Definition of Ready
SDLC Gate: Before coding starts
Version: 1.1 | Updated: 2026-07-16
Purpose
Nothing enters implementation until the team can execute without inventing product or architecture decisions mid-flight.
Rule
If you cannot check an item, stop. Fix it, or document a named waiver (approver + date + expiry). Waivers are exceptions, not a lifestyle.
Checklist
Story quality
- User / job-to-be-done is explicit
- Acceptance criteria are testable (QA can write tests from them)
- Happy path + at least two edge/failure cases covered
- Out-of-scope listed
- Dependencies identified and available (or explicitly sequenced)
Technical readiness
- Implementation plan exists for multi-file / cross-service work (Planner Pattern)
- Files/services expected to change are named
- Data model impact known (none / additive / breaking + migration approach)
- API contract impact known (none / additive / breaking)
- Rollback approach named
- Observability impact considered (new metrics/traces/logs)
Risk and ownership
- Top risks listed with mitigations
- Security impact considered (authz, injection, data exposure)
- Privacy / residency impact considered when personal data is involved
- Implementation owner named
- Reviewer / approver named
- On-call / rollout owner named for production-bound work
AI-assisted work extras
- Context package assembled (relevant paths, not the whole monorepo)
- Prompt / agent / skill versions pinned if used in the change
- Evaluation or golden cases identified when model behavior is user-visible
Exit artifact
A short readiness record linked from the ticket/PR:
Ready: YES | NO
Story: <id>
Plan: <link or N/A + reason>
Approver: <name> Date: <ISO date>
Waivers: <none | list>
Anti-patterns
| Anti-pattern | Why it fails |
|---|---|
| “We’ll figure out the schema in the PR” | Schema is an architecture decision; belongs in the plan |
| Ready because sprint started | Calendar is not a quality gate |
| AI coder started without a story | Optimizes tokens, not outcomes |
| Waiver with no expiry | Permanent exception disguised as process |
Related
Version: AIES v1.0.0✏️ Edit this page on GitHub