# Gate Decision Matrix

> **From The Agentic TPM, Chapter 4.** Not every program needs every gate. Use this matrix to decide which of the five strategic gates apply to your program.

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## The rule

Programs inherit the tier of their **highest** characteristic. A program that scores Low on five rows but High on one — say, "introduces a new architectural primitive" — is High Complexity. The matrix is not an average. It is a **maximum**.

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## Program metadata

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Program name | |
| Assessed by | |
| Date | |

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## Diagnostic matrix

For each characteristic, mark your program's position.

| Program characteristic | Low (CC + EC) | Medium (CC + DC + EC) | High (all five) | Your score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Architectural primitive** | Reuses existing | Extends existing | Introduces new | |
| **Teams involved** | 1 team | 2–3 teams | 4+ teams | |
| **Customer blast radius** | < 100 customers | 100–1,000 customers | > 1,000 customers | |
| **Agentic component** | None or trivial | Single agent, bounded | Multi-agent or autonomous | |
| **Failure reversibility** | Easily reversible | Reversible with effort | Hard or impossible to reverse | |
| **Compliance exposure** | None | Internal policy only | External regulation | |
| **Grooming runway** | ~6 weeks | ~12 weeks | ~22 weeks | |

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## Result

**Highest tier scored:** LOW / MEDIUM / HIGH

**Gates that apply:**

- [ ] Concept Commit (CC) — *idea is worth pursuing and requirements are clear*
- [ ] Runway Investigation (RI) — *the path is technically feasible*  *(Medium+ only)*
- [ ] Architecture Commit (AC) — *the design holds together*  *(High only)*
- [ ] Design Commit (DC) — *work is ready to break down*  *(Medium+ only)*
- [ ] Execution Commit (EC) — *team is ready to ship*

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## Notes and rationale

Which characteristic drove the tier decision, and why:

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## Sign-off

- **Program owner:**
- **Reviewed by:**
- **Date:**