Post-Fest First-Week Capstone - Friday Go/No-Go Before November Sprint - 2026

Friday 5:10 p.m., the first week after October Next Fest. Branch unset #1 latched branch_unset_ok. Analytics #2 filed the four-lane dashboard. Retention challenge #3 went GREEN. Crash recovery, uninstall curve, badge-strip, jq weekly, contractor burn-down, POSTFEST-PATCH list, Wednesday smoke, and Whisper quote cards each claim truth in their own folder. Marketing asks: “Can November sprint start Monday?” Someone answers “everything was green this week.” Nobody has opened all eleven receipts on one screen.

November 2026 is when post-October fest teams learn that receipt sprawl is the real trend—not “fest ended so we’re done.” Wishlist decay, refund proxies, and creator outreach all move this month (uninstall curve playbook). The October upload capstone already proved fest_live_allowed before live week. This Process & Workflow cousin owns the aftermath gate: a ten-minute Friday first-week capstone that crosswalks every November cluster child receipt, clears F1–F10, files post_october_first_week_capstone_receipt_v1.json, and sets november_sprint_allowed: true only when the whole story agrees.

Ideal title note: Public hook is Friday go/no-go before November sprint—not a gate-letter catalog. F1–F10 and JSON schemas live in the body for developers; creators get the printable card; companies get the diligence zip; search gets post fest build receipt capstone.

Non-repetition note: October upload capstone owns fest_live_allowed. November closeout cousin owns holiday freeze. Wednesday post-fest smoke #10 owns midweek post_fest_smoke_ok. This URL owns first-week aftermath crosswalk + november_sprint_allowed and closes November post-October cluster #1–#12.

Pair SteamCMD tools, depot label mismatch help, and upstream October fest_live_allowed.

Why this matters now (November 2026 post-October fest)

1. Green on different days can disagree — Wednesday smoke and Friday PATCH can both be honest and still describe different build_ids.
2. November sprint is a spending door — Contractor hours, store edits, and creator kits burn runway once leadership says go (burn-down #8).
3. Partners read one root receipt — Diligence opens BUILD_RECEIPT, not eleven folders.
4. Trend pressure is real — Uninstall curves and refund proxies reshape D+7 math this month; sprint without a crosswalk ships theater.
5. Ten minutes now beats a sprint of archaeology — Cheaper than discovering inventedish quotes or wrong-branch installs in week two.

Direct answer: On the Friday that closes the first post-fest week, run F1–F10, write post_october_first_week_capstone_receipt_v1.json with child_receipts[] across #1–#11, and latch november_sprint_allowed: true only when shared build_id / branch / smoke / patch / quote rows agree. If any child is stale or missing, November sprint is NO.

Who this ritual is for

Time: 10 minutes Friday; optional 5-minute mid-week dry run.
Prerequisites: child receipts #1–#11 filed (or documented N/A), current BUILD_RECEIPT, Steam client on default after unset.

Ritual map - November post-October cluster through the Friday latch

Capstone row catalog (what Friday diffs)

Gates F1–F10 (Friday November-sprint blockers)

F2–F5 are hard sprint blockers when RED.

Beginner path - printable Friday card

FRIDAY POST-FEST FIRST-WEEK CAPSTONE - BEFORE NOVEMBER SPRINT
[ ] F1 every child receipt path opens
[ ] F2 branch_unset_ok + default return
[ ] F3 post_fest_smoke_ok this ISO week (default install)
[ ] F4 retention weekly annex current
[ ] F5 build_id change => POSTFEST-PATCH-00N
[ ] F6 crash_recovery_ok if spike claimed fixed
[ ] F7 badge-strip / quote batch if shipped
[ ] F8 analytics + retention (+ uninstall curve) indexed
[ ] F9 contractor_burn_down_ok or waiver
[ ] F10 post_october_first_week_capstone_receipt_v1.json + signoff
DECISION: november_sprint_allowed = YES / NO

Creator share hook: “We don’t start November sprint on vibes—Friday we crosswalk every post-fest receipt in ten minutes.”

