Principlev1
Place verification checkpoints at workflow convergence
Place verification checkpoints at workflow convergence points where parallel workstreams merge, after high-risk steps where errors have high probability or severe consequences, and at phase boundaries where assumptions become commitments.
Why This Is a Principle
This is a derived principle that follows from Hierarchical Chunking Expands Capacity (hierarchical organization reduces complexity), Complex systems that work evolved from simple systems that (complex systems evolve from simple systems that worked), and Catastrophic failures in complex systems rarely result from (catastrophic failures arise from alignment of multiple failures). It prescribes WHERE to place checkpoints based on architectural properties of workflows. The principle is general, actionable, and applies across many workflow contexts.