Skip to main content
Compendium · Compositions · Pillar Layouts

Pillar Layouts

Items
16
of 1002 total

Full-featured composed scenes — one per row so each design has room to breathe. Click for the live render, the spec, and the source.

Featured 14 Atoms 762 Compositions 240
№ 141

DO Pillar Scene

Scene STA do
DO
Pillar № I · DOcument

The Author

Founding Principle

Specification is the only source of truth.

DO·S1 Statute

Spec before code

No implementation work begins until intent, acceptance criteria and failure modes are written down and reviewed.

DO·S2 Statute

Versioned & signed

Every spec carries id, version, owner, and status. Changes go through the spec, not the codebase.

Artefact SPEC-LEDGER-014
spec.mdv1.2.0 
---
id: SPEC-LEDGER-014
version: 1.2.0
status: approved
owner: @author
---

# Add row-level ledger filter

## Intent
Surface only rows the
caller is entitled to read.

## Acceptance
- [ ] Hides foreign rows
- [ ] Denies on token miss
- [ ] Audited per request
If skipped !
Cost of skipping the Author

AI generates code against undocumented assumptions. Six weeks later, the team debates what the system was supposed to do — and finds no record.

Compositions / pillar layouts

Full DO (Author) scene — yellow-accented strip with the canonical principle, role nameplate, two statutes, the spec artefact, and the cost of skipping.

open ↗
№ 142

CO Pillar Scene

Scene STA co
CO
Pillar № II · COmpose

The Architect

Founding Principle

Human owns the architecture; AI implements it.

CO·S1 Statute

Architecture is human

A named Architect owns boundaries, trust zones and contracts. AI proposes; the Architect decides.

CO·S2 Statute

Decisions are recorded

Every structural choice lands as an ADR — context, decision, consequences — before code follows.

Artefact · Decision Record ADR-0042
ACCEPTED2026-05-14
Adopt event-sourced ledger for payments
OWNER@composer DECIDEReplace mutable balance table with append-only event log; project balances on read. IMPACTAudit trail becomes free; write throughput must be re-benchmarked under fan-out.
If skipped !
Cost of skipping the Architect

AI output ships unreviewed. Security gaps, architectural contradictions, and silent scope misreadings become production surprises.

Compositions / pillar layouts

Full CO (Architect) scene — blue-accented strip with the canonical principle, role nameplate, two statutes, an architectural decision chip, and the skip-cost.

open ↗
№ 143

DE Pillar Scene

Scene STA de
DE
Pillar № III · DEmonstrate

The Gatekeeper

Founding Principle

Value flows at the speed of validation, not schedules.

DE·S1 Statute

Validate against intent

A candidate ships only when measurable acceptance criteria from the spec are observed to pass on the running system.

DE·S2 Statute

Stop is a feature

The Gatekeeper holds the authority to refuse release. A held release is never a failure of process — it is the process.

Artefact · Gate Decision GATE-2026-05-21-A
SPEC-LEDGER-014 VERDICT · PASS
BY@architect AT2026-05-21 14:02 UTC EVID4/4 acceptance criteria observed on staging · zero unhandled denials in 6h soak
VALIDATED 4 of 4 AC observed
If skipped !
Cost of skipping the Gatekeeper

Valid outputs wait in queues for the next release window. Value moves at the speed of coordination, not the speed of verification.

Compositions / pillar layouts

Full DE (Gatekeeper) scene — red-accented strip with the canonical principle, role nameplate, two statutes, a gate decision with validation chip, and the skip-cost.

open ↗
№ 144

GO Pillar Scene

Scene STA go
GO
Pillar № IV · GOvern

The Governor

Founding Principle

Autonomy without accountability is catastrophe.

GO·S1 Statute

Bound the blast radius

Every autonomous action carries explicit scope: which systems, which budgets, which thresholds. Outside is forbidden — not merely discouraged.

GO·S2 Statute

Trail is non-negotiable

Every agent action is recorded, signed, and reviewable. No write happens without a trace a human can read.

Artefact · Audit Trail TRAIL-2026-05-21
Last 3 agent actionsUTC
  • 14:02 agent-ledger-01 · apply migration 014 ALLOW
  • 14:11 agent-payouts-03 · release 12k EUR batch HOLD
  • 14:18 agent-ledger-01 · rollback migration 014 ALLOW
Primitive
Kill switch
STOP ALL AGENTS
If skipped !
Cost of skipping the Governor

The system diverges from approved intent one small decision at a time, with no one watching. The divergence surfaces in an incident, a regulatory audit, or a customer complaint — not in a review.

Compositions / pillar layouts

Full GO (Governor) scene — green-accented strip with the canonical principle, role nameplate, two statutes, audit-trail preview, kill-switch primitive, and the skip-cost.

open ↗
№ 145

Four Pillars Detail Grid

Scene STA
The Framework · Detail 4 pillars · 1 loop

Four pillars. One canvas.

