Distribution experiment: five-reader comprehension (D1 / issue #61)¶
Status: protocol frozen; execution pending (external readers — cannot be run from inside the repository).
Why this exists¶
Engineering maturity (28 ADRs, ~92% coverage, multi-platform CI, package 1.0.1) has outrun distribution. This test is the one finding the 2026-07-23 validation could not settle in-repo, and the one most likely to be rationalised away.
Protocol (fixed in advance)¶
- Pick five people or venues where a declarative LLM-state-machine DSL with a self-authoring console would plausibly land (e.g. agent-tooling Discord, local LLM meetup, a colleague who ships agent products, HN "Show HN" draft reviewer, a friend who uses Claude/Cursor daily).
- Show them only:
- the repository README
- the two demo recordings (
agent,language— seedocs/demos.md) - Do not explain. Record, verbatim, the first question each person asks.
- Optionally note whether they install / try anything within 24h.
Metric & branches¶
| Outcome | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| ≥3 of 5 do not understand what mklang is for after README + demos | Positioning problem; no coverage ratcheting touches it. |
| ≥3 understand, but nobody tries it | The thing it does best (agents authoring verified deterministic workflows, ADR 0015) is buried in ADRs, absent from the pitch. |
| ≥3 understand and ≥1 installs | Distribution is working; the repo is simply young (falsifier of the "structural distribution failure" claim). |
Results register¶
| # | Venue / person (role, not name) | First question (verbatim) | Understood "for"? | Tried install? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | pending | |||
| 2 | pending | |||
| 3 | pending | |||
| 4 | pending | |||
| 5 | pending |
Headline (fill after run): n/5 understood · n/5 tried · branch: —
Related¶
- Validation report 2026-07-23 finding D1
- Issue #61
- ADR 0028 (1.0 provisional posture — depends on this + #59)