ISATVON: Make the work clear before it starts
ISATVON is our framework for describing a prompt, reusable skill or statement of work. Its seven sections are Instructions, Source, Automation, Tech Stack, Variables, Outcome and Notification. Together they make the task, permitted inputs, intended result and handoff easier to inspect.
Define the task and its sources
Instructions set the task and its boundaries. Source identifies the information that may be used. State exclusions and missing information as well as the material available. A clearer request gives a reviewer something to check; it does not guarantee a correct result.
Describe the action and environment
Automation explains the action or trigger. Tech Stack names the systems the workflow is intended to use. Variables define the inputs that change between runs. Naming a tool does not establish that access, integration or permissions are implemented.
Define Outcome and Notification
Outcome states the expected result and the acceptance checks. Notification says who needs the completion, exception or decision notice. A useful handoff includes the result, evidence, limits and next owner rather than a vague claim that the work is done.
Choose the specification you need
For a prompt, make the request, source material and output format explicit. For a reusable skill, define its trigger, action, checks and handoff. For a statement of work, agree the scope and review responsibilities before turning it into an execution plan.
Related routes: ISATVON Prompt and ISATVON Skill
Test one checkable task
Begin with known inputs and a result a person can verify. Test with non-sensitive examples and record the limits. A specification is not permission to send, share or change a system, and reuse does not expand permission.