DO
№ I · DOcument
The Author
Spec
Principle

Specification is the only source of truth.

Spec
What ships

Versioned spec.md with intent, acceptance criteria, failure modes.

If skipped !

AI generates code against undocumented assumptions. Six weeks later, the team debates what the system was supposed to do — and finds no record.

CO
№ II · COmpose
The Architect
ADR
Principle

Human owns the architecture; AI implements it.

ADR
What ships

Accepted decision record with context, decision, consequences.

If skipped !

AI output ships unreviewed. Security gaps, architectural contradictions, and silent scope misreadings become production surprises.

DE
№ III · DEmonstrate
The Gatekeeper
Gate
Principle

Value flows at the speed of validation, not schedules.

Gate
What ships

Validation verdict with evidence — pass or hold, never both.

If skipped !

Valid outputs wait in queues for the next release window. Value moves at the speed of coordination, not the speed of verification.

GO
№ IV · GOvern
The Governor
Trail
Principle

Autonomy without accountability is catastrophe.

Trail
What ships

Signed audit log of agent actions; kill-switch always armed.

If skipped !

The system diverges from approved intent one small decision at a time, with no one watching. The divergence surfaces in an incident, a regulatory audit, or a customer complaint — not in a review.

// Spec · ADR · Gate · Trail — the four artefacts that make AI-built systems accountable.

Compositions / pillar layouts

All four pillars as a 2×2 (desktop) / 1-column (mobile) grid. Each cell is a mini pillar scene with role, principle, artefact, and skip-cost — the full quartet in a single composition.

open ↗
№ 1261

DO Pillar Deep Dive

Scene STA do
DO
Pillar № I · Deep Dive · DOcument

The Author

Founding Principle

Specification is the only source of truth.

Artefact · annotated SPEC-LEDGER-014
spec.mdv1.2.0
A · Front-matter
---
id: SPEC-LEDGER-014
version: 1.2.0
status: approved
owner: @spec-author
---
B · Intent
Surface only rows the caller is
entitled to read.
C · Acceptance
- [ ] Hides foreign rows
- [ ] Denies on token miss
- [ ] Audited per request
D · Failure Modes
1. Token forged → deny + log
2. Index missing → 503, not leak
3. Cache stale → re-check on read
If skipped !
Cost of skipping the Author

AI generates code against undocumented assumptions. Six weeks later, the team debates what the system was supposed to do — and finds no record.

Compositions / pillar layouts

DO (Author) deep dive — anatomy of a spec: front-matter, intent, acceptance criteria, failure modes, lineage and review stamps, all rendered as one composed scene.

open ↗
№ 1262

CO Pillar Deep Dive

Scene STA co
CO
Pillar № II · Deep Dive · COmpose

The Architect

Founding Principle

Human owns the architecture; AI implements it.

Artefact · annotated ADR-0042
adr-0042.mdACCEPTED
A · Front-matter
status: accepted
owner: @architect
date: 2026-05-14
B · Context
Payments balance table mutates
in place; audits reconstruct from
log tails that drift.
C · Decision
Adopt event-sourced ledger.
Project balances on read.
D · Alternatives
- CDC stream → still mutable
- Bitemporal → too costly
E · Consequences
+ Free audit trail
- Re-bench writes under fan-out
If skipped !
Cost of skipping the Architect

AI output ships unreviewed. Security gaps, architectural contradictions, and silent scope misreadings become production surprises.

Compositions / pillar layouts

CO (Architect) deep dive — anatomy of an ADR: context, decision, consequences, alternatives considered, and the structural boundaries it draws on the system map.

open ↗
№ 1263

DE Pillar Deep Dive

Scene STA de
DE
Pillar № III · Deep Dive · DEmonstrate

The Gatekeeper

Founding Principle

Value flows at the speed of validation, not schedules.

Artefact · gate transcript GATE-2026-05-22
gate.transcriptVERDICT · PASS
  • AC-1 Hides foreign rows PASS
  • AC-2 Denies on token miss PASS
  • AC-3 Audited per request PASS
  • AC-4 No unhandled denials in 6h soak PASS
Validator
@gatekeeper
Soak window
6h · staging
If skipped !
Cost of skipping the Gatekeeper

Valid outputs wait in queues for the next release window. Value moves at the speed of coordination, not the speed of verification.

Compositions / pillar layouts

DE (Gatekeeper) deep dive — anatomy of a validation gate: criteria checklist, evidence rows, verdict stamp, hold reasons, and a soak window.

open ↗
№ 1264

GO Pillar Deep Dive

Scene STA go
GO
Pillar № IV · Deep Dive · GOvern

The Governor

Founding Principle

Autonomy without accountability is catastrophe.

