Bubbles Agent System — Sunnyvale Cheat Sheet

bubbles.analyst

Ray

"Way she goes, boys." — except as analyst, he figures out WHY the way she goes. Sees patterns from his chair.

"Sometimes she goes, sometimes she doesn't. She didn't go."

bubbles.ux

Lucy

The one who actually cares about how things feel and look. Emotional intelligence of the park.

"Ricky, you can't just— you know what, fine."

bubbles.design

Sarah

Turns loose ideas into a clean architecture and keeps the details from falling apart.

"Let's get this organized before anybody breaks it."

bubbles.plan

Barb Lahey

Actually ran the trailer park's business side. The planner. Defines the scopes. Keeps the books.

"Jim, you need a plan."

bubbles.implement

Julian

Delivers code. Every. Time. Drink in hand. Zero drops, zero rollbacks.

"I got work to do."

bubbles.test

Trinity

Grew up in utter chaos. Learned to verify everything independently. Trust nothing.

"Dad, that's not how that works."

bubbles.docs

J-Roc

Publishes the managed-doc truth and cleans out stale paperwork before closeout.

"Know what I'm sayin'? Publish the truth."

bubbles.chaos

Ricky

Breaks things in ways nobody could predict. Grows "vegetables" in unusual places. Worst case Ontario, something catches fire.

"It's not rocket appliances."

bubbles.simplify

Donny

Reduces needless complexity without weakening the behavior contract or crossing ownership boundaries.

"Just tape it up and move on."

bubbles.devops

Tommy Bean

Owns CI/CD, build, deployment, monitoring, and observability execution once operational work is identified.

"Get the rack humming and keep the park online."

bubbles.cinematic-designer

Sebastian Bach

Premium UI implementation when the surface needs flagship treatment, not default sludge.

"I was in Skid Row!"

bubbles.releases

Sonny "Iron Lung" Smith

Phase release packets. Carry-forward enforcement. Cross-product release coordination. Product Direction Surfaces guardian.

"Plans within plans, boys. Phase one is just the introduction."

Diagnostic & Certification Routing

bubbles.validate

Randy

Owns certification state, checks the gates, and can reopen work only through concrete packets and evidence.

"Mr. Lahey, the tests aren't passing!"

bubbles.stabilize

Shitty Bill

Quiet. Reliable. Surfaces reliability issues and routes the correct owner. Doesn't say much.

"..." (he barely talks — he just routes)

bubbles.regression

Steve French

The cougar. Prowls the codebase. Catches cross-feature interference. Nothing gets past his territory.

"Something's prowlin' around in the code, boys."

bubbles.security

Cyrus

"Safety... always off." EXCEPT in our system — safety is ALWAYS ON. Finds threats. Confrontational. Effective.

"F*** off, I got work to do."

bubbles.audit

Ted Johnson

Final compliance cop. Certifies, routes rework, and does not implement fixes.

"This is an official audit now."

bubbles.grill

Leslie Dancer

Pressure-tests ideas, approval paths, and workflow choices before the wrong work starts.

"Let's get it under the light and see if it survives."

bubbles.clarify

George Green

Calls out what is unclear and routes the correct owner instead of patching foreign artifacts himself.

"What in the f— is going on here?"

bubbles.harden

Conky

Finds the weak spots and packets the follow-up work. Does not fix inline.

"Why don't you go pave your cave, you dirty caveman?"

bubbles.gaps

Philadelphia Collins

Finds the gaps nobody else sees and routes the repair. Does not fix inline.

"What are ya lookin' at my gut fer?"

bubbles.spec-review

Gary Laser Eyes

The spec freshness auditor. Sees right through stale specs. Checks if artifacts still match reality.

"Gary can see right through it, boys. That spec expired three refactors ago."

bubbles.code-review

Green Bastard

Engineering-only review surface. Detects problems and priorities without pretending to be the owner.

"From parts unknown, I can smell what's broken in the code."

bubbles.system-review

Orangie

Holistic product, runtime, trust, and UX reviewer. Finds what needs attention, then routes it.

"Orangie sees everything. He's not dead, he's just... reviewing."

