This is the only reference a newcomer needs. Read top to bottom — in 10 minutes you will understand what to do and complete your first task.
Development in IWE follows a Pipeline of 6 stations (Formulation → Opening → Design → Work → Verification → Closing — described in detail in the «One-Task Cycle» section below and in the developer guide). Every task travels from formulation to closing. The output is not only code but also captured Knowledge — this is called the dual output. You are a T4+ developer: you pick up a task card, move through the stations, and submit a Pull Request for Review.
There are two ways to contribute to the Platform. Do not confuse them:
- Leave a comment (done by T1–T3 users) — you submit a bug or idea, and someone else decides what to do with it. You do not touch the code.
- Do the work (that is you, T4+) — you pick up a card, write the code and Knowledge yourself, and submit the Pull Request yourself. Your work merges into the Platform.
In short: some people say what to fix, you fix it. That is the difference between a volunteer leaving a comment and a team developer.
- Understand the rules. Read the developer guide — it covers the 6 stations on one page, explains the dual output, and identifies who accepts your code. Takes 5 minutes.
- Get the task Template. Copy the card Template into your tasks folder and fill it in: what you are doing, what will appear in the code, and what Knowledge you will capture.
- Complete the 6 stations and submit a Pull Request. The card guides you through the stations. The output is code + capture (a Distinction or a note in Memory). The lead developer accepts the merge.
You do not need to move through the Pipeline manually. You do it inside your own IWE — your workspace with an agent (Claude or Kimi), Memory, and Protocols. Set it up once, and the agent will guide you through the stations from that point on.
- Set up your IWE. Run the Template setup (
bash setup.sh). You will get: an agent, instructions, this guide, and the card Template — locally, under your account. All team developers use the same Template, so everyone speaks the same language. - Load the team's working Repositories. Clone into your workspace (
~/IWE/) the Repositories where you will work on tasks: the Service code and the Knowledge base (Pack). Without them, the agent has nowhere to work. Before each task, it will pull the latest version (git pull) so you do not edit stale code. When working in a shared Repository with others, the agent will mark your active files to avoid conflicts. If you are improving the Template itself (not a team product), the target Repository is your fork ofIWE— no separate Service needs to be cloned. - Open a task through the agent (WP Gate). Tell the agent what you are doing. It will run the Opening ritual on its own: it will declare the Role, the Work, the Verification class, the estimate, and the model, then wait for your confirmation. This is the Opening station.
- The agent guides you through the stations. It knows the framework from its own instructions (Opening/Work/Closing, WP Gate, dual output). It takes the full 6-station scheme from the guide — at the start of work, ask it to read the guide so it does not skip Verification and does not forget the capture. You write the code; the agent assists and checks.
- Knowledge accumulates in your Memory. Every Distinction, lesson, and note (capture) goes into your exocortex (IWE's external Memory). Nothing is lost between tasks — the next time, the agent will recall it.
- Run the agent's checklist before submitting a Pull Request. It will run through the checklist or tests for the Verification class. When everything is green, submit the Pull Request.
The key point: your IWE is not a code editor — it is a workspace that remembers your work and enforces Pipeline Discipline for you. The more tasks you complete, the smarter your personal Memory becomes.
| Document | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Developer guide | The essentials: 6 stations, dual output, WP Gate, who merges. Read this first. |
| Task card Template | Copy and fill in for your task. |
| T0–T4 learning path | If you do not know your access tier, start here. |
Developer Roles (full definitions are in the team Pack, DP.ROLE.068–072, available to members only) |
In brief: the Formulator defines the task and acceptance criteria; the Architect selects the method and fits the solution into the Template; the Executor writes the code and capture. External forkers cannot resolve Pack codes — the summary above is sufficient. |
Pipeline promise (DP.SC.171, team Pack, members only) |
The contract: what the Pipeline guarantees and how user feedback is handled. External forkers do not need this to work. |
Example of a completed card (inbox/tasks/ in the team workspace) |
Shows what a finished card looks like — use it as a reference (external forkers do not have access to the team workspace — refer to the Template). |
Formulation → Opening → Design → Work → Verification → Closing.
Each station is described in detail in the guide. In brief: draft the task → confirm with the pilot (WP Gate) → design → produce code together with a Knowledge record → verify against the Verification class → Pull Request and merge.
Dual output is the rule. A task that leaves only code with no captured Knowledge is considered incomplete.
When you open a Pull Request, a Template with a 6-station checklist will appear — fill it in honestly. The reviewer can immediately see that the Pipeline was completed.
- The Pipeline is for T4+ developers. If your level is lower, the path forward is described in LEARNING-PATH.md (those are development programs, not this Pipeline).
- Only the lead developer (TD1+TA4) or the pilot accepts merges. No one else — without explicit delegation.
- Stuck longer than the estimate? Do not stall in silence — escalate to the lead developer or the pilot.
Related documents: developer guide, card Template, learning path by tier. Roles and the Pipeline promise (DP.ROLE.068–072, DP.SC.171) live in the team Pack — available to members only; external forkers do not need them to work (a brief summary of the Roles is in the table above and in the «Your Role in This System» section).