AI Software Factory Starter Kit V7.8

A generic, governed AI delivery kit for building, rescuing, reviewing, testing, securing, and shipping software systems from a project-specific spec.

The kit is intentionally generic. It is designed to start building any system from an authoritative spec placed under specs/.

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What this kit is

This repository is an operating model for AI-assisted software delivery. It combines:

• lifecycle commands
• reusable delivery skills
• governance rules
• an explicit orchestration layer
• traceability and evidence patterns
• readiness scoring
• rescue workflows
• NFR, architecture, DevOps, AppSec, and PT support

It helps teams move from requirements to implementation with stronger discipline, reviewability, and release readiness.

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What this kit is not

This repository is not:

• a generated business application
• a domain-specific product template
• a single-stack framework implementation
• a substitute for product thinking, engineering review, or testing judgment

Project-specific requirements belong in specs/, not in the core kit.

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Current version summary

V7.4

Added the next reliability wave on top of V7.3:

• stronger rescue mode
• better traceability automation
• test strategy packs

V7.5

Extended the generic kit with:

• NFR packs under packs/
• architecture decision packs under adr-packs/
• DevOps and deployment packs under devops-packs/
• supporting skills, templates, examples, and documentation

V7.6

Integrated Application Security (AppSec) and Penetration Testing (PT) into the governed lifecycle.

V7.7

Strengthened implementation discipline with:

• assumption and ambiguity control
• simplicity and complexity control
• surgical change control for rescue and maintenance work
• verification attached to each major step or slice

V7.8

Consolidates the kit with an explicit orchestration layer:

• upgraded ORCHESTRATOR.md as the human-facing operating guide
• added skills/orchestration-and-lifecycle-control/ as the AI-facing orchestration workflow
• updated governance and docs so orchestration is a first-class part of the operating model

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Orchestration layer

The orchestration layer exists to make sure the right parts of the kit are activated in the right order.

Human-facing orchestration

Use:

• ORCHESTRATOR.md

This file helps operators decide:

• whether the project is new, weak-spec, existing, rescue-stage, or release-stage
• which lifecycle entry point to use
• which supporting skills should be activated
• what artifacts should exist before moving forward

AI-facing orchestration

Use:

• skills/orchestration-and-lifecycle-control/

This skill helps the AI:

• classify project state
• choose the right command
• activate the right skills and packs
• define minimum artifact expectations
• block invalid lifecycle jumps

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Start here

1. Add your project spec under specs/.
2. Read ORCHESTRATOR.md.
3. Follow AGENTS.md.
4. Start with the correct lifecycle entry:
   • commands/START-PROJECT.md for new systems
   • commands/SPEC.md for weak specs
   • commands/RESCUE-PROJECT.md for existing or incomplete systems
5. Continue through the lifecycle as appropriate:
   • commands/PLAN.md
   • commands/BUILD.md
   • commands/TEST.md
   • commands/REVIEW.md
   • commands/SHIP.md

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Guiding principle

Keep the starter kit generic.

Do not hard-code one business domain into the kit itself.
Each actual system should provide its own requirements through a project-specific spec under specs/.

The orchestration layer exists to ensure those requirements are routed through the correct lifecycle and skills, rather than handled as one-shot prompting.