Utilities

Alias	Maps To	When Ricky Would Say It
sunnyvale pull-the-strings	bubbles.workflow	"Bubbles is pulling the strings, boys"
sunnyvale worst-case-ontario	bubbles.chaos	"Worst case Ontario, something breaks"
sunnyvale by-the-book	bubbles.audit --strict	"This is by the book now."
sunnyvale open-and-shut	bubbles.audit	"Open and shut case."
sunnyvale get-two-birds-stoned	bubbles.implement + bubbles.test	"Get two birds stoned at once"
sunnyvale smokes-lets-go	bubbles.setup	"Smokes, let's go. C'mon."
sunnyvale know-what-im-sayin	bubbles.docs	"Know what I'm sayin'? Publish the truth."
sunnyvale somethings-fucky	bubbles.validate	"Something's fucky"
sunnyvale way-she-goes	bubbles.analyst	"Way she goes, boys. Way she goes."
sunnyvale peanut-butter-and-jam	bubbles.gaps	"BAAAAM! Peanut butter and JAAAAM!"
sunnyvale safety-always-off	bubbles.security	"Safety... always off" (ironic: scans FOR safety)
sunnyvale somethings-prowlin	bubbles.regression	"Something's prowlin' around in the code, boys."
sunnyvale roll-camera	bubbles.status	(camera keeps rolling)
sunnyvale greasy	bubbles.harden	"That's greasy, boys. Real greasy."
sunnyvale supply-and-command	bubbles.plan	"It's supply and command, Julian"
sunnyvale under-the-light	bubbles.grill	"Put it under the light before we burn a week on it."
sunnyvale private-dancer	bubbles.grill	"You want answers? Put it under the light."
sunnyvale water-under-the-fridge	bubbles.simplify	"It's all water under the fridge"
sunnyvale laser-eyes	bubbles.spec-review	"Gary sees what's really there"
sunnyvale have-a-good-one	bubbles.handoff	"Have a good one, boys"
sunnyvale skid-row	bubbles.cinematic-designer	"I was in Skid Row!"
sunnyvale plans-within-plans	bubbles.releases	"Plans within plans, boys. Phase one is just the introduction."
sunnyvale iron-lung-says	bubbles.releases	"Iron Lung's got the ledger, boys."
sunnyvale mans-gotta-eat	bubbles.validate	"A man's gotta eat, Julian"
sunnyvale the-super	bubbles.super	"I'm the trailer park supervisor."
sunnyvale i-got-work-to-do	bubbles.implement	"I got work to do."
sunnyvale not-how-that-works	bubbles.test	"Dad, that's not how that works."
sunnyvale lets-get-organized	bubbles.design	"Let's get this organized."
sunnyvale whats-going-on-here	bubbles.clarify	"What in the f--- is going on here?"
sunnyvale parts-unknown	bubbles.code-review	"From parts unknown!"
sunnyvale keep-the-park-online	bubbles.devops	"Get the rack humming and keep the park online."
sunnyvale whole-show	bubbles.system-review	"Orangie sees everything. He's not dead, he's just... reviewing."
sunnyvale nice-kitty	bubbles.bug	"That's a nice f***ing kitty right there."
sunnyvale i-handle-things	bubbles.goal	"I handle things, that's what I do."
sunnyvale tyrone-got-this	bubbles.goal	"Peace. Tyrone got this."
sunnyvale on-the-clock	bubbles.sprint	"Inside and outside, both at once. Don't fall behind."
sunnyvale next-on-the-board	bubbles.sprint	"That one's done — keep both flows moving."
sunnyvale just-fixes	bubbles.stabilize	"..." (Bill just fixes things)
sunnyvale pave-your-cave	bubbles.harden	"Why don't you go pave your cave?"
sunnyvale jim-needs-a-plan	bubbles.plan	"Jim, you need a plan."
sunnyvale used-to-be-a-vet	bubbles.create-skill	"I used to be a vet, you know."
sunnyvale true	bubbles.commands	"True."
sunnyvale ill-do-whatever	bubbles.iterate	"I'll do whatever you need, Julian."
sunnyvale cant-just-slap	bubbles.ux	"You can't just slap things together."
sunnyvale catch-me-up	bubbles.recap	"So basically what happened was..."
sunnyvale i-am-the-liquor	bubbles.retro	"The liquor helps me see the patterns, Randy."
sunnyvale see-the-patterns	bubbles.retro	"I AM the liquor."
sunnyvale wheres-the-bodies	bubbles.retro hotspots	"The liquor knows where the bodies are buried, Randy."
sunnyvale whos-driving	bubbles.retro busfactor	"Somebody's gotta know how to drive this thing."
sunnyvale tangled-up	bubbles.retro coupling	"It's all tangled up like Christmas lights, Randy."
sunnyvale liquor-then-tape	retro-to-simplify	"The liquor shows me the problems. Donny tapes them up."
sunnyvale liquor-then-harden	retro-to-harden	"The liquor shows me the weak spots. Harden up, boys."
sunnyvale liquor-then-sweep	retro-quality-sweep	"The liquor finds the mess. Then the whole crew sweeps it clean."
sunnyvale liquor-then-look	retro-to-review	"The liquor shows me where to look. Green Bastard tells me what's broken."
sunnyvale same-lot-new-trailer	redesign-existing	"Same lot, boys. New trailer."

value-first-e2e-batch

→ sunnyvale boys-plan

Auto-discover highest-value work, full delivery pipeline. The master plan.

