hashintel/labs/spike

Spike Solution (XP)

Run a throwaway experiment to answer one specific, falsifiable technical question. Spikes produce knowledge, not code.

A spike is NOT a prototype (prototypes try to be kept). Spike code is explicitly discarded.

Input

The question and approach: $ARGUMENTS

Before starting, confirm:

1. Question — one specific, falsifiable thing you don't know (e.g., "Can library X parse format Y and return structure Z?")
2. Approach — what you'll try
3. Time box — default: one focused session

If the question is vague, sharpen it before proceeding.

Procedure

1. State the question

Write the exact falsifiable question. Examples:

• "Can Bun's Bun.file() API read a 500MB file without loading it all into memory?"
• "Does the Stripe API return pagination cursors that survive for more than 5 minutes?"

2. Minimal experiment

Single throwaway file. Hardcode everything. Print to stdout. Let crashes be information.

Do not modify project source files. Install dependencies in isolation if needed.

3. Run, observe, write verdict

The verdict is the deliverable. Capture: did it work, any surprises, any conditional constraints, performance (if relevant).

4. Classify authority deltas

Before returning, classify what changed and route durable outcomes:

• Semantics changed (glossary/invariant/happy-path/non-goal meaning) → /pragma:capsule update
• Strategy changed (cross-cutting decision/rationale/reversal trigger) → /pragma:roadmap update
• Phase control changed (scope/status/ordering/deferment/exit criteria) → /pragma:milestone update
• Confidence changed (assumption validated/invalidated/confidence shift) → /pragma:assumptions update
• Enforcement readiness changed (invariant now enforceable in code/tests) → /pragma:contract

Use explicit none for lanes with no change.

Constraints

• One question per spike. New questions → new spikes.
• Spike code is discarded. Do not commit, integrate, or refactor it.
• No production standards. No tests, types, lint, or error handling.
• "No" is a successful answer. The answer matters, not the code.

Output

1. Question: exact question investigated
2. Verdict: Yes / No / Conditional (with conditions)
3. Evidence: what you observed
4. Surprises: anything unexpected
5. Implications: how this affects the planned /pragma:card or /pragma:slice
6. Authority Delta:

• Semantics: none | /pragma:capsule update — [reason]
• Strategy: none | /pragma:roadmap update — [reason]
• Phase control: none | /pragma:milestone update — [reason]
• Assumptions: none | /pragma:assumptions update — [reason]
• Enforcement: none | /pragma:contract — [reason]

1. Ledger: run /pragma:assumptions update (mandatory after every spike) to record which assumption was validated/invalidated
2. Lifecycle: State: discovery, Next: first non-'none' authority delta command (otherwise /pragma:consult or /pragma:card when uncertainty is retired and next behavior is clear), Loop: /pragma:consult (default unless user explicitly continues directly)