, new table, index change, column alter
API surface change	New endpoint, modified contract, breaking change
Config/infrastructure change	Docker, CI/CD, env vars, deploy config

If even ONE signal is present, this gate fires.

Risk Stratification

Not all changes need full gating. The gate assesses risk across multiple dimensions and selects a proportional mode:

Risk Dimensions (multi-axis, not scalar)

Dimension	Low	Medium	High
Blast radius	1 file	2-5 files	>5 files
Reversibility	Easy rollback	Moderate effort	Hard/impossible
Security exposure	No auth/crypto	Touches validation	Auth/crypto/secrets
Data impact	Read-only	Schema additive	Schema destructive
External coupling	No new deps	New internal dep	New external service

Mode Selection

Mode	When	What Runs	Target Time
Light	All dimensions Low. Single-file, clear scope, no arch change	Sentinel scan only. If risk=low, proceed.	<30s
Standard	Any dimension Medium. 2-5 files, moderate complexity	Sentinel + gains-gate. Cross-exam if sentinel >= medium.	<120s
Full	Any dimension High. >5 files, security, schema, new subsystem	Sentinel + cross-exam + counter-position + gains-gate.	<300s

Mode is determined by highest-risk dimension, not average. One High dimension = Full mode, even if everything else is Low.

Checklist

You MUST create a TodoWrite task for each step and complete them in order:

Light Mode

1. Run sentinel scan on planned change description
2. If sentinel risk = none or low: GATE PASSES — proceed
3. If sentinel risk >= medium: escalate to Standard mode

Standard Mode

1. Run sentinel scan on planned change description
2. Run gains-gate to verify infra health before implementation
3. If sentinel risk >= medium: run cross-examination on the plan
4. Present gate results — proceed only if no critical flags
5. After implementation: run gains-gate again (post-gate)

Full Mode

1. Run sentinel scan on planned change description
2. Run cross-examination on the plan (all 3 surgeons)
3. Run counter-position protocol — argue why this plan will FAIL
4. Run gains-gate to verify infra health
5. Present gate results with all surgeon opinions — proceed only with approval
6. After implementation: run gains-gate again (post-gate)
7. If post-gate fails: diagnose and fix before claiming done

Emergency Bypass Protocol

For critical hotfixes (production down, security vulnerability, data loss):

1. Declare emergency — state what is broken and why bypass is needed
2. Implement fix — proceed without full gating
3. Post-mortem gate — within 24h, run Full mode architectural-gate on the emergency fix
4. Evidence capture — log bypass reason, outcome, and whether the gate would have caught the issue
5. Surface to Aaron — emergency bypasses always surface to the human operator

This is the release valve. It exists so the gate does not become the thing that kills the system it protects.

Integration with Superpowers

This skill fires BEFORE brainstorming/writing-plans. It supplements the superpowers workflow:

Signal detected → architectural-gate → [brainstorming] → [writing-plans] → [executing-plans]

The gate does NOT replace superpowers' process invariance. It adds epistemological invariance on top — ensuring the right questions are asked before the process begins.

What NOT to Do

• Do NOT skip the gate because it "seems simple" — Light mode exists for simple changes. Use it.
• Do NOT run Full mode on everything — that creates cross-exam fatigue and delivery freeze.
• Do NOT ignore sentinel warnings — if sentinel flags medium+, escalate. The flag is the value.
• Do NOT override surgeon disagreements without evidence — present disagreements to Aaron.