"Boys, I got a plan. And this time it's a good one."

full-delivery

→ sunnyvale full-send

Default maximum-assurance delivery. Loops through implementation, tests, quality sweep, validation, and bug closure until truly green or blocked.

"Just get 'er done, Julian. And keep goin' until it's actually done."

full-delivery

→ sunnyvale no-loose-ends

Maximum-assurance delivery. Keep looping until validate certifies done or records a real blocker. Default continuation target for active recap/status/handoff follow-up.

"No loose ends. All green or we keep going."

chaos-hardening

→ sunnyvale shit-storm

Iterative chaos + bugfix cycles until clean or limit reached.

"We're in the eye of a shiticane, Randy."

bugfix-fastlane

→ sunnyvale smash-and-grab

Fast bug closure. In. Fix. Out. Mandatory reproduce-before/verify-after.

"Get in, get out. That's a good plan."

validate-only

→ sunnyvale randy-put-a-shirt-on

Run validation gates only. Things are about to get serious.

"Randy, put a shirt on. We got company."

stochastic-quality-sweep

→ sunnyvale bottle-kids

Randomized adversarial probing. You never know where they'll hit, and follow-up commands like fix all found should resume the sweep instead of dropping into raw specialist work.

"BOTTLE KIDS!" *runs for cover*

harden-gaps-to-doc

→ sunnyvale conky-says

The most thorough pre-release sweep. Uncomfortable truths revealed.

"Conky says you missed something, Bubbles."

product-to-delivery

→ sunnyvale freedom-35

Full pipeline: analyst → UX → design → scopes → implement → test → quality.

"Freedom 35, boys! This is the one!"

docs-only

→ sunnyvale gnome-sayin

Managed-doc maintenance only. J-Roc publishes the truth.

"You're sayin' 'gnome sayin'' too many times — 80, 90 times? That's too many times."

feature-bootstrap

→ sunnyvale smokes-and-setup

Set up design + scope artifacts before implementing. The prep work.

"Smokes, let's go. Set it up."

iterate

→ sunnyvale keep-going

Priority-driven scope-by-scope execution. Picks the next thing and does it.

"Keep going, boys. Don't stop."

resume-only

→ sunnyvale resume-the-tape

Resume from saved session state. Pick up where you left off.

"Roll that tape back, boys."

product-discovery

→ sunnyvale whats-the-big-idea

Business analysis + UX exploration. No implementation — just discovery.

"What's the big idea here, Julian?"

test-to-doc

→ sunnyvale quick-dirty

Run tests, fix failures, publish docs. Quick verification pass.

"Quick and dirty, boys."

audit-only

→ sunnyvale open-and-shut

Run audit phase only. Pure compliance check.

"Open and shut case."

stabilize-to-doc

→ sunnyvale bill-fixes-it

Stability diagnosis → DevOps execution → test → docs. Bill finds it, Tommy ships it.

"..." (Bill just points at the problem.)

devops-to-doc

→ sunnyvale keep-the-park-online

Focused DevOps execution for CI/CD, build, deployment, monitoring, observability, and release automation.

"Get the rack humming and keep the park online."

improve-existing

→ sunnyvale survival-of-the-fitness

Analyze, harden, close gaps, improve → test → docs. Evolutionary improvement.

"Survival of the fitness, boys."

redesign-existing

→ sunnyvale same-lot-new-trailer

Reconcile stale artifacts, redesign the feature, then deliver it through the full quality chain.

"Same lot, boys. New trailer."

spec-scope-hardening

→ sunnyvale harden-up

Tighten specs and scope definitions. No implementation, just planning quality.

"Harden up, boys. This has gotta be tight."

brainstorm

→ sunnyvale smokes-and-thinking

Explore an idea thoroughly before building. Competitive analysis, scenarios, alternatives — zero code. Like YC office hours.

"Let me think about it over a couple smokes."

retro-to-simplify

→ sunnyvale liquor-then-tape

Data-driven simplification. Retro analyzes git history for bug magnets and hotspots, then Donny simplifies the worst offenders.

"The liquor shows me the problems. Donny tapes them up."

retro-to-harden

→ sunnyvale liquor-then-harden

Data-driven hardening. Retro finds bug magnets and worsening hotspots, then the hardening pipeline targets those areas.

"The liquor shows me the weak spots. Harden up, boys."

retro-quality-sweep

→ sunnyvale liquor-then-sweep

Retro-guided quality sweep. The liquor finds the hotspot mess, then simplify, harden, and the rest of the crew clean it up deterministically.

"The liquor finds the mess. Then the whole crew sweeps it clean."

retro-to-review

→ sunnyvale liquor-then-look

Data-driven code review. Retro identifies highest-risk files, then Green Bastard reviews them. Read-only diagnostic.