Artefact · signed trail TRAIL-2026-05-22
scope envelope@governor
Systems
ledger, payouts
Budget
50k EUR / day
Confidence floor
0.92
Kill-switch
ARMED
  • 14:02 agent-ledger-01 apply migration 014 ALLOW
  • 14:11 agent-payouts-03 release 12k EUR batch HOLD
  • 14:18 agent-ledger-01 rollback migration 014 ALLOW
If skipped !
Cost of skipping the Governor

The system diverges from approved intent one small decision at a time, with no one watching. The divergence surfaces in an incident, a regulatory audit, or a customer complaint — not in a review.

Compositions / pillar layouts

GO (Governor) deep dive — anatomy of a trail: scope envelope, action log, kill-switch state, escalation row, and signed verdicts.

open ↗
№ 1265

Quartet Pillar Grid

Scene STA
Quartet 4 pillars · same row · same shape

Four pillars, side by side.

DO № I
Spec
Role
The Author
Principle

Specification is the only source of truth.

Verb
WRITES
Charter
5 duties
If skipped !

AI generates code against undocumented assumptions. Six weeks later, the team debates what the system was supposed to do — and finds no record.

CO № II
ADR
Role
The Architect
Principle

Human owns the architecture; AI implements it.

Verb
DECIDES
Charter
5 duties
If skipped !

AI output ships unreviewed. Security gaps, architectural contradictions, and silent scope misreadings become production surprises.

DE № III
Gate
Role
The Gatekeeper
Principle

Value flows at the speed of validation, not schedules.

Verb
VALIDATES
Charter
5 duties
If skipped !

Valid outputs wait in queues for the next release window. Value moves at the speed of coordination, not the speed of verification.

GO № IV
Trail
Role
The Governor
Principle

Autonomy without accountability is catastrophe.

Verb
GUARDS
Charter
5 duties
If skipped !

The system diverges from approved intent one small decision at a time, with no one watching. The divergence surfaces in an incident, a regulatory audit, or a customer complaint — not in a review.

// One frame. Four pillars. Same anatomy in every column.

Compositions / pillar layouts

All four pillars in detail — a 4-column quartet showing each pillar's role, principle, artefact verb, statute count, and skip-cost as one wide canvas.

open ↗
№ 1266

Pillar Progression Strip

Scene STA
Progression 1 feature · 4 stops

Row-level ledger filter, walked through the framework.

DO Stop 1/4
Writes
Role
The Author
Emits
SPEC-LEDGER-014

Acceptance criteria, failure modes, owner.

CO Stop 2/4
Decides
Role
The Architect
Emits
ADR-0042

Event-sourced ledger; balances projected on read.

DE Stop 3/4
Validates
Role
The Gatekeeper
Emits
GATE-2026-05-22

4/4 acceptance observed on staging · 6h soak.

GO Stop 4/4
Guards
Role
The Governor
Emits
TRAIL-2026-05-22

Scope ledger+payouts · kill-switch ARMED.

// One feature, four artefacts. Skip a stop, lose the receipt.

Compositions / pillar layouts

How one feature traverses all four pillars — a horizontal progression strip showing the artefact emitted at each stage as it walks DO → CO → DE → GO.

open ↗
№ 1267

Pillar Handoff Diagram

Scene STA
Handoff 3 seams · 9 preconditions

Pillars don't fail. The seams do.

  • DO From
    The Author
    Contract

    Approved spec with versioned acceptance

    Refused without
    • · No owner handle in front-matter
    • · Acceptance criteria not observable
    • · Failure modes section empty
    CO To
    The Architect
  • CO From
    The Architect
    Contract

    Accepted ADR with named consequences

    Refused without
    • · ADR status not "accepted"
    • · No alternatives recorded
    • · Consequences row blank
    DE To
    The Gatekeeper
  • DE From
    The Gatekeeper
    Contract

    PASS verdict with evidence references

    Refused without
    • · Verdict is "pass with caveats"
    • · No soak window declared
    • · Evidence not linkable
    GO To
    The Governor

// The receiving pillar refuses, not the sending one. That's the test.

Compositions / pillar layouts

The seams between pillars — three handoff rows showing what each pillar must deliver to the next, and what the receiving pillar refuses to accept without.

open ↗
№ 1268

Pillar Conflict Resolution

Scene STA
Conflict 3 disputes · 3 rules

When pillars disagree.

  • DO Disputant A
    CO Disputant B
    Contention

    Spec says X. Architecture forbids X.

    Author wrote acceptance the Architect cannot honour without breaching an accepted ADR.

    Precedence rule

    CO wins on structural questions. DO must update the spec or the ADR — never code first.

    Outcome stamp SPEC re-opened · ADR untouched
  • CO Disputant A
    DE Disputant B
    Contention

    ADR ships. Gate refuses.