Minute-by-minute

Developer path - receipt template

{
  "schema": "post_october_first_week_capstone_receipt_v1",
  "post_fest_window": "2026-11-first-weeks",
  "reviewed_at_utc": "2026-11-07T17:10:00Z",
  "root_build_id": "2026-11-05-trunk02",
  "child_receipts": [
    {
      "cluster_row": 1,
      "path": "release-evidence/post-fest/branch-unset/post_fest_branch_unset_receipt_v1.json",
      "latch": "branch_unset_ok",
      "build_id": "2026-11-05-trunk02",
      "status": "pass"
    },
    {
      "cluster_row": 10,
      "path": "release-evidence/post-fest/smoke/2026-W45-wednesday.json",
      "latch": "post_fest_smoke_ok",
      "build_id": "2026-11-05-trunk02",
      "status": "pass"
    },
    {
      "cluster_row": 11,
      "path": "release-evidence/post-fest/whisper-clip-batch-2026/post_fest_whisper_clip_batch_receipt_v1.json",
      "latch": "post_fest_clip_batch_ok",
      "build_id": "2026-11-05-trunk02",
      "status": "pass"
    }
  ],
  "gates": {
    "F1": "GREEN",
    "F2": "GREEN",
    "F3": "GREEN",
    "F4": "GREEN",
    "F5": "GREEN",
    "F6": "GREEN",
    "F7": "GREEN",
    "F8": "GREEN",
    "F9": "GREEN",
    "F10": "GREEN"
  },
  "waivers": [],
  "human_signoff": {
    "role": "producer",
    "signed_at_utc": "2026-11-07T17:18:00Z"
  },
  "november_sprint_allowed": true
}

List only receipts you filed. Missing surfaces get N/A notes—not fake GREEN.

BUILD_RECEIPT rows

{
  "post_october_first_week_capstone_receipt_path": "release-evidence/post-fest/capstone/post_october_first_week_capstone_receipt_v1.json",
  "november_sprint_allowed": true,
  "root_build_id": "2026-11-05-trunk02",
  "fest_live_allowed": true
}

Upstream fest_live_allowed from October remains historical truth; it does not authorize November sprint alone.

verify_post_october_first_week_capstone.sh

#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail
RECEIPT="${1:-release-evidence/post-fest/capstone/post_october_first_week_capstone_receipt_v1.json}"
BR="${2:-BUILD_RECEIPT.json}"

jq -e '.schema == "post_october_first_week_capstone_receipt_v1"' "$RECEIPT" >/dev/null
ROOT=$(jq -r '.root_build_id' "$RECEIPT")

jq -c '.child_receipts[]' "$RECEIPT" | while read -r row; do
  path=$(echo "$row" | jq -r '.path')
  build=$(echo "$row" | jq -r '.build_id')
  test -f "$path" || { echo "missing $path"; exit 3; }
  test "$build" = "$ROOT" || { echo "build mismatch $path"; exit 4; }
done

for g in F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8 F9 F10; do
  test "$(jq -r --arg g "$g" '.gates[$g]' "$RECEIPT")" = "GREEN"
done

jq -e '.november_sprint_allowed == true' "$RECEIPT" >/dev/null
jq -e '.november_sprint_allowed == true' "$BR" >/dev/null
echo "post_october_first_week_capstone_ok"

Worked failure scenario (the trend this ritual catches)

Wednesday: smoke GREEN on trunk01. Thursday: analytics and retention GREEN. Friday 4:50 p.m.: engineer ships POSTFEST-PATCH-002 as trunk02 “before sprint.” Quote kit still references trunk01 praise about “menu crash.” Without the capstone, Monday sprint starts on mixed truth. With it, F3/F5 fail until smoke re-runs and quote cards re-scrub—or PATCH is held. That asymmetry—ten minutes Friday vs a week of wrong-branch support and invented-quote disputes—is why November 2026 teams need this gate.

Scenario matrix

Partner diligence zip

1. post_october_first_week_capstone_receipt_v1.json
2. Child paths (or a zip of them)
3. BUILD_RECEIPT excerpt with november_sprint_allowed
4. Link to SteamCMD tools
5. Optional: November closeout cousin when holiday freeze approaches later

Zip name: {studio}_post_fest_first_week_capstone_{iso_week}_2026.zip.

Comparison pack

Enterprise notes

• Change control: Capstone ID in ticket before sprint kickoff.
• Audit: Append-only; re-run creates a new ISO-week file.
• Cost/ROI: Blocks open-ended “fest support” hours without mapped receipts.
• Governance: Producer + release dual sign-off on F10.

Common mistakes

1. Trusting Wednesday post_fest_smoke_ok after a Friday PATCH.
2. Setting november_sprint_allowed manually to unblock marketing.
3. Indexing a surface with no child receipt.
4. Treating October fest_live_allowed as November sprint permission.
5. Shipping creator kits before F7 quote latch.