"The liquor shows me where to look. Green Bastard tells me what's broken."

harden-to-doc

→ sunnyvale shit-winds-coming

Harden existing code, fix issues, then test and doc. Prepare for the storm.

"The shit winds are coming, Randy. Harden up."

gaps-to-doc

→ sunnyvale gut-feeling

Gap analysis → implement fixes → test → docs. Find what's missing.

"What are ya lookin' at my gut fer?"

chaos-to-doc

→ sunnyvale we-broke-it

Chaos probing → fix → docs. Break it, then document what happened.

"We broke it. Now document what happened."

reconcile-to-doc

→ sunnyvale i-toad-a-so

Reconcile stale state, fix conflicts → test → docs. Told you so.

"I toad a so. I f***ing toad a so."

validate-to-doc

→ sunnyvale just-watching

Validate + audit + docs. The camera crew watches and documents.

"(camera crew just watches)"

workflow-only continuation

Recap, status, and handoff point you back to /bubbles.workflow ... by default instead of raw implement/test/validate commands.

continuation envelope

Machine-readable packet from a read-only agent carrying target, intent, preferred workflow mode, and reason for the next workflow step.

scenario replay

Validate reruns the linked live-system SCN-* journeys from scenario-manifest.json before certification.

human acceptance

uservalidation.md is human-owned acceptance input. Automation findings do not toggle it.

framework validation

The framework's own self-check surface. Runs portable-surface, ownership, registry, and selftest checks before you trust a release or upgrade.

release hygiene

Source-repo ship check for Bubbles itself. Confirms framework validation passed, required release docs exist, and no stray temp or backup files are riding along.

workflow run-state

Durable per-run coordination state that makes resume, runtime reuse, and packet routing explicit instead of guesswork.

typed framework event

Structured framework log entry for gate outcomes, packet routing, lease changes, and policy provenance instead of narrative-only breadcrumbs.

action risk class

Safety label for operations such as read-only, owned mutation, destructive mutation, external side effect, or runtime teardown.

test impact map

Optional project-owned testImpact config that maps changed paths to impacted components, first-pass test categories, always-run checks, and full-suite triggers. It speeds planning; it never permits skipping final gates.

narrow-first validation

Run the impact-mapped focused checks first so feedback is fast, then still run every required closeout gate and broad suite.

full-suite trigger

A high-blast-radius path pattern in testImpact that forces broad validation even when the direct change looks small.

trace contract

Optional project-owned traceContracts config that describes required trace/log evidence for a workflow: spans, attributes, invariants, and red flags. Validate checks actual evidence, not predictions.

trace evidence

Captured runtime trace/log output used by G080. Code inspection, expected spans, or planned instrumentation do not count.

repo-readiness

Advisory repo hygiene check for agent adoption. Useful before deep framework use, but separate from bubbles.validate certification.

adoption profile

Maturity-tier onboarding posture such as foundation, delivery, or assured. It changes guidance and readiness severity, not certification rigor.

release manifest

Upstream trust bundle that records version, git SHA, supported profiles, supported interop sources, validated surfaces, and the managed file inventory for the release.

install provenance

Installed-source record that tells you where the framework copy came from and whether local-source upgrade risk exists before you trust doctor or upgrade output.

framework-managed boundary

Downstream .github/bubbles/**, bubbles.* agents/prompts, shared Bubbles instructions, and shared Bubbles skills are install artifacts. Do not patch them in a consumer repo; propose upstream or move the change to a project-owned file.

project-owned extension

Repo-specific Bubbles customization that belongs outside the framework layer: .github/bubbles-project.yaml, .github/bubbles-project/proposals/**, project docs, project scripts, project specs, and repo-local policy files.

source-native refresh

In the Bubbles source repo, maintain the framework directly and use bash bubbles/scripts/cli.sh ... validation surfaces. install.sh is for downstream repos, not for installing Bubbles into the Bubbles checkout itself.

review-only interop intake

Project-owned import path for Claude Code, Roo Code, Cursor, or Cline assets that normalizes snapshots without mutating framework-managed Bubbles files.

supported interop apply

Safe apply path that writes only declared project-owned outputs from an interop import and falls back to proposals when a collision would touch framework-owned surfaces.

🧩 Optional Execution Tags

Pressure-test assumptions or locked behavior grillMode

Scenario-first red→green proof tdd

Bounded clarification loop socratic + socraticQuestions

Backlog export from planning backlogExport

Isolated worktree or branch gitIsolation

Validated milestone commits autoCommit

Keep scopes small maxScopeMinutes + maxDodMinutes

Repair the smallest failure first microFixes

Multi-AI second opinion on review crossModelReview

Parallel independent scopes via worktrees parallelScopes + maxParallelScopes

🧠 Control Plane Quick Rules

Runtime claims state.json.execution.*

Validate-owned authority state.json.certification.*

Default mode provenance policySnapshot

Behavior contract registry scenario-manifest.json + SCN-*

Concrete completion contract ## RESULT-ENVELOPE

Who fixes versus who routes Owners execute. Diagnostics and certification packetize.

