Param-Harrison · Nov 1, 2026 · Nov 1, 2026 · Nov 1, 2026
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ Go top to bottom. The full map with every link is [docs/README.md](docs/README.m
 
 1. Levels, hand-built to capstone: [hand-built](docs/levels/hand-built.md), [boundary](docs/levels/boundary.md), [context](docs/levels/context.md), [skills](docs/levels/skills.md), [execution](docs/levels/execution.md), [verification](docs/levels/verification.md), [delivery](docs/levels/delivery.md), [sharing](docs/levels/sharing.md), [workflows](docs/levels/workflows.md), [capstone](docs/levels/capstone.md). Each ends with `make prove LEVEL=<name>`.
 2. Software Factory modules, F0 overview to F13 spend and safety: start at [f0-overview](docs/factory/f0-overview.md), then follow F1 to F13 in [docs/README.md](docs/README.md#2-software-factory-modules-f0-to-f13). Try it with `make factory ISSUE=1 FLAGS=--dry-run`.
-3. Labs, noob to advanced, lanes `start`, `daily`, `team`, `factory`, `advanced`. Pick your workshop once with `make lab PATH_ID=pro` (Claude Code, beginner to pro) or `make lab PATH_ID=factory` (Software Factory). Then `make next` shows the next lab, `make lab` runs its proof, `make lab HINT=1` reveals a hint, `make progress` shows the lane map. Each lane has a step-by-step walkthrough: [start](docs/labs/walkthrough-start.md), [daily](docs/labs/walkthrough-daily.md), [team](docs/labs/walkthrough-team.md), [advanced](docs/labs/walkthrough-advanced.md). See [docs/labs/README.md](docs/labs/README.md).
+3. Labs, noob to advanced, lanes `start`, `daily`, `team`, `factory`, `advanced`. Pick your workshop once with `make lab PATH_ID=pro` (Claude Code, beginner to pro) or `make lab PATH_ID=factory` (Software Factory). Then `make next` shows the next lab, `make lab` runs its proof, `make lab HINT=1` reveals a hint, `make progress` shows the lane map. Each lane has a step-by-step walkthrough: [start](docs/labs/walkthrough-start.md), [daily](docs/labs/walkthrough-daily.md), [team](docs/labs/walkthrough-team.md), [advanced](docs/labs/walkthrough-advanced.md), [factory](docs/labs/walkthrough-factory.md). See [docs/labs/README.md](docs/labs/README.md).
 4. Cloud sessions: [F11](docs/factory/f11-cloud-sessions.md) runs the factory away from your laptop, then [F12 model routing](docs/factory/f12-model-routing.md) and [F13 spend and safety](docs/factory/f13-spend-and-safety.md).
 5. Agent track and electives: [docs/README.md](docs/README.md#5-agent-track).
 6. After the workshop: [take-home](docs/take-home.md).

diff --git a/docs/README.md b/docs/README.md
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ The same path as a ticket-to-merge pipeline. Questions: [factory FAQ](factory/fa
 
 ## 3. Labs, noob to advanced
 
-The labs are hands-on, one goal and one proof each. Full table and rules: [labs](labs/README.md). Step-by-step walkthroughs: [start](labs/walkthrough-start.md), [daily](labs/walkthrough-daily.md), [team](labs/walkthrough-team.md), [advanced](labs/walkthrough-advanced.md). Progress sits in `.labs/`, which git ignores.
+The labs are hands-on, one goal and one proof each. Full table and rules: [labs](labs/README.md). Step-by-step walkthroughs: [start](labs/walkthrough-start.md), [daily](labs/walkthrough-daily.md), [team](labs/walkthrough-team.md), [advanced](labs/walkthrough-advanced.md), [factory](labs/walkthrough-factory.md). Progress sits in `.labs/`, which git ignores.
 
 ```
 make lab PATH_ID=pro   choose your workshop once (pro or factory)

diff --git a/docs/labs/README.md b/docs/labs/README.md
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ Two workshops share this folder. Pick yours once with `make lab PATH_ID=pro` or
 - **Claude Code, beginner to pro** (`PATH_ID=pro`): the `start`, `daily`, `team` and `advanced` lanes.
