CAF — 8-Phase Macro Pipeline + Skill-Pipeline Mapping
Founder-clarified 2026-06-28 (corrects the earlier loose "7 phases" shorthand and Ray's over-broad "skill pipeline = CAF" framing). Diagram: assets/2026-06-28-caf-macro-pipeline-8-phases.png.
The macro pipeline — 8 phases, contract-gated (C1–C7)
| Phase | Name | → Contract (output) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Engagement Framing | C1 Charter |
| 2 | Discovery Readiness | C2 Candidate Dossier |
| 3 | Classification | C3 Archetype Register |
| 4 | Prioritization | C4 Build Manifest |
| 5 | Skill Contracts | C5 Build License |
| 6 | Execution | C6 Evidence Package |
| 7 | Quality Gates | C7 Track Record |
| 8 | Productize | — |
Each phase emits a typed contract that licenses the next phase (the "w/ Contracts" in the diagram title). A separate ACF framework sits alongside (referenced in the diagram; e.g. "run Safe-Guard through ACF").
Phase 1 deep-dive (example of intra-phase structure): inputs (10K/10Q · client meetings/notes · … · job listings) → Task 1.1 Input Shape Classification → Task 1.2 Platform-target intake + constraints → Task 1.3 Dev-toolkit scope + engagement boundary → Synthesize → C1 Charter.
The split: "half-CAF" vs the skills pipeline
- Phases 1–4 = "half-CAF" run. Learn the customer + generate use cases → culminates in pre-sales material (C4 Build Manifest). This is the front half a sales motion can run on its own.
- Phases 5–8 = the skills pipeline stage. This is where the skills actually get generated (Skill Contracts → Execution → Quality Gates → Productize).
Correction captured (Ray, 2026-06-28): Ray framed "the skill pipeline IS CAF" — too broad. Precise: the skill-development pipeline = CAF's back half (phases 5-8), not the whole framework. The front half is pre-sales/use-case generation. Founder: "I think it all needs some work, but the second half we could experiment with our own skill pipeline development."
The clean mapping — 4 pipeline seats ↔ CAF phases 5-8
The domain-agnostic 4-seat pipeline ([[2026-06-27-skill-development-pipeline-plan]]) lines up almost 1:1 with CAF's back half:
| Pipeline seat | CAF phase | Contract |
|---|---|---|
| Spec + acceptance-tests (seats 1-2) | Phase 5 — Skill Contracts | C5 Build License |
| Author (seat 3) | Phase 6 — Execution | C6 Evidence Package |
| Critic (seat 4) | Phase 7 — Quality Gates | C7 Track Record |
| (distribution rail) | Phase 8 — Productize | — |
Implication: the Finance/variance-analysis pilot is NOT a separate track — running it is a CAF phase-5-8 experiment. When the pilot is picked up (currently parked behind the Anthropic-cert priority, per 2026-06-28 re-rank), its output drops straight into CAF's back half. This is the precise version of "fewer lines than it feels like": skill-pipeline work = CAF-back-half R&D.
Open / next
- Founder: "it all needs some work" — the back half (5-8) is the experiment surface for the home-grown skill pipeline.
- Still gated for hands-on CAF build: CAF repo not on this machine (standing blocker — can't touch real phase contracts/DDL).
- Sequencing: parked behind Anthropic cert (escalator #1, pass-early urgency) per the 2026-06-28 re-rank.