AI-Native SDLC
From Chaos to Confidence
A structured development lifecycle built for single-developer epic ownership, powered by AI agents.
The Workflow Transformation
Toggle between the current state and the new structured pipeline
Vibe-to-Spec
Bridge captures idea into structured intake form
PRD Drafted
Coordinator writes Product Requirements Document
OCTO Review
48-hour turnaround, approved with ownership tier
One Dev/Epic
DRI uses Hat-Switching: Planner, Builder, Reviewer
AI QA Gates
Automated lint, tests, compliance, then human QA
Ship with Confidence
Merged with full audit trail and architecture review
Result: Predictable delivery, full audit trail, quality gates
Requirements Pipeline
Vibe-to-Spec
Every piece of work entering the development pipeline starts with a PRD. No verbal requirements.
Verbal Idea
Founder / Stakeholder
Structured Capture
Bridge Lead
PRD Drafted
Coordinator
OCTO Review
48-hour turnaround
Pod Assignment
DRI Named
Dev Begins
Planner Hat
One Dev Per Epic
The Hat-Switching Model
Each developer cycles through three cognitive modes per unit of work, leveraging AI agents throughout.
Planner Hat
Developer Does
Defines scope, acceptance criteria, architectural constraints from the PRD
AI Agent Does
Generates task breakdowns, identifies risks, suggests patterns
Artifacts
Implementation plan committed to repo
Builder Hat
Developer Does
Reviews, redirects, handles edge cases and payment-critical logic
AI Agent Does
Generates code, writes tests, implements features
Artifacts
Code + tests committed per unit
Reviewer Hat
Developer Does
Final approval, architectural sign-off
AI Agent Does
Runs automated checks, identifies regressions, verifies spec compliance
Artifacts
Merged PR with full audit trail
Risk-Based Ownership
Epic Ownership Tiers
Not all EPICs are suitable for single-developer ownership. We tier by risk.
Criteria
Internal tools, dashboards, SDKs, documentation
Ownership
Single developer, full autonomy
Examples
Admin UI features, SDK updates, dev portal
Criteria
New PSP integrations, merchant-facing API changes
Ownership
Single developer + Principal Architect review
Examples
New payment method, checkout redesign
Criteria
Core transaction routing, settlement, reconciliation
Ownership
Team ownership with mandatory peer review
Examples
Routing engine changes, settlement logic
Quality Assurance
AI-Native QA Gates
Manual testing in production is over. Every PR passes through automated and human quality gates.
Linting & formatting
ESLint/Prettier
Unit test coverage >= 80%
Jest/Vitest
AI-generated edge case tests
Claude Code agent
Integration test pass
CI pipeline
Compliance scan
Compliance agent
Human QA verification
Embedded QA
Architecture review
Principal Architect
Cadence
Sprint Ceremonies
Biweekly sprints with async-first communication and sacred overlap windows.
Sprint Planning
Biweekly (Monday)
Async Standup
Daily
PR Review
Continuous
Sprint Demo
Biweekly (Friday)
Retrospective
Monthly