@thebassclef/lite 0.0.1 → 0.1.2

package/substrate/standards/opener-discipline.md

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+---
+tier: lite
+description: Every planning-surface opener carries three blocks in this order — Problem, Value prop, Evidence.
+---
+
+# Opener discipline — Problem + Value prop + Evidence
+
+Every planning-surface opener carries three blocks in this order — Problem, Value prop, Evidence. The reader sees the pain, then the fix, then the receipts. Same shape scales down (a short session) or up (a goal close).
+
+## The shape
+
+```
+## Problem (via /state-a-problem brief)
+[≤500 chars: who was affected + what pain + when + why now + outcome sought]
+
+## Value prop (via /value-prop tweet)
+[≤280 chars: claim + sharpener]
+
+## Evidence (per .claude/rules/assert-only-after-verify.md)
+- Source: [file path, ticket, commit SHA — what I read inline]
+- Warrant: [one sentence tying the source to the claim]
+```
+
+Three blocks. First block frames the pain. Second block names the outcome. Third block cites what backs the claim.
+
+## When this discipline fires
+
+Every planning surface where the agent addresses the operator:
+
+- `/longrun` prep + checkpoint + closeout output
+- `/sprint` opener output
+- `/session-log` (formerly `/chronicle`) opener block
+- `/session-end` closeout dispatch shape
+- Any agent turn prose that opens with a status assertion
+
+Pass-through cases (discipline does not fire):
+
+- Conversational asides mid-session ("switching to main now") — no assertion carried
+- Tool output relayed verbatim — the tool is the source
+- Direct answers to operator questions where the answer IS the value block
+
+## Why three blocks
+
+Seven luminaries converged on the shape:
+
+- **Alan Cooper** — persona-anchored. The reader wants pain framing before solution framing.
+- **Steve Krug** — don't make me think. A tweet claim alone makes the reader backfill "why should I care."
+- **Stephen Toulmin** — claim + data + warrant. Three blocks carry all three.
+- **Amazon PR/FAQ** — write the press release first. A press release opens with problem + value pairing, not claim + description.
+- **Marty Cagan** — outcomes not output.
+- **Kent Beck** — YAGNI. Three lines minimum; drop the fourth.
+- **Taiichi Ohno** — 7 wastes. Prior tweet + KISS pairing overlapped semantically; consolidate.
+
+## What replaces the old opener
+
+The prior shape was `/value-prop tweet` + `/kiss words` — a claim in tweet form plus a paragraph summary of the same claim. It carried the same information twice while missing pain framing and evidence citation.
+
+The new shape retires the tweet + KISS pair at planning surfaces. Tweet mode stays as one of the `/value-prop` sizes for other uses (like a status one-liner in chat). KISS words stays as a mode of `/kiss` for prose passes. Both stop being the opener default at planning surfaces.
+
+## Sizing guidance
+
+Scale the three blocks to the surface:
+
+| Surface | Problem | Value prop | Evidence |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| `/sprint` opener | 1-2 sentences | 1-line tweet | 1 source + 1 warrant |
+| `/longrun` prep | Full 500-char problem | Full 280-char tweet | 3-5 sources + warrants |
+| `/longrun` checkpoint | 1-2 sentences | 1-line tweet | 1-2 sources + warrants |
+| `/longrun` closeout | Full 500-char problem | Full 280-char tweet | Sources cited per major finding |
+| `/session-log` opener | Full 500-char problem | Full 280-char tweet | Sources per section |
+
+The reader's context governs the block size. A checkpoint mid-session needs less than a closeout at end-of-work.
+
+## Grace window
+
+Old openers keep working through 2026-10-31 per ADR-031 grace window and `.claude/rules/we-dont-break-adopters.md`. Sessions from before the rewrite still open with tweet + KISS; new sessions open with the three blocks. No adopter breakage.
