AOD Triad Governance - Quick Reference Guide

Version: 3.0.0 (AOD Lifecycle Formalization) Status: Template

What is the AOD Triad?

The AOD Triad is the governance layer of the AOD Lifecycle, ensuring Product-Architecture-Engineering alignment at every stage boundary. While the AOD Lifecycle defines six stages across three phases (Discovery: Discover, Define; Delivery: Plan, Build, Deliver; Quality: Document), the Triad provides the approval gates that control progression between them.

The Three Roles:

PM (product-manager): Defines What & Why (user value, business goals)
Architect: Defines How (technical approach, infrastructure baseline)
Tech-Lead (team-lead): Defines When & Who (timeline, agent assignments)

Purpose: Govern stage transitions through structured review and validation gates, preventing misalignment between product intent and technical execution

Lifecycle Context

The AOD Lifecycle defines 6 stages that every feature progresses through:

Discover → Define → Plan → Build → Deliver → Document

Stages 1-5 are orchestrated by /aod.run. Stage 6 (Document) runs separately after delivery -- see AOD_LIFECYCLE.md for details.

The Triad operates as a governance layer at stage boundaries (gates), not as stages themselves:

  Discover    │ G1 │    Define     │ G2 │     Plan      │ G3 │    Build     │ G4 │   Deliver    │    │   Document
              │    │               │    │               │    │              │    │              │    │
  Ideas,      │gate│  PRD,        │gate│  spec.md,     │gate│  Execute    │gate│  Close,      │    │  Simplify,
  scoring     │    │  research    │    │  plan.md,     │    │  tasks,     │    │  verify,     │    │  docstrings,
              │    │               │    │  tasks.md     │    │  review     │    │  retro       │    │  CHANGELOG

Governance Tiers (configurable per project):

Tier	Gates	Best For
Light	G2 (spec sign-off) + G3 (tasks sign-off)	Small features, quick iterations
Standard	G1 + G2 + G3 + G4 (6 checkpoints)	Most production features
Full	All gates with extended reviews	Critical infrastructure, security changes

See docs/guides/AOD_LIFECYCLE.md for the full lifecycle reference.

Complete Lifecycle with Triad Governance (Simple)

 DISCOVER       │ DEFINE         │       PLAN          │ BUILD          │ DELIVER        │ DOCUMENT
                │                │                     │                │                │
┌─────────────┐ │ ┌─────────────┐ │ ┌────────────────┐ │ ┌─────────────┐ │ ┌─────────────┐ │ ┌──────────────┐
│             │ │ │             │ │ │                │ │ │             │ │ │             │ │ │              │
│/aod.discover│ │ │ /aod.define │ │ │   /aod.plan    │ │ │ /aod.build │ │ │/aod.deliver │ │ │/aod.document │
│  (idea)     │ │ │  (PRD)      │ │ │ (spec → plan → │ │ │  (execute) │ │ │  (close)    │ │ │  (quality    │
│             │ │ │             │ │ │  tasks)        │ │ │             │ │ │             │ │ │   review)    │
└─────────────┘ │ └─────────────┘ │ └────────────────┘ │ └─────────────┘ │ └─────────────┘ │ └──────────────┘
      ↓         │       ↓         │        ↓           │       ↓         │       ↓         │       ↓
 PM valid.     G1  PM + Arch +   G2  PM spec sign-off G3  Arch checkpts G4  DoD check     G5  Human approval
 (tier-dep.)       Tech-Lead         PM+Arch plan                            + retro            per step
                   validation        Triple sign-off

Governance gates (G1-G5) auto-validate before stage transitions ✅

Quick Start

Creating a PRD with Triad Governance

/aod.define <topic>

Auto-detects workflow type:

Infrastructure keywords (deploy, infrastructure, provision) → Sequential Triad
Feature keywords (UI, component, API, feature) → Parallel Triad

What happens automatically:

PM drafts PRD (via /aod.define)
Architect creates baseline (if infrastructure) or reviews (if feature)
Tech-Lead performs feasibility check with timeline estimate
Architect performs technical review
PM finalizes with all Triad approvals

Time: 2-4 hours for infrastructure PRD, 1-2 hours for feature PRD

Two Workflows

Sequential Triad (Infrastructure PRDs)

Use when: Topic contains "deploy", "infrastructure", "provision", "environment"

Workflow:

Phase 0: Architect Baseline (30 min)
  ↓ [baseline report handed to PM]
Phase 1: PM Drafts PRD (45 min)
  ↓ [draft PRD handed to Tech-Lead]
Phase 2: Tech-Lead Feasibility (30 min)
  ↓ [timeline estimate handed to PM]
Phase 3: PM Incorporates Timeline (10 min)
  ↓ [updated PRD handed to Architect]
Phase 4: Architect Review (30 min)
  ↓ [APPROVED verdict handed to PM]
Phase 5: PM Finalizes (5 min)

Total: ~2-4 hours typical

Target Metrics:

