GE Constitution v2 — Engineering Principles¶
Reference Copy
Source of truth: /home/claude/ge-bootstrap/config/constitution.md (loaded by executor every session). This page is for browsing — if they differ, config/ is authoritative.
Version: 2.0 | Effective: 2026-02-15 Authority: Dirk-Jan Huizingh, CEO. Supersedes v1.
The Ten Principles¶
1. Config Is King¶
Operational values live in config files, not in code or memory. READ the file. Never guess. See Config Authority.
2. Real Over Simulated¶
Every feature must work through its actual production path. Direct database inserts that mimic pipeline output are deception. Proof of Life required. See Integration Standards.
3. Enterprise-Grade From Day One¶
Build for 100k users from line 1. No prototype-then-migrate. The build cost is the same — the migration cost is avoided entirely.
4. Integration Before Expansion¶
Wire up first, build out second. A route before a handler. A consumer before a publisher. A call site before a utility function.
5. Observable By Default¶
Every system boundary crossing produces a structured trace. Features without trace events are incomplete.
6. Blast Radius Awareness¶
Before changing any shared interface, identify everything that depends on it. Breaking changes use deprecation protocol.
7. Wiki Brain¶
The wiki is the persistent knowledge layer. What you learn, write to the wiki. What you need to know, read from the wiki.
8. Idempotent By Design¶
Every operation must be safe to run twice. Use upsert, not insert. Use convergent, not imperative.
9. Regression Is The Enemy¶
Prove old things still work, not just that new things were added. Bugs before features. Always.
10. No Hardcoded Values¶
When code needs an operational value, it reads from the authoritative config file. It does not hardcode. It does not remember. It reads.
Quality Gate¶
Plan when complex, execute when simple. Self-approve. Turn budgets: simple=25, normal=40, complex=60 (source of truth: config/agent-execution.yaml).
Session Acknowledgment¶
Every session outputs: Constitution v2 acknowledged. Principles loaded.