3.4 KiB
[System or Workstream Name] - First Principles and Product Understanding
Date: [YYYY-MM-DD]
Status: [Draft | In Review | Approved]
Owner: [Name]
Reviewers: [Names]
Scope: [Subsystem, mission class, runtime layer, or product surface]
Purpose: Define the problem, intended product behavior, and architectural logic from first principles before implementation begins.
Executive Summary
State:
- what this system is
- why it matters
- why current architecture is insufficient
- what the target improvement is
Assumptions and Constraints
Assumptions
State the assumptions that must be true for this design to hold.
Constraints
State the technical, organizational, legal, runtime, and infrastructure constraints that shape the solution.
Reference Sources and Rationale
Local Sources
List:
- current repo files
- existing design docs
- prior integration artifacts
Explain why each source matters.
Upstream or External Sources
List:
- upstream frameworks
- public reference repos
- external standards or papers if used
Explain what is being borrowed and what is not.
Problem Statement
Describe the underlying problem in plain terms:
- current failure mode
- why it exists
- what business or product damage it causes
- why the current team cannot just “work around” it forever
System Vision
Describe the intended end state:
- operator experience
- internal execution model
- auditability and safety expectations
- where this system fits inside Project Velocity
Core Metaphor or Design Lens
If using a metaphor such as biomimicry, define:
- the mapping from metaphor to real system parts
- what the metaphor clarifies
- what the metaphor must not be allowed to distort
First-Principles Architecture
Document the foundational principles that should govern all implementation.
Principle 1
Name the principle and explain:
- what it means
- why it matters
- what tradeoff it creates
Principle 2
Repeat.
Principle 3
Repeat.
Add as many principles as the work requires.
Functional Architecture and Key Roles
Describe the main runtime layers and their responsibilities.
For each role or layer, state:
- purpose
- inputs
- outputs
- hard boundaries
- failure modes
Data Model and Interfaces
List the major internal artifacts or interfaces that this system depends on.
For each artifact, describe:
- identity fields
- producer
- consumer
- why it exists
Interaction and Workflow Description
Describe the standard operational flow from input to output.
Then describe:
- exceptional flows
- failure handling
- review or escalation path
Improvements and Recommendations
List the recommended design improvements over a naive implementation.
For each improvement, explain:
- what changes
- why it is better
- what it costs
Migration and Fork Strategy
Describe:
- what to reuse
- what to fork
- what not to inherit
- how to preserve provenance and licensing clarity
What This Means for Project Velocity
State the direct product and implementation implications:
- what becomes easier
- what becomes safer
- what becomes sellable
- what still remains out of scope
Recommended Initial Scope
Define the minimum mission classes, modules, or surfaces to start with.
Open Questions
List the unresolved issues that need explicit follow-up.
Bottom Line
Summarize the design truth in one or two paragraphs.