PRD persistence consistently skipped during Algorithm execution

[wojteksbt]

PRD persistence consistently skipped during Algorithm execution

Problem

The Algorithm mandates PRD creation during OBSERVE and dual-tracking (working memory + persistent memory) throughout all phases. In practice, the persistent memory track (PRD file in MEMORY/WORK/) is consistently skipped while the working memory track (TaskCreate) is followed.

This is a recurring failure mode across sessions — not a one-off miss.

Root Cause Analysis

1. TaskCreate is frictionless — it's a tool call inline with the Algorithm flow
2. PRD write is a separate step — requires constructing a full markdown file, choosing a path, and writing to disk
3. No enforcement mechanism — nothing blocks BUILD if no PRD exists
4. Implementation gravity — once OBSERVE creates ISC via TaskCreate, the pull toward BUILD is strong and the PRD step gets deprioritized
5. Template weight — the full PRD template is heavyweight, which raises friction for simple/standard tasks

Impact

• Session work is not persisted to disk
• Cross-session continuity breaks (no PRD to resume from)
• MEMORY/WORK/ directories are empty or incomplete
• Violates the Algorithm's dual-tracking sync rules

Possible Solutions

1. Pre-BUILD hook (enforcement)

A hook that checks for PRD file existence after OBSERVE/PLAN and blocks BUILD if none exists. Similar to how the Quality Gate blocks THINK if ISC are insufficient.

2. Lighter PRD creation path

A simplified PRD creation mechanism for Standard and below effort levels — perhaps auto-generated from TaskCreate entries rather than manually written.

3. TaskCreate → PRD auto-sync

When TaskCreate is called with ISC prefix, automatically append to a PRD file. This would eliminate the dual-write requirement entirely.

4. Algorithm reflection reinforcement

The LEARN phase reflection already captures this, but the signal doesn't persist strongly enough across sessions. A dedicated "PRD compliance" check in the Phase Discipline Checklist with explicit self-correction might help.

Reproduction

1. Start any Standard+ effort level task
2. Observe that TaskCreate ISC criteria are created in OBSERVE
3. Note that no PRD file is written to MEMORY/WORK/{session}/
4. Work completes, LEARN phase runs, but no persistent artifact exists

[wojteksbt]

Related: #531 (reply in thread) — same failure pattern observed with algorithm-reflections.jsonl. Zero spontaneous entries since v3.0 migration, for reference.

[nbost130]

Observation from practice: PRD persistence works when the feedback loop is closed

We've been running PAI's reflection mining pipeline (MineRatings + ReflectionCapture + MineReflections workflow) and noticed the same pattern — PRDs get skipped during Algorithm execution, especially at Standard effort level where time pressure is highest.

What we found works: The Algorithm does write PRDs reliably when:

1. The PRD path is created early in OBSERVE (before ISC creation, not deferred to PLAN)
2. The session-slug directory exists before the first write attempt
3. PRD writes are treated as sync operations alongside TaskCreate — not as a separate "also do this" step

What consistently fails: Deferred PRD creation where OBSERVE creates ISC via TaskCreate but leaves "write PRD" for PLAN phase. By PLAN, the working memory track is ahead of the persistent track and they never catch up.

Possible fix direction: Make TaskCreate itself trigger PRD file creation (or at least directory + stub creation) as a side effect. If the PRD file exists before THINK starts, the remaining phases just append to it rather than needing to remember to create it.

This is essentially the same insight as the AutoWorkCreation hook (#676) — PRD creation should be automatic infrastructure, not a prompt instruction that the model can skip under time pressure.

[wojteksbt]

@nbost130 interesting that it works for you from time to time. I was thinking that I might have worse experience due to using Sonnet, but I've started using Opus with the highest effort just to test that, and it never passed DRAFT status. The only thing that gets updated in the tasks directory is the META.yaml file with status: "COMPLETED".

[danielmiessler]

Your root-cause read was spot on. We replaced the manual PRD with the ISA — it's the single artifact at OBSERVE, auto-synced to the work registry, with checkpoint commits per criterion. The dual-write friction you flagged is gone. Thanks for the careful analysis.