planning-research-merge-gate

A merge gate in software planning requires explicit go/no-go approval after verifying scope is unambiguous, acceptance criteria are testable, and major risks have mitigation. It prevents rework by blocking implementation until these checks pass.

A merge gate in software planning requires explicit go/no-go approval after verifying scope is unambiguous, acceptance criteria are testable, and major risks have mitigation. It prevents rework by blocking implementation until these checks pass.

Define feature scope by capturing goals, constraints, and success criteria upfront. Concurrently draft the technical architecture and research library limitations, persisting the analysis in a plan file only if the scope remains unambiguous.

You should avoid parallel tracks for project design when the feature scope is ambiguous. The process explicitly delays producing a plan file and starting implementation if scope is unclear, conflicts exist, or major risks lack mitigation.

Yes, you can conduct risk assessment and codebase analysis concurrently. The process simultaneously analyzes local structure to draft modules while gathering unresolved runtime constraints, persisting both research and design decisions for review.

The best way to document design decisions is to persist research, codebase analysis, and rationale in a central design document. This occurs during parallel tracks, capturing open questions and updating decisions before requesting explicit approval.