+
+## Composes with
+
+- `.claude/rules/pr-body-shape.md` — sister discipline at PR body surface
+- `.claude/rules/github-issue-flash-tweet.md` — sister discipline at GitHub issue body surface
+- `.claude/rules/operator-facing-prose.md` Rule 3 — skill-dispatch citation extends to naming the standard opener
+- `.claude/rules/assert-only-after-verify.md` — the argument shape the Evidence block satisfies
+- `.claude/skills/state-a-problem/SKILL.md` — brief mode drafts the Problem block
+- `.claude/skills/value-prop/SKILL.md` — tweet mode drafts the Value prop block
+- ADR-040 Decisions 1-4 — the parent rewrite that introduced this standard
+
+## Refs
+
+- bassclef-upstream#750 — the ticket that mapped this rewrite
+- bassclef-upstream#1178 — the sister rewrite at PR + issue body surfaces
+- bassclef-upstream#559 — R8 mechanization umbrella (assert-only-after-verify parent)
+
+## Retirement condition
+
+This standard retires only if the three-block shape stops matching adopter reading behavior. The mechanical layer (hook scan for the shape) may ship as a follow-on when methodology drift is observed. Until then, this is methodology; the discipline holds at authoring time.

package/substrate/standards/operator-facing-prose-discipline.md

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+---
+tier: lite
+description: "Universal principle: any shorthand in operator-facing prose carries a plain-language gloss at first mention per response."
+---
+
+# Operator-facing prose discipline
+
+Universal principle: any shorthand in operator-facing prose carries a plain-language gloss at first mention per response. When editing any SKILL.md file, apply a /kiss pass to the whole file in the same change.
+
+This standard scales operator attention across cross-session time gaps. The operator returns to substrate after hours, days, or weeks; the decoder ring for WU-N, F-X.Y, ADR-NNN, #NNN, LF-N, B1, B2 shouldn't have to be reconstructed from memory or substrate every time.
+
+## Scope
+
+Two surfaces:
+
+1. **All operator-facing skill output** — /sprint, /longrun, /diagnose, /autonomous, /retro, /promote, /temperance, /value-prop, /lean-canvas, /personas, /canvas, /roadmap-reconcile, /whereami, and any future skill that produces output an operator reads.
+2. **All turn-level prose between Claude Code and operator** — not just skill output. Conversational discipline applies the same gloss rule.
+
+## Rule 1 — Gloss at first mention per response
+
+Any shorthand reference in operator-facing prose carries a plain-language gloss at first mention per response. Subsequent mentions in the same response don't need to re-gloss.
+
+Format: `<shorthand> (<plain-language description>)`.
+
+Examples:
+
+| Shorthand | Glossed form |
+|---|---|
+| `WU-4` | `WU-4 (Tier 0 pitch draft using canvas UVP)` |
+| `#774` | `#774 (Phase XIV rescope proposal)` |
+| `F-D9.1` | `F-D9.1 (README hedges audience — audit HIGH)` |
+| `ADR-021` | `ADR-021 (anchor catalog selection)` |
+| `LF1` | `LF1 (Morgan-as-gatekeeper riskiest assumption)` |
+| `B1` | `B1 (tier-1-proposal-shaper bet)` |
+| `B2-WU1` | `B2-WU1 (README rewrite per F-D9.1)` |
+| `bassclef#739` | `bassclef#739 (substrate-coherence CI)` |
+| `Phase XIV` | `Phase XIV (Draw the Line — IP Guard, growth-loop rescope pending)` |
+
+### What this rule does NOT require
+
+- **Re-glossing within the same response.** First mention only.
+- **Glossing standard-vocabulary technical terms.** API, schema, hook, PR, commit, branch, merge — these stay as-is. See `standards/plain-english-discipline.md` "Keep standard technical vocabulary" section for the full allowlist.
+- **Glossing reserved concept names from the four-name system.** `substrate`, `bassclef`, `cameo`, `Studio`, `Band`, `bandleader` are allowlisted per bassclef#763 (/kiss reserved-name allowlist). They carry meaning the operator chose deliberately; gloss would be patronizing.
+- **Glossing skill names.** `/sprint`, `/longrun`, `/lean-canvas` — operator-invocable skills carry their own context via the `/` prefix.
