The AI-Augmented SDLC
Same phases as always. AI generates, humans decide, and every artifact traces back to the one before it. This is the structure every module in the program teaches you to work within.
AI doesn't remove the phases of the software lifecycle — it removes the information loss between them. Each artifact is generated from the previous one and signed off by the human who owns that phase. The result is a single, traceable chain from business requirement to deployed code.
The Workflow Diagram
The full pipeline — phases, roles, gates, and handoffs. The live diagram is embedded below; open it full-screen for walkthroughs during live delivery.
Open the diagram full-screen ↗
Same Phases, Reimagined
Across all six phases, the division of labor is the same: AI drafts from the upstream artifact, the named human owner reviews and decides.
What Holds It Together
Named human owners
Every artifact has exactly one owner who signs it off — not "the team." Accountability is the structure that makes the framework work.
Quality gates
Checked at every phase transition, not deferred to the end. A gate that fails sends work back to the current phase — not forward to the next.
Full traceability
Any line of code walks back to its BRD requirement. If it can't, the chain is broken and must be fixed before the gate passes.
Generator ≠ reviewer
The person (or agent) who produces an artifact is never the one who signs it off. Independent review is built into every handoff.
Four Non-Negotiable Principles
These govern every decision in the framework. No exceptions — not suggestions.
The Universal Working Cycle
The same four-step cycle runs through every module and every task, at every scale. When something goes wrong in AI-assisted work, the diagnosis is always the same: which step was skipped?
One cycle, every scale
It's introduced in Module 2 and named in every module after. M2: artifact production. M3: prompt refinement. M4: session management. M5: implementation. M6: building assets. M7: knowledge contribution.