Principle 17: Rule of Five

gistfile1.txt

---
principle_id: P17
name: Rule of Five
short_name: rule-of-five
category: autonomous-execution
intent: Work converges through 4-5 review passes before completion
triggers:
  - completing any deliverable
  - declaring work done
  - epic planning
related_principles:
  - P13
  - P14
  - P16
sub_components: 0
version: 1.0.0
last_updated: 2025-12-11
---

# P17: Rule of Five (Convergence Passes)

## The Problem

AI agents often deliver first draft as final output, leading to:
- Unconverged designs missing edge cases
- Shallow implementations (happy path only)
- Incomplete test coverage
- Planning gaps before execution

## The Principle

**Work must "converge" through 4-5 review passes before complete.**

Like training a neural network, work improves with each pass. First draft captures ~80%; subsequent passes refine execution.

## The Five Convergence Passes

| Pass | Focus | Question | Artifact |
|------|-------|----------|----------|
| 1. Design | Problem definition | "What are we solving?" | Requirements |
| 2. Plan | Implementation strategy | "How will we solve it?" | Plan |
| 3. Implement | Code execution | "Does this work?" | Working code |
| 4. Test | Quality verification | "All cases handled?" | Tests |
| 5. Code Health | Maintainability | "Is this sustainable?" | Clean code |

## Scaling by Complexity

| Size | Passes | Pattern |
|------|--------|---------|
| Small (<1 hr) | 2-3 | Implement → Test → Clean |
| Medium (1-8 hr) | 3-4 | Design → Implement → Test → Health |
| Large (>8 hr) | 5 | All five passes mandatory |
| Issue Closure | 6 | All passes + Quality Gate validation |

## Epic Planning Protocol

For epics, apply 5 passes to the PLAN itself:

1. **Draft 1:** Initial breakdown
2. **Draft 2:** Review dependencies
3. **Draft 3:** Detailed designs
4. **Draft 4:** Proofread, validate completeness
5. **Draft 5:** Final polish, file to Beads

**Never begin implementation until plan has converged.**

## Pass-Specific Checklists

**Pass 1 (Design):**
- [ ] Problem clearly stated
- [ ] Success criteria defined
- [ ] Scope boundaries explicit

**Pass 2 (Plan):**
- [ ] Steps ordered
- [ ] Dependencies identified
- [ ] Risks flagged

**Pass 3 (Implement):**
- [ ] Code runs
- [ ] Happy path works
- [ ] Basic tests pass

**Pass 4 (Test):**
- [ ] Edge cases covered
- [ ] Error paths tested
- [ ] Integration verified

**Pass 5 (Code Health):**
- [ ] No files >500 lines
- [ ] No functions >50 lines
- [ ] Dead code removed

**Pass 6 (Quality Gate - Issue Closure):**
- [ ] Acceptance criteria all checked ([x])
- [ ] Files traceable via nanoid
- [ ] Git commits reference work item
- [ ] No tests deleted to pass
- [ ] No shortcuts detected (batch close, etc.)

## Agent Rules

```
❌ "Here's the implementation. Done!"

✅ "Initial implementation (Pass 1). Reviewing for edge cases..."
    → "Pass 2 complete. Found 3 edge cases, added handling."
    → "Pass 3 complete. Tests passing."
    → "Pass 4 complete. Code health check done."
```

## Integration with Other Principles

| Principle | Integration |
|-----------|-------------|
| P13 (MVC) | MVC within each pass |
| P14 (Zero-Cost) | Multiple passes are FREE |
| P16 (Autonomous) | 3+ attempts = convergence |

## Why This Matters

**Without passes:** Ship first-draft, miss edge cases, accumulate issues
**With passes:** Handle edge cases, comprehensive tests, maintainable code