+
+### When the gloss is awkward
+
+If the gloss inflates a sentence beyond readability, restructure the sentence rather than expand inline. Example:
+
+- Awkward: "Continue with WU-4 (Tier 0 pitch draft using canvas UVP A' selected for substrate-credibility audience + UVP D for dreamer-operator framing) after merging #773 (ADR-021 amendment for IP→growth-loop pivot)."
+- Restructured: "Continue with WU-4 after merging #773. WU-4 drafts the Tier 0 pitch using canvas UVP. #773 amends ADR-021 for the growth-loop pivot."
+
+The principle is operator readability, not mechanical glossing.
+
+## Rule 2 — /kiss pass when editing any SKILL.md
+
+When touching any SKILL.md file for any reason, apply a /kiss pass to the entire file in the same change. Not a separate cycle.
+
+Reasoning: if we're authoring an update to the skill that adds substrate discipline, the existing bassclef-internal vocabulary in that same file should be rewritten plain at the same time. Otherwise we ship discipline-as-substrate fixes that contain the very jargon the discipline catches.
+
+### /kiss pass mechanics
+
+Apply the rewrite rules from `.claude/rules/plain-english-discipline.md` (the master plain-English rule). Substitution targets that recur most often in SKILL.md files:
+
+| Phrase | Replacement |
+|---|---|
+| `load-bearing` | `essential` or `required` (or remove) |
+| `cross-cutting` | `affects multiple boxes` or name what it crosses |
+| `forcing function` | name what it forces directly |
+| `operator-locked` | `decided` or `set` |
+| `substrate-resident` | `in bassclef already` or `shipped` |
+| `operating thesis` | `the goal.we're making` |
+| `compose-with` | `uses` or `builds on` |
+| `tier-preset` | `preset` or `size` |
+| `operationalize` | `do` or `ship` |
+| `composer (as noun)` | `runs` or `chains` or `combines` |
+
+Allowlist per bassclef#763 holds: `substrate`, `bassclef`, `cameo`, `Studio`, `Band`, `bandleader` stay.
+
+### Scope of the /kiss pass
+
+The pass covers the SKILL.md file's prose — descriptions, procedure narrative, when-to-use sections, why-this-exists sections, examples in prose form. It does NOT cover:
+
+- Code blocks
+- File path references
+- Reserved skill names
+- Quoted vocabulary from operator memory or chronicles
+
+### When the /kiss pass produces no edits
+
+If the file is already clean, the pass produces no edits. State this explicitly in the commit message ("kiss pass: no edits — file already clean") so future readers know the discipline was applied.
+
+## Rule 3 — Tweets lead with the goal, not just the work done
+
+A Tweet (≤280 chars) in a PR body, chronicle entry, or summary table tells the reader two things: what the work is FOR (the goal it serves) and what the work DID (the changes it shipped). When a Tweet captures only the second, the first rots within weeks — a future reader can't tell what problem the PR solved or why anyone cared.
+
+Format: `<what this is for>. <what it did>.`
+
+The goal sentence comes first. The work sentence comes second.
+
+### Worked example — PR #825 (bassclef#811 implementation)
+
+The original Tweet shipped without a goal sentence:
+
+> Per bassclef#811: sunj-labs/bassclef-upstream created; 115 files migrated (2 with git history, 113 bulk-imported); per-subdirectory symlinks set up via scripts/operator-setup.sh; adopters see only README placeholder; Rule 3 still passes; two standards docs codify the workflow.
+
+This tells you what happened. It doesn't tell you the goal was: operator-private files now have backup and version history without leaking to people who clone the public repo.
+
+The goal-first rewrite:
+
+> Operator-private files now safe from disk loss and version-controlled, but still hidden from people who clone the public repo. Per bassclef#811: sunj-labs/bassclef-upstream created; 115 files migrated; symlinks via scripts/operator-setup.sh; adopters see only README placeholder.
+
+Fits 280 chars. Names the goal first. Says what was done second.