Technical inaccuracies: <3 per PRD
Architect review: <30 min for standard PRDs
Timeline accuracy: Within 20% of actual
Infrastructure accuracy: >95%

Parallel Triad (Feature PRDs)

Use when: No infrastructure keywords detected

Workflow:

Phase 1: PM Drafts PRD (45 min)
  ↓ [draft PRD handed to both agents]
Phase 2a: Tech-Lead Feasibility ─┐
Phase 2b: Architect Review       ├─ [Both run in parallel, 30 min]
  ↓                              ─┘
Phase 3: PM Incorporates Feedback (15 min)
  ↓
Phase 4: PM Finalizes (5 min)

Total: ~1-2 hours typical

Artifacts Created

For Infrastructure PRDs

specs/{NNN}-{topic}/
├── architect-baseline.md       # Phase 0: Infrastructure status
├── feasibility-check.md        # Phase 2: Timeline & agent assignments
└── [created during spec phase]

docs/product/02_PRD/
└── {NNN}-{topic}-{date}.md     # Phase 1: PRD (approved)

docs/agents/architect/
└── {date}_{NNN}_prd-review_ARCH.md  # Phase 4: Technical review

For Feature PRDs

specs/{NNN}-{topic}/
└── feasibility-check.md        # Phase 2a: Timeline & assignments

docs/product/02_PRD/
└── {NNN}-{topic}-{date}.md     # Phase 1: PRD (approved)

docs/agents/architect/
└── {date}_{NNN}_prd-review_ARCH.md  # Phase 2b: Technical review

Success Criteria

Per Constitution v1.4.0, all PRDs should achieve:

Metric	Target	Description
Technical inaccuracies	<3	Factual errors in PRD technical claims
Architect review time	<30 min	Time for technical validation
Infrastructure accuracy	>95%	Accuracy of infrastructure status claims
Timeline accuracy	Within 20%	Estimated vs actual delivery time
Triad cycle time	<4 hours	Total time for full Triad review

Research Phase (Before Specification)

/aod.spec includes a mandatory research phase before generating the specification. This ensures specs are grounded in reality rather than assumptions.

What Gets Researched (in parallel)

Source	What to Find	Why It Matters
Knowledge Base	Similar patterns, lessons learned, past bug fixes	Avoid repeating mistakes
Codebase	Existing implementations, naming conventions, utilities	Follow established patterns
Architecture	Relevant docs, constraints, dependencies	Respect technical boundaries
Web Research	Industry best practices, common patterns	Learn from broader ecosystem

Output

Creates specs/{NNN}-*/research.md with:

KB findings and relevant lessons
Similar features in codebase (with file paths)
Architecture constraints and dependencies
Industry best practices and references
Recommendations for the spec

This research informs spec creation - the spec author uses these findings to write a more accurate, realistic specification.

Triple Sign-Off Requirements

After /aod.define completes, you must have:

For PRDs

✅ Architect baseline (if infrastructure) or Architect review (if feature)
✅ Tech-Lead feasibility with timeline estimate
✅ Architect technical review with APPROVED verdict
✅ PM approval (marks PRD as "Approved")

For Spec.md (after `/aod.spec`)

✅ Research phase completed: KB, codebase, architecture, web research
✅ research.md created: Findings documented
✅ PM sign-off: Product alignment validated
✅ PM approval: Spec ready for planning

For Plan.md (after `/aod.project-plan`)

✅ PM sign-off: Feasibility validated
✅ Architect sign-off: Architecture decisions validated
✅ PM approval: Plan ready for tasks

For Tasks.md (after `/aod.tasks`)

✅ PM sign-off: Prioritization validated
✅ Architect sign-off: Technical approach validated
✅ Team-Lead sign-off: Agent assignments and parallel execution optimized
✅ PM approval: Tasks ready for implementation

Constitution Requirement: All three sign-offs MUST be present before proceeding to next phase

AOD Lifecycle Commands (with Triad Governance)

Automatic Governance (Recommended)

Complete Production Workflow (recommended):

/aod.define <topic>        # Define stage: Create PRD with auto-Triad validation
/aod.plan                  # Plan stage: Chains spec → project-plan → tasks with governance gates
/aod.build                 # Build stage: Execute with auto architect checkpoints
/aod.document              # Document stage: Quality review (supports --autonomous)

Individual Plan sub-commands (available if you need to run steps separately):

/aod.spec                  # Create spec.md with auto PM sign-off
/aod.project-plan          # Create plan.md with auto PM + Architect sign-off
/aod.tasks                 # Create tasks.md with auto PM + Architect + Team-Lead sign-off

Benefits of /aod.* Commands:

✅ Lifecycle stages with built-in governance gates
✅ Automatic agent sign-off validation (no manual invocation)
✅ Frontmatter auto-updated with verdicts
✅ Blocking on CHANGES_REQUESTED (prevents proceeding with issues)
✅ Constitution compliance enforced automatically
✅ Configurable governance tiers (Light, Standard, Full)

