architect-first

To prevent capability loss and hidden coupling during refactoring, enforce architecture-first documentation and zero-coupling checks before implementation. This approach requires baseline comparisons and multi-agent validation to ensure structural changes preserve existing capabilities.

The best way to document architectural design is by drafting complete documentation including diagrams, data flows, component interactions, and configuration schemas with A/B/C options. This must be completed and validated before any feature implementation begins.

You need multi-agent validation for structural changes when making architectural decisions that impact capabilities. This forces review and approval from PO, Architect, and User perspectives with recorded rationale to prevent unauthorized structural modifications.

Yes, this approach works with externalizing configuration to YAML by enforcing stop rules against hardcoded mutable configuration values. Configuration schemas must be documented during the architecture phase and validated with tests and scripts before implementation.

Yes, you can write pragmatic code without full architecture documentation when backed by a defined test plan and supporting logs or observability. Tests serve as an escape hatch, but structural changes still require PO, Architect, or User validation.

To check for zero coupling between modules, use a coupling checker to detect cross-module hard dependencies during the pre-implementation validation phase. This enforces independent expansion packs and config-driven integration before any code is written.