+
+### What counts as a "goal"
+
+The goal is what the operator (or adopter) gets from this work. Useful tests:
+
+- If someone reads only the Tweet in 6 months, can they tell what problem the work solved?
+- If a future contributor asks "why did we ship this?", does the Tweet answer them?
+- If the work didn't ship at all, what would the operator miss?
+
+### Three Tweet rules together
+
+Tweets now carry three discipline rules:
+
+1. **Fit in 280 chars** (per bassclef#785 — tweet-style descriptions in summary tables)
+2. **Keep scoping qualifiers** (per bassclef#805 — "deferred within Tier 1" not just "deferred")
+3. **Lead with the goal** (this rule, per bassclef#831 — what the work is FOR, then what it did)
+
+All three rules become a single mechanical check when Rule 5 of substrate-coherence CI lands (bassclef#807).
+
+### What this rule does NOT require
+
+- **Lengthening the Tweet.** Goal-first should compress, not expand. If adding a goal sentence pushes past 280 chars, compress the work sentence.
+- **Restating the title.** PR titles already name the work; the Tweet's goal sentence adds the WHY the title doesn't capture.
+- **Goal-first for every PR-body section.** Tweets carry the goal; deeper sections (Summary, Implementation, Test plan) can lead with mechanics.
+
+## Audience-vigilance scaling argument
+
+The operator works across cross-session time gaps. A morning /sprint output that references `B1-WU4` without gloss requires the operator to either:
+
+1. Remember what B1-WU4 was from yesterday's session (unreliable across multi-day gaps)
+2. Read substrate (goal body + stack manifest + chronicle) to reconstruct the reference (operator-time tax)
+3. Ask the agent to expand the reference (extra turn, breaks flow)
+
+Glossing at first mention costs the agent zero additional reasoning — the gloss is already in scope from substrate reads the agent did to produce the response. The cost-shift is from operator-time to agent-tokens. The operator-time savings compound across every reference in every operator-facing response.
+
+The /kiss pass on SKILL.md edits closes the meta-discipline gap: if we ship substrate that says "operator-facing output should be plain" and that substrate is itself dense with bassclef-internal vocabulary, the discipline corrodes at its own source. Every SKILL.md edit is an opportunity to apply the discipline to the substrate doing the enforcing.
+
+## Enforcement layers
+
+| Layer | Mechanism | Status |
+|---|---|---|
+| Methodology | This standard + `.claude/rules/operator-facing-prose.md` (the conversational rule) | Loaded into every session via `additionalDirectories` |
+| Skill-level | Every operator-facing SKILL.md cites this standard in its rules section | Phased rollout — /longrun + /sprint + /diagnose + /autonomous land first |
+| Mechanical | bassclef#739 (substrate-coherence CI) extension lints operator-facing skill output for unglossed shorthand | Deferred — methodology-first, mechanical later |
+| /kiss pass on SKILL.md edits | Discipline-as-substrate per Rule 2 above | Methodology-level; substrate-clarity-gate hook (bassclef#382) already enforces at file-write boundary for jargon |
+
+## Methodology source
+
+Andrej Karpathy (`andrej-karpathy` luminary entry) is the methodology source for bassclef's clarity discipline. Karpathy's CPU-and-RAM framing — LLM as stateless computation engine; context window as finite working memory — makes prose clarity an engineering constraint, not a stylistic preference.
+
+Operator-facing prose is the context the model loads next session. Glossing shorthand at first mention, applying `/kiss` on SKILL.md edits, leading tweets with the goal — all three rules are concrete implementations of Karpathy's framing applied at the operator-facing surface. Each rule reduces context-budget waste (operator-time on the surface side, model-attention budget on the substrate side).
+
+Downstream practitioners apply INSTEAD-block discipline and DO/DO-NOT bounding as specific patterns; this standard cites Karpathy as the methodology, not those patterns as the source. The patterns compose; the methodology grounds them.
+
+## Relationship to other discipline standards
+
+- `.claude/rules/plain-english-discipline.md` — master plain-English rule. This standard extends it with the gloss rule + the /kiss-pass-on-edits meta-discipline.
