Sub-Phase 1.5: Validation & Phase Gate

Verify the SDK meets Phase 0's philosophical requirements.

Objective

Answer YES to all:

1. Output feels neutral
2. Absence is explicit
3. Time matters more than score
4. Resistant to gamification

If any answer is NO, Phase 1 fails.

Criterion 1: Output Feels Neutral

Question: Does the SDK output avoid labeling, judging, or implying quality?

Check	Finding
No rank field	✅ Not present
No percentile field	✅ Not present
No tier field	✅ Not present
Scores are raw values	✅ score: number, builderScore: number
No labels ("trusted", "risky")	✅ No string labels exist
Facets are parallel	✅ ethos?, talent? are siblings

Verdict: PASS

Criterion 2: Absence Is Explicit

Question: When data is missing, is it clearly communicated?

Check	Finding
availability.ethos always declares state	✅ Required field, 4 valid states
availability.talent always declares state	✅ Required field, 4 valid states
Missing facets are omitted (not null)	✅ Property absent if not available
Unknown meta fields use null	✅ firstSeenAt: null, lastUpdatedAt: null

Verdict: PASS

Criterion 3: Time Matters More Than Score

Question: Does the schema favor continuity over snapshot values?

| Check | Finding | | ----------------------------- | -------------- | ----- | | meta.firstSeenAt exists | ✅ string | null | | meta.lastUpdatedAt exists | ✅ Both facets | | meta.activeSinceDays exists | ✅ Ethos facet | | No percentiles | ✅ Not present | | No rankings | ✅ Not present |

The schema supports: "Who is this person over time?"

Verdict: PASS

Criterion 4: Resistant to Gamification

Question: Can this SDK be trivially gamed for artificial reputation?

Check	Finding
influenceFactor forbidden	✅ Listed in FORBIDDEN
XP fields forbidden	✅ Listed in FORBIDDEN
percentile forbidden	✅ Listed in FORBIDDEN
ranking forbidden	✅ Listed in FORBIDDEN
Signals are evidence-based	✅ verifiedBuilder = points > 0

Why this schema resists gaming:

1. No volume-based rewards — Scores are opaque protocol calculations
2. Evidence-based signals — Boolean facts, not gradients
3. No rankings — rank_position intentionally not mapped
4. Relationship signals — Hard to fake at scale

Verdict: PASS

Final Evaluation

Criterion	Verdict
Output feels neutral	PASS
Absence is explicit	PASS
Time matters more than score	PASS
Resistant to gamification	PASS

Phase 1 Completion

Phase 1 — Feasibility: COMPLETE

The SDK can produce the Phase 0 unified response reliably, truthfully, and repeatedly.

The implementation:

• Obeys the Phase 0 locked schema
• Handles partial responses correctly
• Declares absence explicitly
• Contains no ranking, judging, or inference
• Is resistant to gamification by design

Exit Checklist

• Criterion 1: Output feels neutral — evaluated with evidence
• Criterion 2: Absence is explicit — evaluated with evidence
• Criterion 3: Time matters more than score — evaluated with evidence
• Criterion 4: Resistant to gamification — evaluated with evidence
• Phase 1 completion formally declared