rfc

name	rfc
description	RFC and technical proposal writing.

Activate When

• /godmode:rfc, "write a proposal", "RFC for"
• "propose a change", "need team buy-in"
• Design decision too large for single-person ADR

Workflow

1. Determine RFC Type

FEATURE:      2 reviewers, 3-day comment period
ARCHITECTURE: 3 reviewers, 5-day comment period
PROCESS:      All team, 5-day comment period
DEPRECATION:  2 reviewers + leads, 5-day period
MIGRATION:    3 reviewers, 7-day comment period
STANDARD:     All team, 7-day comment period

2. Research & Evidence

git log --oneline --since="3 months ago" -- <paths>
ls docs/rfcs/ docs/adr/ 2>/dev/null

Gather: current state, problem evidence (metrics), prior art, constraints.

IF no quantitative evidence: gather before writing. IF past RFC exists on same topic: reference it.

3. Write the RFC

Required sections:

• Metadata: author, status, type, dates, reviewers
• Summary: 2-3 sentences (most important section)
• Problem Statement: quantitative evidence required
• Proposed Solution: design, API/data/config changes, implementation plan with phased milestones
• Alternatives: minimum 2 + "Do Nothing" (mandatory)
• Risks & Mitigations: every risk needs mitigation
• Testing Strategy: unit, integration, load, canary
• Open Questions: tracked to resolution

Save to docs/rfcs/<NNN>-<kebab-title>.md.

IF RFC > 5 pages: split into parent + child RFCs. IF "Do Nothing" is acceptable: no RFC needed.

4. Manage Review

Track per-reviewer: status (approved/concerns/pending), comments. When concerns raised: acknowledge, research, update RFC, re-request review.

5. Decision Timeline

Log: created, comments, updates, approvals, decision. Set deadline and hold to it.

6. Finalize

• All approve -> Accepted. Create ADR, plan impl.
• Blocking concerns -> Deferred. Set revisit date.
• Rejected -> Document reasons. Preserve for reference.

7. Commit

git add docs/rfcs/<NNN>-<title>.md
git commit -m "rfc: RFC-<NNN> -- <title> (<status>)"

Quality Targets

• Target: <2 weeks from draft to decision
• Target: >=3 reviewers for architecture RFCs
• Target: 100% of breaking changes documented in RFC

Quality Targets (Summary)

• Draft to decision: <2 weeks
• Reviewers: >3 for architecture RFCs
• Target: 100% breaking changes documented

Hard Rules

1. EVERY RFC must include "Do Nothing" alternative.
2. NEVER write RFC after code is already written.
3. EVERY RFC must have a review deadline.
4. NEVER accept with unresolved open questions.
5. EVERY rejected RFC preserved with rationale.
6. RFC scope < 5 pages. Split if longer.
7. EVERY RFC must include rollback/migration plan.
8. NEVER skip alternatives section.

TSV Logging

Append .godmode/rfc-results.tsv:

timestamp	rfc_number	title	type	status	reviewers	alternatives	open_questions

Keep/Discard

KEEP if: evidence-based, concise, actionable,
  all sections complete.
DISCARD if: vague, lacks evidence, exceeds 5 pages.

Stop Conditions

STOP when FIRST of:
  - All sections complete + committed
  - 8 iterations exhausted
  - Re-edits produce no new information

Autonomous Operation

On failure: git reset --hard HEAD~1. Never pause.

Error Recovery

Failure	Action
No RFC directory	Create docs/rfcs/, start at 001
Written after code	Convert to ADR, warn user
Deadline passes	Extend 3 days or schedule sync
Exceeds 5 pages	Split into parent + child RFCs
All reviewers reject	Set Rejected, preserve rationale