 - **Software Factory** (`PATH_ID=factory`): the `start`, `daily` and `factory` lanes.
 
-Each lane has a walkthrough that follows every step with the command, what you should see and why: [start](walkthrough-start.md), [daily](walkthrough-daily.md), [team](walkthrough-team.md), [advanced](walkthrough-advanced.md).
+Each lane has a walkthrough that follows every step with the command, what you should see and why: [start](walkthrough-start.md), [daily](walkthrough-daily.md), [team](walkthrough-team.md), [advanced](walkthrough-advanced.md), [factory](walkthrough-factory.md).
 
 ## Help fades as you go
 

diff --git a/docs/labs/walkthrough-factory.md b/docs/labs/walkthrough-factory.md
@@ -0,0 +1,163 @@
+# Walkthrough: the factory lane, done live
+
+You follow this by typing the same commands. Everything in a code block under "What I got" was captured by running that command in this repo. Your wording will differ a little. The lab files are the source of truth: [write an intent](../../labs/factory/01-write-intent.md), [acceptance first](../../labs/factory/02-acceptance-first.md), [dry run](../../labs/factory/03-dry-run-the-factory.md), [workflow contract](../../labs/factory/04-run-the-contract.md). The command list for `make lab` is in the [labs README](README.md).
+
+## The end result
+
+When you finish you have four files under `.labs/work/`, and each is one stage of a factory run made by hand:
+
+- an `intent.md` with a checkable "Done when": the contract every later stage tests against
+- an `acceptance.md` with scenarios written before any code exists
+- a `dry-run.txt` that shows every stage, its model and its budget before a cent is spent
+- a `contract.log` showing that every workflow in `.factory/workflows/` still agrees with the engine
+
+Your work stays under `.labs/work/`, which git ignores, so no tracked file changes.
+
+## Before you start
+
+Window: shell, in the repo root.
+
+```sh
+make lab PATH_ID=factory
+```
+
+This picks the Software Factory workshop. Its path runs the `start` and `daily` labs first, so `make lab` opens on [start-01](walkthrough-start.md). Do those two lanes with their walkthroughs: [start](walkthrough-start.md) and [daily](walkthrough-daily.md). When you reach the factory lane, jump straight to it with `make lab ID=factory-01`. Each lab is red on purpose, so run it first and read the failure before you change anything.
+
+You need no API key for this lane. The dry run and the contract test cost nothing. When you later run a real stage, pick how it signs in with [auth modes](../factory/auth-modes.md).
+
+## Turn a ticket into an intent
+
+Pairs with [F1 Plan](../factory/f1-plan.md).
+
+**The problem.** Without a written intent, a stage has nothing to test the work against, so "done" means whatever the model says it means.
+
+**Type**
+
+Window: shell for the red run and the folder, editor for the file.
+
+```sh
+make lab ID=factory-01
+mkdir -p .labs/work/specs/1
+```
+
+Then write `.labs/work/specs/1/intent.md` with three headings, `## Problem`, `## Done when` and `## Out of scope`. Under Done when, give two bullets that each name a command in backticks, such as ``- `make check` exits 0``.
+
+```sh
+make lab ID=factory-01
+```
+
+**What I got**
+
+The first run is red on purpose. The proof lines, trimmed:
+
+```text
+FAIL intent.md has a Problem heading.
+grep: .labs/work/specs/1/intent.md: No such file or directory
+FAIL intent.md has a Done when heading.
+FAIL intent.md has an Out of scope heading.
+FAIL intent.md has at least two bullet lines.
+FAIL intent.md has all three headings, and its Done when bullets name commands that exist.
+
+RED, as expected factory-01 this is the first run, so the proof fails on purpose.
+The FAIL lines above are the state your steps will change. Do the steps, then run make lab again.
