Board Discipline
Reduce drift before it spreads
Keel treats planning gaps, stale state, and missing evidence as first-class system problems instead of project folklore.
Read the board modelAgentic Board Engine
Operate delivery one turn at a time.
Keel is a turn-based board engine for human/AI delivery teams. It turns planning, execution, and verification into one shared board with explicit moves, role-aware lanes, and evidence-backed closure.
- Translate from plain language into Keel terms gradually.
- Keep examples neutral across editors, terminals, and AI tools.
- Use one board for planning, delivery, routines, and verification.
Why Teams Reach For Keel
Keel behaves like an operating model, not a notes app.
The board is opinionated on purpose. It creates a visible system for planning, work intake, delivery, and verification so humans and AI collaborators stop improvising different versions of reality.
Shared Operations
Give humans and agents one operating surface
The board, the CLI, and the planning artifacts form one public contract that works across terminals, editors, and AI harnesses.
See the operating contractProof Over Vibes
Close work with evidence
Stories do not end when someone says they are done. They end when the board can show why they should be trusted.
Learn verification flowThe Turn Loop
A ticket can be vague. A turn has a visible state change.
Keel keeps the loop legible: orient the board, pick the next move, execute the slice, and close it with evidence before the next turn starts.
01
Orient
keel health --sceneRead the board before acting. Check for drift, blocked work, and missing integrity.
02
Inspect
keel mission next --statusUnderstand what the system thinks matters now at the strategic and tactical level.
03
Pull
keel next --role operatorTake one role-scoped move from the delivery lane instead of browsing an unbounded backlog.
04
Ship
keel story submit STORY-IDMove the slice into review only when the implementation and its evidence are ready together.
05
Close
keel story accept --role manager STORY-IDAccept the slice with an explicit role, then let the next turn begin from a clean board state.
Native Vocabulary
Start in plain language, then learn the board terms.
You do not need to memorize Keel jargon on day one. The docs introduce each term only after the underlying job is already clear.
Everyday language
Objective
Keel term
Mission
The long-running outcome you are trying to achieve across multiple efforts.
Everyday language
Strategic track
Keel term
Epic
A major problem or opportunity inside the mission that deserves its own planning surface.
Everyday language
Tactical campaign
Keel term
Voyage
A planned delivery arc with SRS and SDD constraints before execution begins.
Everyday language
Executable slice
Keel term
Story
The smallest tracked unit that can be started, submitted, accepted, and evidenced.
Everyday language
Research vector
Keel term
Bearing
A discovery move used to reduce fog before you freeze requirements or architecture.
Everyday language
Scheduled contract
Keel term
Routine
Recurring work that pulse can materialize into the board without inventing new scope.
Lanes And Roles
Strategy and delivery stay connected without collapsing.
Keel separates direction-setting from implementation execution so teams can move quickly without losing authority, review, or context.
Management Lane
Choose direction
Use missions, epics, voyages, and bearings to decide what the team should do next and what constraints matter.
Read the management laneDelivery Lane
Ship one slice at a time
Pull work with explicit roles, move it through clear states, and keep every turn small enough to verify.
Read delivery routingPersona Tracks
Learn the basics once, then follow the path that matches your job.
After the shared onboarding, Keel branches into role-focused guidance for builders, operators, and leaders who need to read the same board from different angles.
Project Managers
Drive planning without losing delivery reality
Learn how to create clean arcs, manage lanes, and pull the right signals before asking the team for another move.
Open the PM trackProgrammers
Turn code changes into board-safe slices
Use stories, evidence, verification, and routines without needing a separate system for engineering coordination.
Open the programmer trackDesigners
Shape the board from discovery to acceptance
Work through bearings, review loops, and story evidence so design work stays visible and enforceable.
Open the designer trackLeaders And Specialists
Read the system without living in it all day
Marketers, lawyers, general managers, and executives can use the same board to review scope, risk, and readiness.
Open the leadership trackStart Here