Own the contract, production-source changes, and final integration. Launch invariant mining early while you inspect the code. Reconcile explicit specifications, tests, public surfaces, persisted data, and observable behavior into one normalized contract, then freeze and hash it before authorizing tests or implementation. Accept and explicitly integrate the test-only patch before changing source. Implement against the frozen contract, then request independent compatibility verification. If the contract changes, record a new hash and invalidate downstream evidence.