+- `.claude/rules/skill-description-clarity.md` — narrow case at skill description field. This standard extends to skill body prose.
+- `.claude/rules/github-issue-flash-tweet.md` — flash-tweet-then-detail discipline for GitHub issue bodies. Sibling.
+- `.claude/rules/context-engineering.md` — INSTEAD-block discipline for negations. Karpathy's methodology grounds the rule; INSTEAD-block is the pattern.
+- `.claude/rules/visual-hierarchy.md` — formatting discipline for long agent output. Sibling.
+- `.claude/luminaries/andrej-karpathy.md` — methodology source. CPU-and-RAM framing makes prose clarity a substrate constraint.
+
+## Override
+
+Per `.claude/rules/plain-english-discipline.md`: `SKIP_PLAIN_ENGLISH=1 <command>` for genuine cases (quoting an exact phrase from memory or external doc). Logged via trace-helper. Use rarely.
+
+There is no override for the /kiss pass on SKILL.md edits — that's a meta-discipline that holds without exception. If a SKILL.md edit can't carry a /kiss pass within the same change (scope is too tight, urgency is too high), the discipline is signaling that the SKILL.md needs a dedicated /kiss-pass PR. File it.
+
+## Surfaced in
+
+- /sprint 2026-05-30 morning session — operator returned after overnight gap, surfaced that shorthand references in /sprint output require plain-language gloss for cross-session orientation. Pattern recurs in every operator session with a time gap from prior work.
+- Same session — operator surfaced the meta-discipline: if we are already authoring SKILL.md updates for the gloss rule, the existing jargon in those files should be rewritten in the same pass.
+
+## Refs
+
+- bassclef#790 — parent ticket
+- bassclef#785 — tweet-style descriptions in /longrun summary tables (sibling Tweet rule — length)
+- bassclef#805 — Tweet scoping-qualifier discipline (sibling Tweet rule — qualifiers)
+- bassclef#831 — Tweets lead with the goal (this Rule 3 — goal-first)
+- bassclef#807 — Rule 5 of substrate-coherence CI will check all three Tweet rules together
+- bassclef#780 — glossary + substrate-quote discipline (session-start glossary; this standard adds at-mention gloss)
+- bassclef#763 — /kiss reserved-name allowlist
+- bassclef#767 — /kiss hook coverage at artifact-write surfaces
+- bassclef#779 — /kiss interactive-session anchoring at turn-counter boundaries
+- bassclef#786 — /kiss PR-body hook enforcement decision (sibling)
+- bassclef#787 — PR-body scrub discipline (sibling)
+- `.claude/rules/plain-english-discipline.md` — master plain-English rule (this standard extends)

package/substrate/standards/persona-schema.md

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+---
+tier: lite
+description: Bassclef schema for user personas in sunj-labs repos.
+---
+
+# Persona Schema
+
+Bassclef schema for user personas in sunj-labs repos. The contract the
+`/personas` skill reads and every downstream consumer (`/value-prop-canvas`,
+`/synthetic-user`, `/risk-test-synthetic`, `/user-stories`, `/jtbd-tasks`,
+`/spec`, `/prototype-variants`) composes against.
+
+Template: `templates/persona-template.md`.
+Skill: `.claude/skills/personas/SKILL.md`.
+
+## Why this standard exists
+
+Before this schema, persona shape was implicit and scattered:
+
+- `.claude/skills/jtbd-tasks/SKILL.md` Step 0 defined a "minimum viable
+  persona" with 5 fields (Age, Role, Device, Goal, Jargon comfort)
+- `.claude/skills/synthetic-user/SKILL.md` read personas from
+  `docs/design/personas/` with no schema validation
+- sunj-labs/quorum invented its own richer shape (Pichler + evidence-
+  traceability) for psychographic-mining output — not reflected anywhere
+  in bassclef
+
+Three consumers, three schemas, zero validation. Adding `/value-prop-canvas`
+and `/risk-test-synthetic` without standardizing would have made four.
