factory(meta): Otto-363 — substrate or it didn't happen — no invisible directives (Aaron + Amara 2026-04-29)

AGENTS.md

@@ -258,6 +258,37 @@ These apply to any AI harness.
   `docs/DRIFT-TAXONOMY.md` (operational one-page
   field guide) — the absorb stayed in-place as
   provenance; the promotion is the ratification.
+- **Substrate or it didn't happen — no invisible
+  directives (Otto-363).** Before declaring work
+  *"done,"* identify its durability surface. Chat,
+  TaskUpdate, `/tmp`, `/var/tmp`, and loop todos are
+  NOT durable project substrate. If a directive /
+  decision / packet matters after compaction, it
+  must be converted into substrate (committed to
+  canonical git history + reachable from a long-lived
+  ref + indexed by a canonical bootstrap or index
+  file — all three legs). 5-tier channel taxonomy:
+  ephemeral (chat, TaskUpdate, temp dirs — weather)
+  / local-parked (named stash, local WIP) /
+  remote-parked (pushed WIP branch like
+  `wip/<topic>-<date>`, draft PR — *"if it matters
+  enough to come back to, it deserves a git ref"*) /
+  host-durable-not-git-canonical (GitHub Issues, PR
+  comments) / git-native-preserved (merged + indexed
+  repo files). Vocabulary discipline: *captured*
+  (TaskUpdate / chat) ≠ *parked* (GitHub Issue /
+  remote WIP branch) ≠ *preserved* (git-native
+  repo) ≠ *canonical* (accepted spec) ≠
+  *operational* (enforced by tooling). When
+  uncertain about preservation route, default to
+  `docs/research/` first; promotion to
+  memory/canonical is cheaper than demotion. Cross-
+  harness rule: applies to all harnesses, not just
+  Claude Code. Carved blade: *"A directive that
+  lives only in a conversation is not a directive.
+  It is weather. Substrate or it didn't happen."*
+  Full reasoning:
+  `memory/feedback_otto_363_substrate_or_it_didnt_happen_no_invisible_directives_aaron_amara_2026_04_29.md`.
 
 ## Build and test gate
 

CLAUDE.md

@@ -295,6 +295,38 @@ Claude-Code-specific mechanisms.
   verify-before-deferring, future-self-not-bound,
   and never-be-idle. Full reasoning:
   `memory/feedback_version_currency_always_search_first_training_data_is_stale_otto_247_2026_04_24.md`.
+- **Substrate or it didn't happen — no invisible
+  directives (Otto-363).** Before declaring work
+  *"done,"* identify its durability surface. Chat,
+  TaskUpdate, `/tmp`, and loop todos are NOT durable
+  project substrate. If a directive / decision /
+  packet matters after compaction, it must be
+  converted into substrate (repo file / PR / issue /
+  git-native memory / docs/research / docs/ops /
+  claim file / validator / bootstrap rule).
+  Vocabulary discipline: *captured* (TaskUpdate
+  only) ≠ *parked* (GitHub Issue / pushed WIP branch,
+  durable but not git-canonical) ≠ *preserved*
+  (repo-native, committed + reachable + indexed) ≠
+  *canonical* (accepted spec) ≠ *operational*
+  (enforced by tooling). Never call TaskUpdate-only
+  work *"done."* Verbatim-preservation trigger: when
+  the human maintainer / external reviewers send an
+  architecture-changing / doctrine-superseding /
+  multi-AI review packet, preserve verbatim in
+  `docs/research/` BEFORE summarizing.
+  Magnitude classifier: small correction → task;
+  implementation readiness → task + notes; doctrine
+  correction → memory file; superseding architecture
+  → research preservation + memory absorb +
+  supersession note. Carved blade: *"A directive
+  that lives only in a conversation is not a
+  directive. It is weather. Substrate or it didn't
+  happen."* CLAUDE.md-level so it is 100% loaded at
+  every wake, alongside verify-before-deferring,
+  future-self-not-bound, never-be-idle, and
+  version-currency. Full reasoning:
+  `memory/feedback_otto_363_substrate_or_it_didnt_happen_no_invisible_directives_aaron_amara_2026_04_29.md`.
 - **Tick must never stop.** When running under
   `/loop` autonomous mode (cron fires every minute
   per `docs/AUTONOMOUS-LOOP.md`), the tick is the