Workflow

How experiments graduate

Every idea in the labs starts the same way, with a question and a short life. Most of them stop early. The ones that keep going pass through a fixed sequence.

The stages

1. Prototype. Rough and disposable. Built to answer one question, and usually thrown away afterwards. See the prototypes page.
2. Alpha. Usable but unstable. Features may change or disappear, so nobody depends on it yet. See the alpha page.
3. Workflow. The stage where a build stops being an experiment and becomes something a writer can rely on. It needs notes, a test pass, and a review.
4. Shelved. When a build does not make it, it goes on the failed shelf with a one line post-mortem. See the failed page.

Why the order matters

The order keeps the cheap work cheap. A question is answered in a prototype, the working shape is found in an alpha, and only then does anyone spend time making it dependable.

The Labs page shows every stage at once, including the attempts that did not survive.