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Engineering Principles

These principles govern public engineering surfaces. They are not slogans; each maps to docs, gates, or ADRs you can inspect.

PrincipleMeaningWhere to verify
Evidence FirstClaims require code, tests, docs, releases, or labeled assumptionsADR-004, Public Proof Gate
Human AuthorityConsequential actions need clear ownership, approval, and escalationGoverned agent systems
PrivacyPrivate systems and confidential data stay outside public proofADR-006
GovernanceDelivery controls beat ad-hoc heroicsADR-007
VerificationPassing builds are not proof of correct business behaviorQuality gates, tests, receipts
RecoverabilityStop, restart, and restore without corrupting stateOps readiness patterns (public-safe summaries only)
ObservabilityStatus, logs, and evidence trails are first-classMission Control, shipments, CI
Operational ExcellenceRelease discipline, honest maturity labels, deferred vanityRoadmap, recognition rules

Anti-patterns we reject

  • Invented metrics and hard-coded contribution vanity
  • Planned features presented as complete
  • Private BBIOS/Nova/MLS/Myelin internals in public artifacts
  • Pay-to-display recognition without independent judging