# Kernel Evolution Overlay — iEVO Pipeline Rules

> Append-only. Project-specific lessons about pipeline conventions, document lifecycle,
> naming conventions, and cross-agent coordination patterns.
> Read by all agents via Context Loading.

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## 2026-03-04: Convention-documentation gap — new structure created without updating pipeline reference

**Trigger:** POST-IMPLEMENTATION (gap caught by user review)
**Agent:** coder (acting as general assistant)
**Confidence:** high

**Finding:** A new `.ievo/` subdirectory and naming convention were established during a session. The pipeline reference document (`src/ievo/marketplace/templates/iEVO.md`) was NOT updated at the same time. The convention existed in practice but was absent from the document agents read at session start. The user had to explicitly point this out for the documentation to be written.

**Root cause:** The pipeline reference document was treated as a place for user-requested rules, not as a document that must be updated proactively whenever any agent establishes a new convention. No rule existed requiring that "creating a new structure" and "documenting the convention" are one atomic action. The gap was structural — a rule for retrospective documentation but no trigger for proactive documentation at the moment of creation.

**Proposed mutation:** kernel (iEVO.md Best Practices) — add rule: "Any time a new `.ievo/` directory, file type, or naming convention is established — document it in the pipeline reference under the relevant Best Practices section before the session ends. Creating a structure and documenting the convention are one atomic action."

**Issue:** https://github.com/ievo-ai/curator/issues/10