+
+This standard consolidates around Pichler's template shape, adds evidence-
+traceability as a distinguishing rule, and preserves both prior path
+conventions for backward compat.
+
+## File convention
+
+### Preferred path
+
+`docs/personas/{slug}.md` — one file per persona.
+
+Filename basename MUST match the `slug` field in the file's body. The
+slug is URL-safe: lowercase, hyphens, no spaces.
+
+### Legacy path (accepted)
+
+`docs/design/personas/{slug}.md` — read by `/jtbd-tasks` and `/synthetic-user`
+before this standard existed. Still valid. Consumers read both paths,
+preferring `docs/personas/` when both exist.
+
+New repos SHOULD use `docs/personas/`. Existing repos MAY migrate or
+leave legacy files in place; consolidating bet may follow.
+
+## Required fields
+
+Every persona file MUST have:
+
+| Field | Shape | Example |
+|-------|-------|---------|
+| `slug` | URL-safe identifier, matches filename | `couple-founders` |
+| `name` | Human-readable display name (H1 satisfies) | `Couple Founders` |
+
+Absent any required field → `/personas validate` reports FAIL. Downstream
+skills SHOULD refuse to operate on invalid personas.
+
+The required set is intentionally minimal. `slug` + `name` is enough to
+reference a persona unambiguously; everything else is quality-of-output
+for downstream skills, not a load-bearing contract at the identity level.
+
+## Recommended fields (Pichler shape + outcome framing)
+
+High-value personas carry the full Pichler template plus an explicit
+goal line:
+
+| Field | Purpose |
+|-------|---------|
+| `goal` | One-line "what this persona is trying to accomplish" — verb-first, outcome-oriented |
+| `tasks` | Recurring tasks in pursuit of the goal |
+| `approach` | How they go about it (habits, tools, rhythm) |
+| `context` | Life / business / organizational grounding |
+| `knowledge` | Domain expertise, jargon comfort, technical fluency |
+| `biography` | Background, archetype, formative influences |
+
+Absence produces WARN (not FAIL) in validation. A persona with only the
+required fields is valid but thin — downstream skills will produce
+thinner outputs against it.
+
+**Goal inference fallback:** if a persona omits `goal` but has a
+`## JTBD statements` section, `/personas validate` prints an INFER line
+suggesting a goal derivable from the first JTBD. This is advisory, not
+auto-applied — the operator reviews and edits the file. The rationale:
+downstream skills like `/value-prop-canvas` and `/user-stories` need an
+unambiguous goal, and silent inference produces inconsistent results
+across consumers. Surface the gap once, let the operator resolve it, and
+every downstream read is consistent.
+
+## Evidence-traceability rule
+
+A persona that claims pain points, workflows, or behavior patterns MUST
+cite sources. Claims without source traces are **orphan claims** and
+surface as WARN in `/personas validate`.
+
+### Bassclef citation format
+
+```markdown
+### P1 — Concise pain label
+
+[Paragraph describing the pain.]
+
+> *Source trace: [source-N reference] — "[direct quote or close paraphrase]"*
+```
+
+Acceptable source types:
+
+- Repo-local research document (e.g., `docs/research/reddit-synthesis.md §3`)
+- External URL (articles, interviews, public forum posts)
+- Attributed interview note (`interview/YYYY-MM-DD-name.md §4`)
+- Analytics dashboard reference (product metric + timeframe)
+
+Not acceptable: "common knowledge," "I've seen this before," unattributed
+assertions, operator intuition.
+
+### Why this rule exists
+
+Personas without source traces fail silently. They look plausible, their
+synthesized behaviors read naturally, and downstream skills (VPC,
+synthetic-user) produce plausible-looking artifacts against them. The
+artifacts fail on contact with actual users because the foundational
+persona was a pattern-match on training priors, not evidence.
+
+Parallel to `.claude/rules/artifact-ingestion.md`: read before you
+produce. Cite before you claim.