Who can spawn child workflows bubbles.workflow, bubbles.iterate, bubbles.bug

Framework self-check framework-validate

Source-repo release gate release-check

Typed framework event stream framework-events

Workflow run-state view run-state

Advisory repo-readiness check repo-readiness

Onboarding posture and readiness tone adoption profile

Upstream trust bundle for shipped framework state release-manifest.json

Installed-source trust record .install-source.json

Upgrade diff before managed files move trust preview

Import competitor assets without touching framework-owned files review-only interop intake

Promote only declared project-owned outputs supported interop apply

bubbles-test-integrity

Trinity's Field Manual

Tests are real. No fakes. No shortcuts. No greasy workarounds. Gherkin coverage, anti-mock scans, anti-false-positive scans, assertion audits, Test Plan↔DoD parity.

"Dad, that's not how that works. You have to actually run them."

bubbles-spec-template-bdd

The Spec Book

Enforces spec.md adherence to template. Gherkin-style BDD scenarios. Tech-agnostic requirements. No implementation details leaking in.

"Way she goes? No. Way the SPEC goes."

bubbles-docker-lifecycle-governance

The Lot Rules

Docker resource classification, build freshness, cleanup safety, test storage isolation, stack grouping. Knows what stays and what gets cleaned.

"Jim, there are RULES about what stays and what gets cleaned."

bubbles-docker-port-standards

The Port Authority

The 10k Rule for port allocation. Dual-URL Standard. No localhost. No standard-port host mappings. You can't just park wherever you want.

"You can't just park wherever you want. There's a system."

bubbles-skill-authoring

Sam's Specialties

How to create or update repo-local skills. Project-agnostic. Progressive disclosure. No hardcoded hosts, ports, or URLs.

"I used to be a vet, you know. I got specialties."

bubbles-repo-readiness

The Pre-Flight Walkaround

Verify-first repo hygiene for agent adoption. Checks whether the commands, docs, and framework-owned surfaces are clear enough for agents to work safely. Advisory only, never a replacement for certification.

"Before the liquor starts talking, make sure the trailer's still standing."

🗣️ Skill Vocabulary — Sunnyvale Dictionary

🧪"Greasy test"— passes when it shouldn't (no assertions, mocked internals, silent-pass)

🧪"Proxy assertion"— asserting status codes instead of actual behavior

🧪"Red before green"— changed behavior must show a failing test first

🧪"Trinity's checklist"— read Gherkin, read spec, identify all paths, then write tests

📋"Tech leak"— mentioning Rust, PostgreSQL, React in a spec

📋"Way the spec goes"— spec defines truth; tests validate it; implementation follows

📋"Observable behavior"— what users see, not how code is structured

🐳"Persistent volume"— sacred ground, like Ray's bottles — never cleaned by default

🐳"Ephemeral storage"— gone by morning, like Ricky's plans

🐳"Build freshness"— proving the image was built from current code, not last Tuesday

🐳"Label-aware cleanup"— prune by labels, not burning down the park

🔌"The 10k Rule"— each project gets a 10,000-port block. Stay in your lot.

🔌"Dual-URL"— lot number (internal) AND mailing address (external)

🔌"Port squatting"— mapping 5432:5432 on the host. Not allowed.

🔌"Localhost is a lie"— use 127.0.0.1, no DNS games

📦"Progressive disclosure"— SKILL.md is the field card, references/ are the textbooks

📦"Project-agnostic"— no repo names, no ports, no CLI commands. Skills travel.

🛠️"Walk the lot first"— check repo surfaces before declaring the framework ready to operate there

🛠️"Advisory, not certification"— repo-readiness informs framework ops, but it does not satisfy bubbles.validate

🛠️"Foundation first"— choose the adoption profile that matches repo maturity; it changes guidance, not the finish line

📦"Read the manifest"— the release manifest is the trust bundle for what actually shipped

📦"Where'd this trailer come from?"— install provenance explains whether the current framework copy came from a release or a local source checkout

📦"Trust preview"— upgrade dry-run compares current installed trust metadata with the target release before replacing managed files

🔁"Look, don't touch"— review-only interop intake snapshots outside tools into project-owned paths without mutating the framework layer

🔁"Safe apply only"— supported interop apply writes only declared project-owned outputs and falls back to proposals on collisions

🧭"Owner-only remediation"— diagnostics and certification route it; owners and executors do it

🧭"Result envelope"— every run ends with completed_owned, completed_diagnostic, route_required, or blocked

🧭"Narrow packet"— tiny fixes stay fast by dispatching the exact owner with the smallest safe context

🧭"Action risk class"— read_only, owned_mutation, destructive_mutation, external_side_effect, or runtime_teardown

🧭"3-strike rule"— after 3 failed fix attempts, STOP and escalate. No thrashing.

