⚠️ PRE-REFINED-PROMPT-archived 2026-05-01T20:45 BST per Full Phase-2-3 Reversion — this memory file records a lock that has been DISCARDED. The Q is queued for re-ask under refined-prompt v3.0 discipline. Original lock content preserved below for forensic continuity. Do not act on this memory’s recommendations as if locked. Audit-record: ~/testatetech/docs-strategy/docs/superpowers/specs/2026-04-29-multi-phase-audit/audit-records/2026-05-01-full-phase-2-3-re-ask-under-refined-prompt.md v1.0. Refined-prompt v3.0 reference: ~/testatetech/docs-strategy/docs/superpowers/specs/2026-04-29-multi-phase-audit/refined-end-of-turn-directive.md.


ζ-Q2 LOCKED — G+ permanent (sub-option A) Thursday 30 April 2026 evening

§1 Outcome

Rich-locked G+ permanent (sub-option A) 2026-04-30T19:20 BST. Divergent decision — Claude recommended G+→F path (Phase-1 G+ then Year-2+ uplift to F) by 0.43 weighted-sum margin at Year-2+ comparison; Rich chose G+ permanent (no F-uplift pre-committed).

7 options scored against locked 14-criterion C frame (per A-126):

  • G+ 4.08 ★ (winner; 8/8 sensitivity perturbations preserve)
  • F 3.56 (margin 0.52 to G+)
  • D 3.34
  • B 3.20
  • I 2.91
  • C 2.82
  • N 2.80

§2 Sub-option A specifics

ElementLocked status
v2 architecture patternG+ (narrow Catala E&W IHT/intestacy/attestation + LinkML schemas + Cedar policies + IAS-as-clean-integration-surface)
F-uplift forward planRemoved — not pre-committed
F-uplift optionalityPreserved — Year-3+ revisit possible under fresh evidence + revenue-justification; NOT actively forbidden
Phase-1.5 21-jurisdictional expansion (A-125)Unchanged — G+ pattern extends to all 21 jurisdictions (just no F’s deeper Catala scope)
OASIS submission + ISO PAS-route 2028-2030Likely deferred or rescoped to commercial-standard level (not academic-grade PAS-route benefits from F’s formal-verification stack)
Acquirer-narrative ambitionSaaS-multiple territory (£5-10M) rather than academic-grade £25M+
5-year TCO£220K (vs G+→F path £295K = £75K saved)

§3 Rich’s reasoning (grounded)

Rich-divergence from Claude-recommended G+→F path internally coherent with prior memories:

  • feedback_scope_vs_commercial_reality (2026-04-19) — Bootstrap capacity + £5M+ TT-sale = architectural constraint; check every scope expansion
  • feedback_loc_not_significant_metric (2026-04-26) — Don’t burn LOC-budget on speculative rigour gains
  • Revenue-uncertainty-on-F-uplift posture — Don’t pre-commit £150K uplift on speculative Year-2+ revenue assumptions

Convergent under ζ.2 methodology pivot’s design-spec §1 Concern #2 (BUILD-PLAN amendment chains accreting without coherent grounding) — G+ permanent avoids speculative-architecture-debt accretion that F-uplift could introduce if revenue doesn’t materialise as planned.

§4 Cascade artefacts (committed)

StageActionCommit
Stage-1ζ-Q2 cascade file authored at answered-questions/Q-002-zeta-architecture-options-G-plus-permanent.md v1.012ec4d1
Stage-2arch-state v3.11→v3.12 with A-127 amendment + INDEX v2.2→v2.3 + scorecard v2.0→v2.1 status note + memory + active-work-log + richard-tasks-tt #189(pending Stage-2 commit)
Stage-3ζ-Q3 = Shape X angle (i) top-level Asset classes — research + authoring + surface(pending)

§5 Methodological observations

  1. First Rich-divergence under ζ.2 methodology. Convergent at ζ-Q1 (Option C; both arrived at 14-criterion frame); divergent at ζ-Q2 (G+ permanent vs G+→F). Pattern matches MQ-000 ζ override (1.05 margin) where Rich’s commercial-reality lens overrode Claude’s β recommendation.
  2. F-uplift optionality preservation is the elegant compromise. Zero pre-commitment cost; Year-3+ revisit can engage fresh evidence (revenue-data + competitor-positioning + TT-acquirer-signals). Continuous Architecture (Erder+Pureur+Woods 2021) “delay design decisions until necessary” principle from T82 §4 fully realised.
  3. NEW risk R-042 acquirer-narrative-ceiling. G+ permanent caps acquirer valuation at SaaS-multiple territory. Mitigation: F-uplift optionality preserved; LL ARR cover assumption monitoring per richard-tasks #185.
  4. Honesty discipline preserved. Recommendation captured in audit trail (G+→F at Year-2+ comparison scorecard); Rich-override captured in cascade artefact §7 + this memory §3 with reasoning grounded in prior memories.

§6 Cross-references

  • Locked answer: docs/superpowers/specs/2026-04-29-multi-phase-audit/answered-questions/Q-002-zeta-architecture-options-G-plus-permanent.md v1.0
  • arch-state amendment: docs/superpowers/specs/inherit-v2-architecture-state.md v3.12 A-127
  • Utility tree: docs/superpowers/specs/2026-04-29-multi-phase-audit/Q-001-zeta-criteria-frame-locked-utility-tree.md v1.0
  • T82 methodology: ~/off-github/library/projects/inherit/T82-architecture-evaluation-methodology-2026-04-30.md v1.0
  • Bass per-book: ~/off-github/library/indexed/bass-software-architecture-4e/
  • Design spec: docs/superpowers/specs/2026-04-30-architecture-rederivation-design.md v1.1 §16 ζ.2 amendment
  • Prior memory: project_zeta_q1_locked_option_c_2026_04_30.md (ζ-Q1 closure)
  • Prior memory: project_meta_q_000_zeta_2_chosen_2026_04_30.md (MQ-000 ζ.2 lock)