Validation

Check Triad Artifacts Exist

# Check if PRD has all Triad artifacts
ls docs/agents/architect/*{NNN}*prd-review*   # Architect review

# Verify PRD status
cat docs/product/02_PRD/INDEX.md | grep {NNN}

Run Cross-Artifact Analysis

/aod.analyze  # Validates PRD-spec-plan-tasks alignment + Triad completeness

Troubleshooting

"PRD has inaccuracies"

Cause: PM didn't read architect baseline before drafting
Fix: Re-run /aod.define which will auto-invoke baseline first

"Timeline estimate unrealistic"

Cause: Tech-Lead didn't account for dependencies
Fix: Re-run /aod.tasks after clarifying scope

"Architect blocked PRD"

Cause: Technical infeasibility or inaccuracies ≥3
Fix: Address architect's corrections in PRD, re-submit for review

"Triad cycle too slow (>4 hours)"

Cause: Rework loops from inaccuracies or missing baseline
Prevention: Always run /aod.define (auto-Triad governance) instead of manual PM draft

Examples

Example 1: Infrastructure PRD

# User request: "Create PRD for production deployment setup"
/aod.define production-deployment-setup

# Auto-detects "production" + "deployment" → Infrastructure PRD
# Runs Sequential Triad:
# - Architect reads current infrastructure docs, creates baseline
# - PM drafts PRD with baseline facts
# - Tech-Lead estimates timeline
# - Architect reviews, validates accuracy
# - PM finalizes PRD

# Result: PRD approved with 0-3 inaccuracies

Example 2: Feature PRD

# User request: "Create PRD for user dashboard feature"
/aod.define user-dashboard-feature

# Auto-detects "feature" (no infrastructure keywords) → Feature PRD
# Runs Parallel Triad:
# - PM drafts PRD
# - Tech-Lead + Architect review in parallel (saves 30 min)
# - PM incorporates feedback
# - PM finalizes PRD

# Result: PRD approved in 1-2 hours

Best Practices

DO ✅

Use /aod.define for automatic Triad governance (recommended)
Create architect baseline BEFORE PM drafts (infrastructure PRDs)
Use Tech-Lead timeline estimate (not PM guess)
Cross-check all infrastructure claims against baseline
Block PRD finalization if Architect verdict is CHANGES REQUESTED

DON'T ❌

Skip architect baseline for infrastructure PRDs (causes inaccuracies)
Let PM guess timeline (causes errors)
Approve PRD with ≥3 technical inaccuracies
Rush Triad phases (quality > speed)
Ignore Architect BLOCKED verdict

Navigation Menu

AOD Triad Governance - Quick Reference Guide

What is the AOD Triad?

Lifecycle Context

Complete Lifecycle with Triad Governance (Simple)

Quick Start

Creating a PRD with Triad Governance

Two Workflows

Sequential Triad (Infrastructure PRDs)

Parallel Triad (Feature PRDs)

Artifacts Created

For Infrastructure PRDs

For Feature PRDs

Success Criteria

Research Phase (Before Specification)

What Gets Researched (in parallel)

Output

Triple Sign-Off Requirements

For PRDs

For Spec.md (after `/aod.spec`)

For Plan.md (after `/aod.project-plan`)

For Tasks.md (after `/aod.tasks`)

AOD Lifecycle Commands (with Triad Governance)

Automatic Governance (Recommended)

Validation

Check Triad Artifacts Exist

Run Cross-Artifact Analysis

Troubleshooting

"PRD has inaccuracies"

"Timeline estimate unrealistic"

"Architect blocked PRD"

"Triad cycle too slow (>4 hours)"

Examples

Example 1: Infrastructure PRD

Example 2: Feature PRD

Best Practices

DO ✅

DON'T ❌

Related Documentation

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AOD Triad Governance - Quick Reference Guide

What is the AOD Triad?

Lifecycle Context

Complete Lifecycle with Triad Governance (Simple)

Quick Start

Creating a PRD with Triad Governance

Two Workflows

Sequential Triad (Infrastructure PRDs)

Parallel Triad (Feature PRDs)

Artifacts Created

For Infrastructure PRDs

For Feature PRDs

Success Criteria

Research Phase (Before Specification)

What Gets Researched (in parallel)

Output

Triple Sign-Off Requirements

For PRDs

For Spec.md (after /aod.spec)

For Plan.md (after /aod.project-plan)

For Tasks.md (after /aod.tasks)

AOD Lifecycle Commands (with Triad Governance)

Automatic Governance (Recommended)

Validation

Check Triad Artifacts Exist

Run Cross-Artifact Analysis

Troubleshooting

"PRD has inaccuracies"

"Timeline estimate unrealistic"

"Architect blocked PRD"

"Triad cycle too slow (>4 hours)"

Examples

Example 1: Infrastructure PRD

Example 2: Feature PRD

Best Practices

DO ✅

DON'T ❌

Related Documentation

For Spec.md (after `/aod.spec`)

For Plan.md (after `/aod.project-plan`)

For Tasks.md (after `/aod.tasks`)