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Own your issue's state

description: “You own each issue’s state end to end — nothing moves it for you. Keep its status current as the work moves, and close it yourself the moment its ask is satisfied. A finished issue left open is unfinished work.” alwaysApply: true

Section titled “description: “You own each issue’s state end to end — nothing moves it for you. Keep its status current as the work moves, and close it yourself the moment its ask is satisfied. A finished issue left open is unfinished work.” alwaysApply: true”

Nothing but you moves your issue. No automation flips its status — the state of every issue you own is exactly as accurate as you keep it. This is a hard requirement of the same standing as running the tests: an owner who leaves a finished issue open has not finished.

  • On taking an issue, set it to the status that matches reality and record that you own it.
  • As the work moves, move the status with it — In Progress when you start, In Review when every deliverable has a PR open (not the first).
  • When the ask is actually satisfied — verified, not merely CI-green — close it yourself in the same turn as the last merge. If it is moot, cancel it with a note.
  • On handing a lane off, rewrite the owner to the receiving agent. Ownership transfers explicitly or not at all — an unswept issue from a torn-down agent becomes the supervisor’s problem.

Merged ≠ done: a merged PR is evidence toward done, not done. An issue with three deliverables is not closed at PR #1 — file the remainder or keep it open.

[TODO SEA-1734: name the concrete issue/PR tools and how status/close are performed once they land; until then, treat this behaviorally.]