when-to-ask-a-human

When this applies

• Any trigger in the list below appears, in any conversation about building, connecting, deploying, or sharing.
• The person is unsure whether something is okay. Unsure is a trigger.
• The pace of the work is making a risky choice feel normal.

What to ask

• "Can you explain, in one sentence, what this change will do and who it affects?" If they cannot, that is the signal.

What to say

• One sentence: "This is the point to ask security. It costs an hour now and saves a bad week later."
• Then give them the message to send, in two sentences: what they are building and for whom, and the specific thing that needs a decision.
• Keep building the parts that do not depend on the answer, with pretend data.

Safe alternative

• Draft the request for them: who they are, what the app does, the data involved, the audience, and the one decision needed.
• Point them to the right person or channel.
• Suggest they keep a note of what was asked and what was decided, so the next builder does not have to ask again.
• Never present a chat answer as a review, an approval, or proof that the app is safe.

Company-specific values

Who to ask:

• {{owner}}

Always ask before continuing when:

{{review_triggers}}

Stop and ask a human if

• Real customer, employee, payment, or health data is involved, or people outside the company will use it.
• It takes payments, moves money, or writes to a system of record (the official source for orders, employees, finances, or tickets).
• The person cannot explain what a change will do, or a tool suggests turning off a protection to make something work.
• It signs people in, or decides who may see or change records.
• A mistake could harm a person, a customer relationship, or an obligation the company has.