📊"Done with concerns"— all gates pass but agent flags observational risks worth monitoring

📊"Smart phase routing"— irrelevant phases skip with recorded justification, re-evaluate if artifacts change

📊"Taste vs mechanical"— auto-resolve the obvious decisions, surface only the genuine tradeoffs

📊"Cross-model review"— two different AIs look at the same diff, compare what each catches

📊"Adversarial regression skeleton"— every bug fix auto-generates a test that would FAIL if the bug came back

📊"test-plan.json"— machine-readable test handoff from planning to test phase. No Markdown parsing lottery.

🏷️"Lease the lot"— claim runtime ownership before starting or reusing a shared stack

🏷️"Same stack, same lease"— shared-compatible reuse only when the fingerprint matches exactly

🏷️"Stale trailer tag"— the session disappeared, the lease aged out, and Runtime doctor decides whether reclaim is safe

🏷️"Don't burn down the wrong trailer"— lease-aware cleanup only touches owned or stale stacks

🧠"Smokes and thinking"— brainstorm mode: explore the idea before building anything

🧠"Same greasy mistake"— lesson pattern detected ≥3 times → skill evolution proposes a SKILL.md

🧠"The park knows what you like"— developer profile auto-resolving taste decisions from observed patterns

🧠"Two birds stoned at once"— parallelScopes: dag — independent scopes run concurrently via worktrees

🧠"Count the empties"— activity tracking: only measurable metrics (invocations, durations, retries), never fabricated costs

🔍"Where the bodies are buried"— deep code hotspot analysis: bug magnets, co-change coupling, bus factor, churn trends

🔍"Bug magnet"— a file with >50% bug-fix commits vs feature commits. The bugs keep coming back.

🔍"Tangled up like Christmas lights"— co-change coupling: files that always change together, revealing hidden architectural dependencies

🔍"Somebody's gotta drive"— bus factor = 1: only one person has touched this file. Knowledge silo.

🔍"Cooling hotspot"— a file that was hot last retro but is stabilizing. Refactoring worked.

🔍"Heating hotspot"— a file with increasing churn period-over-period. Getting worse.

🔍"Liquor then tape"— retro-to-simplify: retro finds the hotspots, Donny simplifies them

🔍"Liquor then harden"— retro-to-harden: retro finds the weak spots, then harden them up

🔍"Liquor then sweep"— retro-quality-sweep: retro picks the hotspot mess, then the deterministic quality crew sweeps it clean

🔍"Liquor then look"— retro-to-review: retro identifies the riskiest files, Green Bastard reviews them

🎯"Outcome contract"— Intent, Success Signal, Hard Constraints, Failure Condition in spec.md — what 'done' actually means for the user

🎯"Success signal"— observable user/system proof that the outcome was achieved, not 'tests pass'

🎯"Hard constraint"— business invariant that survives model upgrades: 'never double-charge', 'PII encrypted'

🎯"Model compensation"— gate that exists because current models fabricate/shortcut; review when models improve

🎯"Just tell Bubbles"— start with /bubbles.workflow and describe what you want in plain English

🎯"Bubbles figures it out"— workflow delegates to super for NLP + iterate for work-picking. Zero knowledge required.

Sunnyvale Alias	Skill	Quote
sunnyvale no-greasy-tests	bubbles-test-integrity	"That test is GREASY, boys."
sunnyvale trinity-says	bubbles-test-integrity	"Dad, that's not how that works."
sunnyvale way-the-spec-goes	bubbles-spec-template-bdd	"Way she goes? No. Way the SPEC goes."
sunnyvale lot-rules	bubbles-docker-lifecycle-governance	"There are RULES about what stays."
sunnyvale no-port-squatting	bubbles-docker-port-standards	"You can't just squat on standard ports."
sunnyvale sams-specialties	bubbles-skill-authoring	"I used to be a vet, you know."
sunnyvale walk-the-lot	bubbles-repo-readiness	"Before we start, walk the lot and see what's actually standing."

