Specifications Drive Operations

CAGE treats specifications as the product, not the byproduct. Strategy, governance, domain language, and architecture are written as living assets that directly drive execution. Implementation code in CAGE is part of the detailed specification layer—it exists to describe how the system behaves, not to stand alone as the finished product.

Specification here does not mean loose narrative. CAGE favors structured, schema-backed files that machines and humans can interpret the same way: enums instead of adjectives, measurable targets instead of slogans, policies expressed as decision tables rather than prose guidelines.

When specifications remain vague or implicit, teams improvise and automation amplifies the drift. Making the four pillars tangible in the repository keeps business logic legible and ready for change.

In practice

• Author objectives, policies, domains, and architecture decisions as first-class files with IDs, owners, and version history.
• Use machine-validated schemas and enumerations so specifications are unambiguous and executable.
• Treat AI-generated code as disposable scaffolding and replace it with curated implementations as the system solidifies.
• Let specifications ascend in fidelity over time—automated output first, then human-refined components that remain tightly linked to the governing specs.
• During reviews, ask “does the spec say this?” before debating implementation details.