+make: *** [lab] Error 1
+```
+
+One line, `sh: line 0: test: : integer expression expected`, also appears while the file is missing. It is harmless noise and goes away once the file exists. I did not run the green pass here, because it needs your own intent text.
+
+## Write acceptance before code
+
+Pairs with [F2 Design](../factory/f2-design.md).
+
+**The problem.** Without scenarios written first, tests get written to match the code, so they pass whatever the code does.
+
+**Type**
+
+Window: shell for the commands, editor for the file.
+
+```sh
+make lab ID=factory-02
+cat .labs/work/specs/1/intent.md
+```
+
+Then write `.labs/work/specs/1/acceptance.md` with two scenarios. Each is three lines that start at the left edge: `Given`, `When`, `Then`. Make each Then something a program can assert, such as a status code or a file. A Then that says "looks good" or "works" fails the proof on purpose.
+
+```sh
+make lab ID=factory-02
+```
+
+**What I got**
+
+The red run fails the same way as the first lab, on `acceptance.md` instead of `intent.md`. I did not run the green pass here, because it needs your own scenarios.
+
+## See what a run would do
+
+Pairs with [F3 Build](../factory/f3-build.md).
+
+**The problem.** Without a dry run, the first time you see what a run costs is when it has already spent it.
+
+**Type**
+
+Window: shell, for every step.
+
+```sh
+make lab ID=factory-03
+mkdir -p .labs/work
+make factory ISSUE=1 FLAGS=--dry-run | tee .labs/work/dry-run.txt
+cat .factory/config.json
+make lab ID=factory-03
+```
+
+**What I got**
+
+The dry run reads the config and calls no model:
+
+```text
+Issue #1: stages that would run, from .factory/config.json
+  triage  claude-haiku-5-5 turns<=4 budget<=$0.1 plan
+  plan    claude-sonnet-5-5 turns<=12 budget<=$0.5 plan
+  build   claude-sonnet-5-5 turns<=40 budget<=$3 acceptEdits
+  review  claude-sonnet-5-5 turns<=15 budget<=$0.5 plan
+  verify  claude-haiku-5-5 turns<=20 budget<=$0.3 plan
+  adr     claude-haiku-5-5 turns<=6 budget<=$0.2 plan
+  delivery claude-opus-5-5 turns<=6 budget<=$0.5 plan
+  retro   claude-haiku-5-5 turns<=6 budget<=$0.2 plan
+  review loop: at most 3 rounds, then label needs-human
+```
+
+The largest budget is `build` at $3. The cheap, mechanical stages use Haiku, and only `delivery` uses Opus. See [F12 model routing](../factory/f12-model-routing.md) for why.
+
+## Check the workflow contract
+
+Pairs with [F8 Workflows](../factory/f8-workflows.md).
+
+**The problem.** Without a test that walks every workflow, an edit to one YAML file breaks a run weeks later, on a ticket nobody was watching.
+
+**Type**
+
+Window: shell, for every step.
+
+```sh
+make lab ID=factory-04
+mkdir -p .labs/work
+npx vitest run factory/engine/workflows.test.ts > .labs/work/contract.log 2>&1
+tail -8 .labs/work/contract.log
+make lab ID=factory-04
+```
+
+**What I got**
+
+The end of `contract.log`:
+
+```text
+ ✓ factory/engine/workflows.test.ts (128 tests) 45ms
+
+ Test Files  1 passed (1)
+      Tests  128 passed (128)
+```
+
+The test loads every file in `.factory/workflows/`, so one bad workflow fails it by name. Change a stage in one file, rerun, and read which workflow broke.
+
+## What this lane does not cover yet
+
+The factory lane stops at the contract. Test, review, deploy and maintain have docs ([F4](../factory/f4-test.md), [F5](../factory/f5-review.md), [F6](../factory/f6-deploy.md), [F7](../factory/f7-maintain.md)) but no lab of their own yet. For a hands-on run past this lane, use the [cloud sessions](../factory/f11-cloud-sessions.md) lab `advanced-05`, then pick an [assignment](../factory/f10-assignments.md).