Gate Validating

Validate Canvas phase transitions and assess readiness.

Phase Definitions

Process

Step 1: Identify Current Phase

Read existing Canvas files in strategy/canvas/. Determine current phase based on which sections exist and are populated.

Step 2: Identify Target Gate

From request, determine which gate to validate:

• “Ready for definition?” → Check G1
• “Ready for validation?” → Check G2
• “Ready for launch?” → Check G3
• “Ready for execution?” → Check G4

Step 3: Check Gate Requirements

Load gate requirements (below). For each criterion:

1. Read specified Canvas section
2. Apply check logic
3. Record PASS or FAIL

Step 4: Report Results

Generate gate check report with status, blockers, and recommendations.

Gate Requirements

G0: Mode Selection → Discovery

G1: Discovery → Definition

G2: Definition → Validation

G3: Validation → Launch

G4: Launch → Execution

Output Format

## Gate Check: [G0/G1/G2/G3/G4]

**Transition:** [Phase] → [Phase]
**Status:** [PASS | FAIL]

### Required Criteria

| Section | Criteria | Status |
|---------|----------|--------|
| [section] | [criteria] | ✅/❌ |

### Soft Required

| Section | Criteria | Status |
|---------|----------|--------|
| [section] | [criteria] | ✅/⚠️ |

### Blockers (if FAIL)

- [Specific missing element]
- [What needs to be done]

### Recommendations

- [Suggested next steps]

Bypass Rules

Gates can be bypassed with explicit acknowledgment:

## Gate Bypass

**Gate:** [G#]
**Missing:** [criteria]
**Reason:** [justification]
**Risk accepted:** [what could go wrong]
**Mitigation:** [how to handle if it fails]

⚠️ Proceeding with incomplete prerequisites

Document bypass in strategy/canvas/00.mode.md under a Bypasses section.

Quick Reference

Canvas Completion Status

For overall status check:

## Canvas Status

### Phase Completion

| Phase | Status | Sections |
|-------|--------|----------|
| Mode | ✅/❌ | 00 |
| Discovery | ✅/❌ | 01-06 |
| Definition | ✅/❌ | 07-09, 12-14 |
| Validation | ✅/❌ | 10 |
| Launch | ✅/❌ | 11, 15 |

### Section Detail

| Section | Exists | Complete |
|---------|--------|----------|
| 00.mode | ✅/❌ | ✅/❌ |
| 01.context | ✅/❌ | ✅/⚠️/❌ |
| ... | | |

### Next Gate: [G#]
**Status:** [X/Y required passing]
**Blockers:** [List]

Boundaries

• Does NOT fix issues (reports only)
• Does NOT assess business viability or strategy quality
• Does NOT bypass gates without explicit user acknowledgment
• Validates structural completeness, not content quality
• Gate pass does not guarantee business success
• Bypass documentation required for any gate skip
• Does NOT validate external market conditions