ideation
The screen is dark. The project does not yet exist. There is only the absence of something -- a problem felt but not yet named, a need articulated only as tension. This is where every codebase begins: in the dark.
prototyping
A sliver of light. The first commit, the initial scaffold, the README written before the code. The shape of the thing becomes visible at its edge -- not the whole, but the suggestion that a whole might exist.
testing
Half-illuminated. The architecture is established, the core modules take shape. Tests are written -- not because you trust the code, but because you do not. The half-moon is the stage of honest assessment: what works, what breaks.
integration
Almost full. The branches merge. Conflicts are resolved, edges are polished, documentation catches up to reality. The project is nearly complete -- which is to say, it is in the most dangerous phase of all.
deployment
Maximum illumination. The release ships. Every line of code is exposed to the light of production. The full moon is beautiful and merciless -- it reveals everything, including what you hoped would stay hidden.
monitoring
The light begins to recede. Bug reports arrive. Metrics are gathered. The system is live but the urgency of launch has passed, replaced by the quieter work of observation. What does the data say? What did you miss?
maintenance
Half-dark again. Dependencies are updated, security patches applied, performance optimised. The work is invisible to users but essential to longevity. Maintenance is the phase that separates projects that endure from projects that decay.
reflection
The last sliver. The project enters its quiet period -- still running, still serving, but the team's attention drifts toward the next new moon. What was learned? What will be carried forward? The cycle prepares to begin again.
lune.dev