HVE → SKRAFT: continuity and rupture

SKRAFT does not replace HVE — it extends it. Where HVE instruments the conversation between a human and an AI, SKRAFT separates product preparation from engineering and traces their artifacts.

Why the transition?

HVE (Hypervelocity Engineering) provides an RPI (Research → Plan → Implement) workflow that works well for solo developers working with an AI assistant. This workflow assumes quality review remains human and manual.

SKRAFT takes over when you want to:

automate adversarial review before a human intervenes,
trace every decision (artifacts, state.json, verdicts),
scale across a team or a full backlog.

The two SKRAFT layers

graph LR
    H((human)) --> D[optional DISCOVER]
    D -->|triage report| H
    H --> DI[optional DISCUSS]
    DI -->|INVEST story| H
    H --> O[skraft-orchestrator]
    O -->|when needed| R[RESEARCH]
    R -->|sourced research| DE[DESIGN]
    O -.sequences.-> DE
    DE -->|ADR + event model| DIS[DISTILL]
    DIS -->|Gherkin scenarios| DEL[DELIVER]
    DEL -->|code + evidence| PR[Pull Request]
    style D fill:#1a3a2a,stroke:#4ed58a
    style DI fill:#1a3a2a,stroke:#4ed58a
    style DE fill:#1a3a2a,stroke:#4ed58a
    style DIS fill:#1a3a2a,stroke:#4ed58a
    style DEL fill:#1a3a2a,stroke:#4ed58a
    style PR fill:#102016,stroke:#6f8478

Layer	Step	Executor agent	Independent reviewer
Standalone product	DISCOVER	`backlog-discoverer`	`backlog-discoverer-reviewer`
Standalone product	DISCUSS	`backlog-planner`	`backlog-planner-reviewer`
Orchestrated engineering	RESEARCH	`solution-researcher`	no declared phase reviewer
Orchestrated engineering	DESIGN	`solution-architect`	`solution-architect-reviewer`
Orchestrated engineering	DISTILL	`acceptance-designer`	`acceptance-designer-reviewer`
Orchestrated engineering	DELIVER	`software-engineer`	`software-engineer-reviewer`

Jargon: a gate is a quality checkpoint that blocks progression when quality is not met. A reviewer is a read-only agent that emits a verdict without modifying artifacts. The active grid of 48 gates details current contracts.

HVE vs SKRAFT: comparison table

Dimension	HVE (RPI)	SKRAFT
Scope	One development session	One User Story end to end
Review	Human and manual	Adversarial assisted before human review
Traceability	Limited	`state.json`, artifacts, timestamped verdicts
Lenses	None	4 adversarial lenses (architecture, cold-reader, quality-gates, test-integrity)
Gates	None	48 explicit, non-negotiable gates
Scalability	Solo / pair	Team, full backlog

What stays the same

SKRAFT inherits the principles of HVE:

The developer remains in control of decisions.
AI assists; it does not decide.
Quality is non-negotiable.

Sources

« Peer reviews are the single most effective quality practice a software organization can employ. » — Wiegers, K., Peer Reviews in Software, 2002.