8.2 — The Readiness checklist
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8.2 — The Readiness checklist
When you open the Track sub-tab inside the Development tab, the panel at the top is the Readiness checklist — a single-pane "you're ready / you're missing X" view that consolidates everything you need before pointing a coding agent at the project.
What it checks
| Check | Source | Counts as "done" when |
|---|---|---|
| Specification generated | Prepare-for-Dev pipeline status | All five pipelines (interactions, state machines, permissions, data contracts, foundation proposal) have completed. |
| Foundation overlays approved | projects.bootstrap_proposal.status | Status is approved (overlays generated their scaffolding ACs) or skipped (project doesn't need a foundation). |
| Sprints planned | sprints count for the project | At least one sprint exists. Note: this resets if you delete all sprints. |
| API key for your coding agent | GET /api/account/keys | You have at least one personal access token under your account. |
| MCP server configured in your IDE | informational only | Always shown as a link — we can't see your IDE's settings file. Once configured (Claude Desktop's 🔨 icon, Cursor's MCP servers list, etc.) you're good. |
The first four checks are what we call verifiable — they have hard truth in the database. The fifth is an informational reminder that the configuration step exists.
The three states
Incomplete (one or more verifiable checks missing)
The panel header reads "Almost ready — N steps left". Each missing item has a CTA link beside it pointing to the right tab or page (e.g. "Open Prepare tab", "Create an API key").
Ready but IDE not yet configured
The panel header reads "Ready to hand off". All four verifiable checks are green. The MCP-config row stays in its "todo" state with a "Copy MCP config" link, and a green banner appears at the bottom with a CTA to the MCP setup page.
Fully wired (after you configure your IDE)
The panel still says "Ready to hand off" — the MCP-config check isn't auto-verified, so we don't downgrade the header based on it. The real signal that everything works is: your agent successfully calls a VibeMap MCP tool and you see a card move on the kanban below.
Why we don't verify the IDE config
The MCP config file lives in your IDE's settings directory (e.g. ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json for Claude Desktop on macOS). VibeMap is a cloud app — it can't read your local filesystem. So we surface the step prominently, link to the install snippet on the MCP tab in your account, and let you self-verify by either:
- Looking for the IDE's visual confirmation (🔨 icon, MCP server list, etc.).
- Asking your agent "List my VibeMap projects" and seeing them returned.
- Watching the Activity feed below the kanban — once your agent makes its first call, you'll see "Agent vm_xxxxx claimed XYZ" appear.
When the panel disappears
If your project has no acceptance criteria yet (e.g. you just created it), the Track tab shows the empty state ("No work items yet") above the readiness panel — the panel stays visible so you can see what's still pending. Once you have at least one AC, the kanban renders below the panel.