    Architect signed the ADR; Gatekeeper observed a failing acceptance criterion on the running system.

    Precedence rule

    DE wins on observed reality. The ADR is not wrong in principle — the release is wrong in fact.

    Outcome stamp GATE held · ADR scoped to next iteration
  • DE Disputant A
    GO Disputant B
    Contention

    Gate passes. Governor halts.

    Gatekeeper recorded PASS; Governor sees the agent acting outside its declared budget envelope.

    Precedence rule

    GO wins on scope and safety. A passing gate is not a licence to exceed the trail authority.

    Outcome stamp TRAIL halt · GATE preserved · scope re-issued

// Precedence is policy, not improvisation.

Compositions / pillar layouts

When pillars disagree — three canonical conflicts (DO vs CO, CO vs DE, DE vs GO) each rendered with the contention, the precedence rule, and the recorded outcome.

open ↗
№ 1269

Pillar Coverage Rollup

Scene STA
Coverage 5 features · 4 pillars

Where the gaps are.

DO Pillar coverage
90%
Full 4 Part 1 Miss 0
CO Pillar coverage
80%
Full 3 Part 2 Miss 0
DE Pillar coverage
50%
Full 2 Part 1 Miss 2
GO Pillar coverage
30%
Full 1 Part 1 Miss 3
  • F-014 Row-level ledger filter
    DO CO DE GO
  • F-015 Refund batch authoriser
    DO CO ½ ·
  • F-016 Onboarding flow rewrite
    DO ½ · ·
  • F-017 Tax engine swap
    ½ ½ · ·
  • F-018 Audit export v2
    DO CO DE ½

// "Missing GO" is the most expensive cell on this board.

Compositions / pillar layouts

Portfolio coverage by pillar — bars and counters showing which pillars are fully covered, partially covered, and missing across a slate of in-flight features.

open ↗
№ 1270

Pillar Comparison Matrix

Scene STA
Matrix 4 pillars · 4 rows

What each pillar buys. What it charges.

DO
DOcument
The Author
CO
COmpose
The Architect
DE
DEmonstrate
The Gatekeeper
GO
GOvern
The Governor
Row 1
Buys you
A defensible record of intent. Regenerable code.
Architectural integrity at AI throughput.
Releases that ship on evidence, not schedule.
Autonomy you can audit and reverse.
Row 2
Costs you
Writing discipline. Reviewers who can read prose, not just diffs.
A named Architect who can be paged at 2am.
A Gatekeeper with the authority to say no.
A signed trail and an armed kill-switch on every run.
Row 3
Slows down
The first three days of any feature.
Decisions that used to be made in chat.
The fortnight before a launch — by design.
Anything an agent does outside its envelope.
Row 4
Hardest part
Saying what you mean, before the build proves you wrong.
Refusing to let the model decide the structure.
Holding a release when leadership wants it out.
Drawing the envelope tight enough to matter.

// Pick the row that frightens you most. Start there.

Compositions / pillar layouts

Pros and cons per pillar — a four-column matrix listing what each pillar buys, what it costs, what it slows, and the single hardest thing about practising it.

open ↗
№ 1271

Pillar History Strip

Scene STA
History 4 pillars · 4 origins

Each pillar inherits a discipline.

DO
Origin
DOcument
1968
Derived from

Software engineering, NATO Garmisch

What it taught

Sequential planning produced legible projects out of chaotic craft.

Cost equation

Investigation is expensive · documentation is the receipt.

CO
Origin
COmpose
2001
Derived from

Agile / architecture-as-decision

What it taught

Architecture is a stream of decisions, not a frozen artefact.

Cost equation

Coordination is expensive · decisions need owners.

DE
Origin
DEmonstrate
2009
Derived from

Continuous delivery

What it taught

Value flows at the speed of validation, not the speed of release windows.

Cost equation

Schedules are expensive · evidence beats calendars.

GO
Origin
GOvern
2026
Derived from

Site reliability + AI safety

What it taught

Autonomy without accountability collapses under its own scale.

Cost equation

Drift is expensive · trails make it cheap to catch.

// DoCoDeGo did not invent the pillars. It assembled them.

Compositions / pillar layouts

The origin of each pillar — a horizontal strip mapping DO, CO, DE, GO back to the prior discipline that taught it and the cost equation that made it necessary.

open ↗
Alpha · Honest about it

The framework is real.
The community is forming now.

DoCoDeGo is in Alpha. The framework is documented, the practices are battle-tested at small scale, and the next release is being shaped in public.

If it produces anything, it should produce engineers and teams who think more clearly about what they are building and why.

Two doors in
Join the Discord

Discord is where specs are debated, the framework gets sharper, and decisions land in writing. The conversation is the artefact.