Optional mid-week dry run

Ten minutes Friday is easier after a five-minute Wednesday or Thursday rehearsal:

1. Do all child receipt paths already resolve?
2. Is the retention weekly jsonl current?
3. Did anyone change build_id after smoke without POSTFEST-PATCH?
4. Are quote cards still verbatim?

Do not set november_sprint_allowed mid-week. Keep dry-run notes in post-fest-first-week-capstone-dryrun-notes.md.

CI sketch

- name: Verify post-fest first-week capstone
  run: bash scripts/verify_post_october_first_week_capstone.sh \
    release-evidence/post-fest/capstone/post_october_first_week_capstone_receipt_v1.json
- name: Block November sprint kickoff without latch
  run: jq -e '.november_sprint_allowed == true' BUILD_RECEIPT.json

Place verify before any job that opens contractor burn-down hours, store metadata packages, or public “sprint starts” posts.

Facilitator stand-up script (75 seconds)

1. “ISO week and capstone path?”
2. “Root build_id matches smoke + PATCH + quotes?”
3. “branch_unset_ok still GREEN?”
4. “Any invented quote lines rejected this week?”
5. “november_sprint_allowed YES or NO?”
6. “If NO—which F-gate, owner, and ETA before Monday 10 a.m.?”

Proof table

What “trending” means in this capstone

The trend is not a new Steam feature announcement—it is the November aftermath pattern every micro-studio hits after Next Fest: wishlist cliffs, refund proxies, creator outreach pressure, and “one more fix” culture. The capstone is how you discuss that trend with evidence instead of vibes. Pair the uninstall curve what-changed playbook for external platform motion; use this Friday ritual for internal go/no-go.

Engine and store notes

RED / YELLOW / GREEN routing

FAQ

Same as October upload capstone?

No—that latches fest_live_allowed before fest. This latches november_sprint_allowed after fest’s first week.

Same as Wednesday post-fest smoke?

Smoke is midweek install proof. Capstone is the whole-cluster Friday go/no-go.

Same as November holiday closeout?

Later cousin—freeze before December. This one opens November sprint cleanly.

What if we skipped Whisper quotes?

Mark F7 N/A; still run F2–F5 and F10.

Can we waive F4 weekly jq?

YELLOW only with written waiver—prefer append the week line.

Official docs?

Confirm current Steamworks store/demo rules via Steamworks Store Presence; this ritual is your internal go/no-go, not a platform substitute.

What triggers a re-run before Monday?

Any change to build_id, branch pointers, smoke ISO week, POSTFEST-PATCH list, or quote cards after F10 sign-off—re-run F1–F10 and re-sign.

Key takeaways

1. Post-fest week needs a Friday first-week capstone before November sprint.
2. Gates F1–F10 on post_october_first_week_capstone_receipt_v1.json.
3. Latch november_sprint_allowed only when child receipts share one build_id story.
4. Distinct from October fest_live_allowed and November holiday freeze cousins.
5. F2–F5 RED block sprint start.
6. Pair #10 smoke and #9 PATCH.
7. Pair #11 Whisper quotes—no invented pull quotes into sprint.
8. Trend context: uninstall curve what-changed.
9. Attach capstone JSON to partner zips.
10. Closes November post-October cluster #1–#12 — next Blog-Planner refill should rotate niche with ≥2 trend/news pitches and ideal four-audience titles.

When the latch is GREEN, Monday’s kickoff can say “sprint allowed” with the same confidence October teams said “fest live allowed”—different door, same honesty standard. Keep the printable card next to the stand-up script so founders and producers make the same call from the same evidence. If the card says NO, the sprint does not start—marketing drafts wait offline until F-gates clear.

Related reads

• Your First SteamFest Branch Unset Receipt
• Wednesday Post-Fest Smoke After Branch Unset
• Whisper Post-Fest Creator Clip Quotes
• Friday October Upload Capstone Before Fest Live
• Friday November Closeout Capstone Before Holiday Freeze
• November 2026 Post-Fest Uninstall Curve - What Changed
• Stop Shipping Post-Fest Hotfixes Without Numbered Exceptions
• Post-October Fest Contractor Burn-Down Worksheet
• SteamCMD Validation Tools
• Steam Depot Build Label Mismatch Help
• Steamworks Store Presence

Closing

The first Friday after Next Fest is when every post-fest receipt should stand in one line and tell the same story. Run the ten-minute capstone, walk the children, and let november_sprint_allowed be a decision you made on purpose—not a leftover boolean from Wednesday. When Monday’s sprint kickoff reads one green latch backed by eleven consistent receipts, November stops being a leap of faith and becomes a row review you already passed.