Show HN: Govctl – A CLI enforcing RFC-driven discipline on AI coding

2 points

5 months ago

AI coding assistants are fast but undisciplined. They jump from idea to implementation without specification. Docs drift from code. "Best practices" become optional suggestions.

I built govctl to fix this. It's an opinionated governance CLI that enforces phase discipline on software development:

  spec → impl → test → stable

Every feature requires an RFC before implementation. Phases can't be skipped. Gates are checked, not suggested.

The workflow: $ govctl new rfc "Caching Strategy" # spec first $ govctl finalize RFC-0015 normative # lock the spec $ govctl advance RFC-0015 impl # now you can code $ govctl check # validate everything

govctl governs itself. Every feature in the CLI was specified in an RFC/ADR before a line of code was written. This repo is the proof that the model works.

Not for everyone. If you thrive in "move fast and break things" workflows, this isn't for you. But if you're frustrated by AI-generated spaghetti and documentation that lies, govctl might help.

Built in Rust. MIT licensed.