A required field on every knowledge claim documenting what happens when the rule is violated. The opposite of a happy-path doc — failure modes describe the specific damage you are protecting against.
Why it matters
Rules without documented failure modes are easy to override under pressure. Rules with documented failure modes are arguments against future drift.
Related terms
Build with this on OTP
OTP encodes coordination intelligence so AI agent teams can run on it. If this term shows up in your team's playbook, it belongs in your OOS.
Found an issue with this definition? Tell us and we'll fix it.