✅"Decent!"— Gate passed

✅"Looks good, boys."— G002 scope ready

❌"Something's fucky."— Any gate failure

❌"That's GREASY, boys. Real greasy."— G020 fabrication detected

❌"Where's your evidence? Shit hawk circling."— G025 missing evidence

✅"Way she goes, boys. Way she goes."— All gates passed

❌"Holy f***, boys."— Build failed

✅"DEEEE-CENT!"— Spec completed

❌"The shit winds are coming, Randy."— Zero warnings gate failed

✅"Worst case Ontario... nothing broke."— Chaos clean

✅"Steve French is purrin'. No regressions, boys."— Regression clean

❌"Something's prowlin' around in the code, boys."— Regression found

❌"Steve French found another cougar's territory. Two specs, same route."— Spec conflict detected

❌"Safety... always ON."— G034 security vuln found

✅"Know what I'm sayin'? It's published."— Docs updated

❌"You can't just NOT do things, Corey!"— Deferral detected

❌"That's NOT gettin' two birds stoned — that's just sayin' you WILL."— G040 deferral blocks done

❌"That's GREASY, boys. You can't just cross things out and say they're done!"— DoD manipulation detected

❌"You can't just erase the checkboxes and call it a day, Ricky!"— G041 format bypass

❌"'Deferred — Planned Improvement'?! That's not even a real thing, Julian!"— G041 invented status

✅"Have a good one, boys."— Handoff complete

🧠"Let me think about it over a couple smokes."— Brainstorm mode started

🧠"Same greasy mistake, boys. Time for a skill."— Skill proposal generated from repeated lessons

🧠"The park knows what you like."— Auto-resolved taste decision from developer profile

🧠"Two birds stoned at once!"— Parallel scopes launched via worktrees

✅"Count the empties, Randy."— Activity tracking report generated

🔍"The liquor knows where the bodies are buried."— Deep hotspot analysis complete

🔍"It's all tangled up like Christmas lights, Randy."— Co-change coupling detected

🔍"Somebody's gotta know how to drive this thing."— Bus factor risk detected (single-author file)

🔴"That file's a bug magnet, Randy. Stay away from it."— Bug-fix ratio > 50% (bug magnet file)

❌"This is f***ed. BAAAAM!"— Gap found by Phil

✅"That's a nice f***ing kitty right there."— Bug located

⟳"Knock knock." "Who's there?" "A passing build."— Build succeeds

★"Freedom 35, boys!"— Project milestone reached

🚀 Starting A Job

Starting full orchestration "Alright boys, here's what we're gonna do."

Planning scopes "Julian's got a plan. A good plan this time."

Bootstrapping artifacts "Smokes, let's go."

Analysis phase "Way she goes, boys."

Release lockdown starts "No loose ends. All green or we keep going."

Brainstorm mode starts "Let me think about it over a couple smokes."

Parallel scopes launched "Getting two birds stoned at once, boys."

Shared runtime preflight "Lease the lot first, boys. Then nobody burns down the wrong trailer."

Legacy improvement preflight "Gary checks the paperwork before we start wrenching."

Explore the idea before writing code "Couple smokes first, boys. Then we decide if it's worth building."

Brownfield feature improvement starts "Check what the trailer actually looks like before you start renovating it."

Pick the right onboarding posture "Foundation, delivery, or assured — pick the way this repo talks before you pick a fight with the gates."

Preview trust before upgrade "Read the manifest and the install tag before you let the replacement trucks in."

Import competitor assets safely "Look at their trailer first. Review-only import before anybody starts moving walls."

Promote only safe project-owned interop outputs "Safe apply only, boys. If it hits the framework wall, kick it over to a proposal."

