What problem does it solve? Teams running an AI-assisted software development lifecycle need every phase skill and subagent to follow the same contract — the same gates, state files, path resolution rules, and verdict vocabulary — without duplicating thousands of lines of shared instructions that drift out of sync. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Shared protocol definition: Specifies the six-line preamble every sdlc-* skill uses, with project-first path resolution for framework assets under .agent/. - Phase graph and gates: Documents the ten phases (intake through done) and gate verdicts (pass, revise, block) that all sibling skills reference. - Binding rules and subagent contract: Enforces rules like no stack literals, hash artifacts at gate time, and never grant your own gate, plus the tool permissions of five subagents such as spec-writer and quality-guardian. - Use Case: When authoring a new sdlc-* phase skill or debugging why /sdlc --doctor reports a duplicated gate procedure, read this kernel to learn the exact contract instead of copying step files into the skill. ## Quick Start Read the sdlc-kernel skill to learn the shared protocol and rules before creating or modifying any sdlc-* phase skill.
