Review Gates

Overview

Review gates are checkpoints between phases that ensure quality and alignment before proceeding.

Gate Philosophy

Never Skip Gates

Gates exist to catch issues early when they're cheap to fix.

Gate ≠ Bureaucracy

Gates should be lightweight verification, not lengthy approval processes.

Document Decisions

Record gate decisions for future reference.

Gate Checklist by Phase

Discovery → Definition Gate

Required:

• Problem statement documented
• User need validated (interviews, data, or support)
• Aligned with product strategy
• Stakeholder acknowledgment

Questions to Answer:

• Is this problem worth solving?
• Do we understand who has this problem?
• Does solving this align with our goals?

Definition → Design Gate

Required:

• Requirements documented and complete
• Experience spec (UX flows) created
• Success metrics defined
• Dependencies identified
• PM and Designer sign-off

Questions to Answer:

• Do we know what "done" looks like?
• Have we thought through the user experience?
• How will we measure success?

Design → Development Gate

Required:

• Architecture spec complete
• Technical risks documented with mitigations
• Implementation plan created
• API contracts defined (if applicable)
• Architect and Tech Lead sign-off

Questions to Answer:

• Is the technical approach sound?
• Have we identified the hard parts?
• Do we have a plan to build this?

Development → Documentation Gate

Required:

• Code complete and merged
• All tests passing
• Code review approved
• QA sign-off
• No critical bugs

Questions to Answer:

• Does it work as specified?
• Is the code quality acceptable?
• Has QA validated the implementation?

Documentation → Delivery Gate

Required:

• User documentation complete
• API documentation complete (if applicable)
• Support team enabled
• Runbooks created/updated
• Docs reviewed

Questions to Answer:

• Can users figure out how to use this?
• Can support help users who have problems?
• Can ops respond to incidents?

Delivery → Data Gate

Required:

• Feature deployed to production
• Monitoring in place
• Rollback plan tested
• No critical issues in first 24-48 hours
• Users informed (if needed)

Questions to Answer:

• Is the feature working in production?
• Can we detect problems?
• Can we roll back if needed?

Data → Debrief Gate

Required:

• Metrics collected (per success criteria)
• Data analysis complete
• Results documented
• Stakeholders informed

Questions to Answer:

• Did we achieve our success metrics?
• What do the numbers tell us?
• Are there surprises to investigate?

Debrief → Deprecation Gate (when applicable)

Required:

• Deprecation justified (low usage, better alternative, etc.)
• Migration path defined
• Timeline communicated
• Stakeholder approval

Questions to Answer:

• Is it time to retire this?
• How will affected users transition?
• Have we communicated clearly?

Gate Decision Template

## Gate Review: [Phase] → [Phase]

**Feature**: [Name]
**Date**: [Date]
**Reviewer(s)**: [Names]

### Checklist
- [x] Item 1
- [x] Item 2
- [ ] Item 3 (waived - reason)

### Decision
[ ] Pass - Proceed to next phase
[ ] Pass with conditions - Proceed but address [items]
[ ] Fail - Return to [phase] to address [issues]

### Notes
[Any additional context or decisions]

Escalation

When to Escalate

• Gate criteria cannot be met
• Disagreement on pass/fail
• Need to waive critical requirement
• External dependencies blocking

How to Escalate

1. Document the issue clearly
2. Propose options with trade-offs
3. Bring to appropriate decision maker
4. Document the decision