Handbook

Versona ancestry — kinds, domains, templates

Normative layering for Forge Versonas: generic baseline (Layer 0), kind (routing, discipline, …), domain (for discipline templates only), then concrete .mdc templates. Cursor rules do not inherit automatically—each…

Related: Versona framework — kinds, interfaces, processes, sessions (kinds, sessions, processes) · Versona contract (discipline rule shape) · Versonas — discipline-focused virtual personas (template catalog) · Versona template index (source paths) (source path audit)

Conceptual tree

Swimlane diagram template

Physical layout (on disk): The diagram is conceptual. Family aggregator is a kind, not a sibling directory named family/ next to versona/discipline/ at the versona/ root. Template files for that kind live under catalog/discipline/<domain>/family/ (e.g. engineering, data, product). The optional generic baseline template is versona-generic.mdc.template at the versona/ root (not under catalog/). See Versonas — discipline-focused virtual personas.

Kind: discipline (by domain)

Domain: Engineering

Related: Engineering family — Versona ancestry — normative ancestry (versona-se as craft ancestor, specialists, family-first entry, process vs discipline “done”).

Template Core question (short) Output variant
versona-se.mdc.template CS fundamentals and craft Contract §5
versona-architecture.mdc.template Structure and maintainability Contract §5
versona-devops.mdc.template Delivery and operations Contract §5
versona-testing.mdc.template Verification and quality Contract §5
versona-frontend.mdc.template Web UI Contract §5
versona-mobile.mdc.template Mobile Contract §5
versona-iot.mdc.template Embedded / IoT Contract §5

Domain: Data

Template Core question (short) Output variant
versona-bigdata.mdc.template Data engineering / pipelines Contract §5
versona-datascience.mdc.template ML / DS responsibility Contract §5

Domain: Product

Template Core question (short) Output variant
versona-product-management.mdc.template Product/market fit Contract §5 + optional handoffs
versona-ba.mdc.template Stakeholder needs Contract §5
versona-ux.mdc.template Usability / design Contract §5
versona-marketing.mdc.template Acquisition / retention Contract §5
versona-cs.mdc.template Customer success Contract §5

Domain: Governance

Template Core question (short) Output variant
versona-pm.mdc.template Constraints and delivery Contract §5

Domain: Cross-cutting

Template Core question (short) Output variant
versona-security.mdc.template Security posture Contract §5
versona-compliance.mdc.template Regulatory fit Contract §5

Kind: family_aggregator

Template Domain scope Output variant
versona-family-engineering.mdc.template Engineering (7 disciplines) Consolidated family report
versona-family-data.mdc.template Data (2 disciplines) Consolidated family report
versona-family-product.mdc.template Product (5 disciplines) Consolidated family report

Kind: routing

Template Domain Output variant
versona-all.mdc.template — Routing recommendation tables
Packaged copy: ../../../../templates/forge/cursor-rules/forge-versona.mdc — Same (consumer .cursor/rules/)

Kind: meta

Template Domain Output variant
versona-sampling.mdc.template — Shortened / merged demo report

Kind: workflow

Template Domain Output variant
versona-project-setup.mdc.template — Setup / audit report
versona-roadmap-gate.mdc.template — Roadmap gate playbook
versona-cursor-rules-sync.mdc.template — Cursor rules install/diff playbook

Optional: generic baseline-only rule

Template Purpose
versona-generic.mdc.template Layer 0 only; optional @ with a discipline Versona

Master table

Template Kind Domain Family aggregator Output variant
versona-se.mdc.template discipline Engineering — Contract §5
versona-architecture.mdc.template discipline Engineering — Contract §5
versona-devops.mdc.template discipline Engineering — Contract §5
versona-testing.mdc.template discipline Engineering — Contract §5
versona-frontend.mdc.template discipline Engineering — Contract §5
versona-mobile.mdc.template discipline Engineering — Contract §5
versona-iot.mdc.template discipline Engineering — Contract §5
versona-bigdata.mdc.template discipline Data — Contract §5
versona-datascience.mdc.template discipline Data — Contract §5
versona-product-management.mdc.template discipline Product — Contract §5 + optional handoffs
versona-ba.mdc.template discipline Product — Contract §5
versona-ux.mdc.template discipline Product — Contract §5
versona-marketing.mdc.template discipline Product — Contract §5
versona-cs.mdc.template discipline Product — Contract §5
versona-pm.mdc.template discipline Governance — Contract §5
versona-security.mdc.template discipline Cross-cutting — Contract §5
versona-compliance.mdc.template discipline Cross-cutting — Contract §5
versona-family-engineering.mdc.template family_aggregator Engineering self Consolidated
versona-family-data.mdc.template family_aggregator Data self Consolidated
versona-family-product.mdc.template family_aggregator Product self Consolidated
versona-all.mdc.template routing — — Routing tables
forge-versona.mdc (templates) routing — — Routing tables
versona-sampling.mdc.template meta — — Shortened
versona-project-setup.mdc.template workflow — — Setup report
versona-roadmap-gate.mdc.template workflow — — Roadmap gate playbook
versona-cursor-rules-sync.mdc.template workflow — — Cursor rules sync playbook
versona-generic.mdc.template baseline_only — — Layer 0 only

Stable headings

For generators: Conceptual tree, Kind: discipline, Kind: family_aggregator, Kind: routing, Kind: meta, Kind: workflow, Optional: generic baseline-only rule, Master table.