Rickyism	What He Meant	Bubbles Context
"Worst case Ontario"	Worst case scenario	Chaos testing fallback
"Get two birds stoned at once"	Kill two birds with one stone	Implement + test combo
"It's not rocket appliances"	It's not rocket science	When someone overcomplicates things
"Supply and command"	Supply and demand	Planning & resource allocation
"Water under the fridge"	Water under the bridge	Simplification complete, move on
"I toad a so"	I told you so	When Conky (harden) was right
"Same lot, new trailer"	Major redesign on top of the existing feature footprint	Reconcile stale artifacts, then rebuild the active plan
"Make like a tree and f*** off"	Make like a tree and leave	Cleaning up dead code
"Keep your friends close and get your enemies toaster"	Keep your friends close and your enemies closer	Dependency management
"What comes around is all around"	What goes around comes around	Circular dependency detected
"Denial and error"	Trial and error	Ignoring failing tests
"Passed with flying carpets"	Passed with flying colors	All gates passed
"Survival of the fitness, boys"	Survival of the fittest	Stochastic quality sweep results
"No loose ends"	Keep looping until the certification chain is actually green	Full-delivery release workflow
"Gary checks the paperwork first"	Run a one-shot spec freshness and redundancy review before legacy implementation work	`specReview: once-before-implement` execution tag
"Gorilla see, gorilla do"	Monkey see, monkey do	Copy-paste code detected
"It's a doggy-dog world"	It's a dog-eat-dog world	Competitive analysis complete
"I'll do it tomorrah"	I'll do it tomorrow	Deferring work (G040 violation)
"The liquor helps me see"	Retrospective analysis reveals hidden patterns	Running /bubbles.retro to analyze velocity, hotspots, and code health
"Where the bodies are buried"	Deep code hotspot analysis — bug magnets, coupling, bus factor	/bubbles.retro hotspots — the liquor sees which files keep breaking
"All tangled up like Christmas lights"	Co-change coupling — files that always change together	/bubbles.retro coupling — hidden architectural dependencies
"Somebody's gotta drive"	Bus factor — single-author files are knowledge silos	/bubbles.retro busfactor — who knows what
"Liquor then tape"	Data-driven simplification — retro finds hotspots, Donny simplifies	retro-to-simplify workflow mode
"Liquor then harden"	Data-driven hardening — retro finds weak spots, then harden	retro-to-harden workflow mode
"Liquor then sweep"	Retro-guided quality sweep — retro finds the hotspot mess, then the crew sweeps it clean	retro-quality-sweep workflow mode
"Liquor then look"	Data-driven review — retro targets riskiest files for review	retro-to-review workflow mode
"3 strikes you're out"	Three strikes and you're out	3-strike escalation — stop fixing, start escalating
"Are we concerned or just done?"	Done… but watch that thing	done_with_concerns — all gates pass but risks flagged
"Skip the boring parts"	Smart phase routing — skip irrelevant phases safely	phaseRelevance skips simplify/stabilize/devops/chaos when scope doesn't need them
"Let the machines decide the easy stuff"	Mechanical vs taste decisions	decisionPolicy auto-resolves obvious choices, surfaces real tradeoffs
"Let me think about it over a couple smokes"	Think about it before acting	Brainstorm mode — explore before building, like YC office hours
"Get two birds stoned at once"	Kill two birds with one stone	Parallel scope execution — run independent scopes concurrently via worktrees
"The park knows what you like"	Personalized from observed behavior	Developer profile auto-resolving taste decisions from 3+ observations
"Same greasy mistake three times"	Repeated pattern detected	Skill evolution loop — lessons→pattern→skill proposal after 3+ occurrences
"Count the empties, Randy"	Count what actually happened	Activity tracking — only measurable metrics (invocations, durations, retries), no fabricated costs
"Just tell Bubbles"	Start with /bubbles.workflow and describe what you want	Universal entry point — workflow resolves intent, picks work, drives phases
"Bubbles figures it out"	Workflow delegates to super + iterate automatically	Intent delegation — no need to know which agent or mode to use
"What's it supposed to DO?"	Define the outcome before the process	Outcome Contract — Intent, Success Signal, Hard Constraints must exist before work starts
"Tests passed but it don't WORK"	Process completion ≠ outcome achieved	G070 — a feature can pass every gate and still fail its own Success Signal
"That rule ain't going anywhere"	Business invariant that transcends model generations	Hard Constraints survive model upgrades; model compensations get reviewed
"Lease the lot"	Claim runtime ownership before starting or reusing a stack	`bubbles runtime acquire` — make shared Docker/Compose ownership explicit
"Same stack, same lease"	Reuse only when the runtime fingerprint matches	`shared-compatible` runtime reuse — same stack only when compatibility is proven
"Stale trailer tag"	Stale lease	`bubbles runtime doctor` / `bubbles runtime reclaim-stale` — the session vanished, now recover safely
"Don't burn down the wrong trailer"	Lease-aware cleanup	Teardown must touch only owned or stale stacks, never someone else's live runtime
"Check what the trailer actually looks like first"	Research current reality before designing the fix	Objective Research Pass in brownfield workflows
"Current truth, boys"	What the code actually does today	The Current Truth section produced in design.md before brownfield changes
"Short brief, then the real work"	Review the short checkpoints, then read the code	Design Brief and Execution Outline before implementation, code review after
"Quit doing all the plumbing first"	Avoid horizontal layer-by-layer plans	Horizontal plan detection rewrites DB → service → API → UI into vertical slices
"Build a slice that actually works"	Prove progress in stack-shaped checkpoints	Vertical slices with earlier checkpoints and validation
"Count the slop tax, Randy"	Measure rework instead of hand-waving about productivity	/bubbles.retro reports retries, reversions, reopened scopes, and forward progress
"Too many damn instructions"	Prompt surfaces got too bloated	Run `bubbles lint-budget` to audit instruction budgets

"68 gates, boys. That's more security than the trailer park has ever had. Something's fucky? We'll find it. That's greasy? We'll clean it. Red first, green after. Small scopes. Tiny fix loops. Can't defer things either — you can't just NOT do things, Corey! Worst case Ontario, we revert and try again. DEEEE-CENT."
— Bubbles, probably

BUBBLES

Start Here — Universal Entry Point

Orchestrators

Owners & Executors

Diagnostic & Certification Routing

Utilities

🧩 Optional Execution Tags

🧠 Control Plane Quick Rules

🚀 Starting A Job

During Implementation

🧪 Testing & Validation

🔥 When Things Go Wrong

🎉 Success