# Debate Protocol -- LLMHosts.com

## ALWAYS APPLY
This rule governs how debates (stress-test Q&A between founder and AI) are captured, processed, and fed back into the project.

## PURPOSE
Debates are honest, adversarial conversations that surface risks, gaps, insights, and ideas that structured planning misses. Every debate produces actionable findings that flow back into the project.

## DEBATE PIPELINE

```
Debate Q&A
  → Observations table (in debate doc)
    → Backlog items (docs/backlog/) with Source: Debate-NNN, Obs #N
      → GitHub Issues (label: source:debate, + priority, + epic)
        → Sprint / roadmap
```

### Risks have dual life:
1. **Backlog**: The mitigation/solution becomes a backlog item
2. **Feasibility report**: The risk itself goes into the risk register (probability × impact → mitigation)

## DURING A DEBATE

1. Capture EVERY question and full answer in `docs/debate/YYYY-MM-DD_debate-NNN.md`
2. After each answer, identify observations: risks, gaps, insights, new requirements, validations
3. Log observations in the structured table at the bottom of the debate doc
4. Each observation gets: source (which Q#), action needed, target artifact

## AFTER A DEBATE SESSION

Process all observations through this checklist:

### For each observation:
1. **Is it a NEW backlog item?** → Create in the appropriate `docs/backlog/epic-*.md` with:
   - ID: [EPIC]-[NNN] (next available number)
   - Source: `Debate-NNN, Obs #N`
   - Priority: P0/P1/P2 based on severity
   - Status: BACKLOG or RESEARCH
2. **Is it an UPDATE to an existing item?** → Add to that item's description or acceptance criteria with `[Updated: Debate-NNN, Obs #N]`
3. **Is it a RISK?** → Add to the next feasibility report's risk register AND create a mitigation backlog item
4. **Is it a VALIDATION?** → Log as confirmation (no action needed, but record it)
5. **Does it affect architecture/ADRs?** → Flag for knowledge-sync cascade per knowledge-sync.mdc
6. **Does it affect roadmap?** → Flag for roadmap update per knowledge-sync.mdc

### After all observations are processed:
- Update `docs/backlog/README.md` item counts if new items were added
- Note in the debate doc: "Observations processed: [date], [items created/updated]"

## WHEN GITHUB IS LIVE

- Every debate-sourced backlog item becomes a GitHub Issue
- Labels: `source:debate`, `debate:NNN`, priority label, epic label
- Issue body links to the debate doc and specific observation number
- Risk items get additional label: `risk`

## LEGACY DEBATES

When encountering older debate docs that haven't been processed:
1. Check the observations table for "Observations processed" note
2. If missing, process all observations through the checklist above
3. Mark as processed when done

## FILE LOCATIONS
- Debate docs: `docs/debate/YYYY-MM-DD_debate-NNN.md`
- Backlog: `docs/backlog/epic-*.md`
- Feasibility reports: `docs/feasibility-report/YYYY-MM-DD_HHMM_feasibility-NNN.md`
- Risk register: Inside feasibility reports