+
+## Operator-default fallback
+
+Repos without persona files are common — new repos, internal tooling,
+early spikes. `/personas default` emits a minimal operator persona
+derived from:
+
+- `CLAUDE.md` (for goal / context)
+- `substrate.config.md` (for agents / deploy targets)
+- `docs/whereami.md` (for active iteration context)
+- Git `user.email` (for slug derivation)
+
+### When operator-default is appropriate
+
+- New repo; first iteration; no user research yet
+- Internal tooling where the operator IS the user
+- Spike / prototype sessions where user identity is deliberately deferred
+
+### When it's a red flag
+
+Operator-default leaking into these situations means the product is
+being validated against the operator's self-assessment, which is not
+user validation:
+
+- `/synthetic-user` running Tier 3 journeys against operator-default
+- `/value-prop-canvas` built from operator-default (value prop for
+  "you" tells you nothing about fit for real customers)
+- Iteration goal lovability/viability signals tied to operator-default
+
+`/personas validate` surfaces these with a note:
+"Only operator-default persona found; consider adding real personas
+before [downstream skill]."
+
+## Multiple personas — no compression
+
+If three real customer segments exist, three persona files exist. Do NOT
+collapse into a "composite customer" or "typical user" — compression
+loses the fit signal that `/value-prop-canvas` and `/risk-test-synthetic`
+depend on.
+
+VPC is 1:1 with persona. Risk-test matrices are persona × risk × artifact.
+A single merged persona flattens the matrix.
+
+## Validation checklist
+
+`/personas validate` walks every persona file under both bassclef and
+legacy paths and reports:
+
+- [ ] Required fields (slug, name) present — FAIL on absence
+- [ ] Slug matches filename basename — FAIL on mismatch
+- [ ] Pichler recommended fields (goal, tasks, approach, context, knowledge, biography) — WARN on absence
+  - If `goal` is absent but a `## JTBD statements` section exists, emit INFER line with suggested goal derived from first JTBD
+- [ ] Evidence traces present for behavior/pain claims — WARN on orphans
+- [ ] No duplicate slugs across files — FAIL on duplicate
+- [ ] File is readable markdown (parses without error) — FAIL otherwise
+
+Output format:
+
+```markdown
+## Persona validation
+
+**Files scanned**: N in docs/personas/, M in docs/design/personas/
+
+| File | Required | Pichler | Evidence | Slug-match | Status |
+|------|----------|---------|----------|-----------|--------|
+| [file] | ✅/❌ | ✅/⚠️ | ✅/⚠️ | ✅/❌ | PASS/WARN/FAIL |
+
+**Pass**: N | **Warn**: M | **Fail**: K
+```
+
+## Relationship to other standards
+
+| Standard / rule | Connection |
+|-----------------|-----------|
+| `.claude/rules/artifact-ingestion.md` | Evidence-traceability is artifact-ingestion applied to personas specifically |
+| `standards/whereami-schema.md` | Same "schema + template + skill + rule" pattern; different domain |
+| `standards/substrate-config-schema.md` | Operator-default fallback reads substrate.config fields |
+| `.claude/skills/jtbd-tasks/SKILL.md` | Step 0 "minimum viable persona" is a subset view of this schema; valid but thin |
+| `.claude/skills/synthetic-user/SKILL.md` | Existing consumer; reads legacy path; continues to work |
+
+## Future evolution
+
+When `/psychographic-mine` (quorum #54) and `/auto-user-research`
+(quorum #53) promote to bassclef, they produce files conforming to
+this schema with High evidence-quality ratings by construction.
+
+When `/jtbd-tasks` consolidates its Step 0 to delegate to `/personas
+default` or `/personas get`, the "minimum viable persona" variant
+becomes a template preset rather than a parallel shape.
+
+Neither consolidation happens in this bet's scope — both deferred to
+follow-up iterations so this standard ships with a stable contract
+first.
+
+## Closes
+
+- bassclef #200 (companion to quorum #50)
+- Part of iteration `docs/iteration-bets/2026-04-19e-persona-vpc-promotions.md` Stack-1