Handbook

Product creation → delivery — industry, Forge, and PMI-style map

Purpose: Map problem statement through product delivery using industry language, Forge work units, and a compact Inputs → Process → Outputs (IPE) view per lifecycle phase. Deep definitions live in linked canon; this file…

Canon: Product development lifecycle (PDLC) (P1–P6) · Software development lifecycle (A–F) · Forge ↔ SDLC ↔ PDLC bridge · Planning flow — vision to daily Sparks · Forge — major processes & flow maps

Legend

Column Meaning
Industry Plain product/delivery language.
Forge Ore → Ingot → Spark → Charge, Product Spark, iteration, Assay — see Forge & planning — naming reference.
Example Sparks Illustrative phase-prefixed Forge Sparks (discover:, specify:, …). Exploration spikes (learning) use Versona sessions per Discipline exploration spike — lifecycle and anchors, not the delivery board.

PDLC P1 — Discover problem

Inputs Process / practices Outputs
Market signals, support data, strategy themes Interviews, synthesis, competitive scan, persona checks Problem statement, research synthesis, opportunity sizing, G1 evidence
Industry Validate a real problem before solution work.
Forge Validated problems feed Ore; no delivery commitment.

Disciplines — example Sparks

Discipline Example Spark
Product Management discover: synthesize interviews → problem statement
UX research discover: run interview protocol
BA discover: stakeholder / process context
Marketing discover: competitor positioning matrix
Architecture discover: optional feasibility of problem space (or exploration spike)
Data discover: metric definitions for evidence

PDLC P2 — Validate solution

Inputs Process / practices Outputs
P1 artifacts, hypotheses Prototypes, usability tests, experiments, tech spikes Hypothesis outcomes, feasibility view, G2 evidence
Industry Test solution concepts (desirability, viability, feasibility, usability).
Forge Ore refined with evidence; PoC Product Spark possible; Versona on feasibility.

Disciplines — example Sparks

Discipline Example Spark
Product Management specify: hypothesis cards; verify: experiment readout
UX design: prototype; verify: usability results
BA specify: scenarios tied to hypotheses
Architecture Exploration spike or discover: time-boxed feasibility
Security discover: data-classification sketch for concept

PDLC P3 — Plan & Commit

Inputs Process / practices Outputs
P2 validation Vision, OKRs, roadmap, business case, GTM, resourcing Funded initiative, roadmap/WBS seeds, G3 approval
Industry Commit budget, timeline, success metrics, GTM.
Forge Product Sparks (PoC/MVP/Phase); Ingots scoped for SDLC handoff.

Disciplines — example Sparks

Discipline Example Spark
Product Management specify: roadmap themes; release: stage-gate pack
BA specify: epic / capability outline
PM (governance) specify: dependencies; verify: gate criteria
Architecture design: context diagram + NFR list
DevOps discover: pipeline / env readiness
Compliance specify: compliance checklist for build

SDLC A — Discover / prioritize

Inputs Process / practices Outputs
P3 handoff Prioritize, rough size, WBS/backlog updates Ordered backlog; items ready to specify
Industry Backlog intake and ordering.
Forge Ore intake; discover: Sparks.

Disciplines — example Sparks: Product discover: ordering workshop · BA discover: epic draft · Architecture discover: enabler Ore · PM discover: dependency map.

SDLC B — Specify

Inputs Process / practices Outputs
Prioritized items Refinement, AC, risks Ingots with AC; definition of ready
Industry Requirements and acceptance criteria.
Forge Ore → Ingot; specify: Sparks.

Disciplines — example Sparks: BA specify: story + AC · UX specify: UX notes · Testing specify: test ideas · Security specify: security AC.

SDLC C — Design

Inputs Process / practices Outputs
Ready Ingots Design reviews, ADRs Design artifacts; Ingot → Spark plan
Industry Technical and UX design.
Forge design: Sparks; planning decomposition.

Disciplines — example Sparks: Architecture design: ADR · SE design: component note · UX design: handoff · DevOps design: pipeline change.

SDLC D — Build

Inputs Process / practices Outputs
Design + tasks Implementation, tests Code, PRs, CI green
Industry Implementation.
Forge Charge; build: Sparks.

Disciplines — example Sparks: SE build: feature slice · FE build: UI · DevOps build: workflow · Data build: job/model code.

SDLC E — Verify

Inputs Process / practices Outputs
Build output Tests, reviews, regression Evidence; done candidates
Industry QA, CI, UAT.
Forge Assay preparation; verify: Sparks.

Disciplines — example Sparks: Testing verify: e2e / exploratory · Security verify: review · Product verify: stakeholder sign-off.

SDLC F — Release

Inputs Process / practices Outputs
Verified increment Go/no-go, deploy, communicate Released artifact; handoff to P4
Industry Ship, comms, rollback readiness.
Forge Assay Gate; release: Sparks.

Disciplines — example Sparks: DevOps release: deploy runbook · Product/Marketing release: notes + announcement · CS release: support FAQ.

PDLC P4 — Launch

Inputs Process / practices Outputs
Shippable increment, GTM Beta/GA, training, monitoring Live product; G4 satisfied
Industry Market activation.
Forge release: + ops Sparks; launch criteria vs P3 metrics.

Disciplines — example Sparks: Marketing release: launch checklist · CS release: playbook · DevOps release: dashboards/alerts.

PDLC P5 — Grow

Inputs Process / practices Outputs
Live metrics Experiments, funnel work Iteration backlog → SDLC A; G5 signals
Industry Adoption, retention, growth loops.
Forge New Ore from data; continuous feedback.

Disciplines — example Sparks: Product/Data discover: metrics review → Ore · Marketing verify: growth experiment analysis.

PDLC P6 — Mature / sunset

Inputs Process / practices Outputs
Lifecycle assessment Sunset, migration, comms EOL or reposition to P1
Industry Retire or harvest.
Forge Deprecation Ingots; build:/release: migration work.

Disciplines — example Sparks: Product specify: sunset plan · SE build: export tooling · release: decommission.

One-page cheat sheet

Industry stage Phase Forge focus
Problem insight P1 Ore (problems), research
Solution proof P2 Experiments; optional PoC Product Spark
Commit & plan P3 Product Spark(s), roadmap, Ingots
Ready & build A–D Ore → Ingot → Sparks → Charge
Prove & ship E–F verify:, Assay, release:
Go live P4 Launch, G4
Learn P5 New Ore from metrics
End of life P6 Migration / deprecation