Event Calendar
If the calendar only tracks external shocks, the inner loop is invisible — and what is invisible cannot be tuned.
The event calendar holds two layers: external events that shape strategic context, and the inner cadence that keeps the loop running. Both belong in one view because both consume the same finite week.
External Events
Events that shape strategic context:
| Calendar | Frequency | Decision Tree |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Reserve | 8x/year | Rate decisions move markets, affect runway |
| Industry conferences | Quarterly | Network, signal, positioning |
| Tax deadlines | Quarterly/Annual | Financial planning constraints |
| School terms | 4x/year | Family rhythm shapes work rhythm |
| Digital security review | Quarterly | Passwords, 2FA, access audit |
Inner Cadence
Every station in the loop needs a named touchpoint. If the station has no block, the station has no rigor.
| Cadence | Event | Duration | Station |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily | Day open + close | 30 min | Capture + Reflect |
| Daily | Config health scan | 3 min | Standards |
| Weekly | Week open (Mon) + mirror (Fri) | 60 min | Filter + Evolve |
| Weekly | Config health review | 20 min | Standards |
| Monthly | Month open + trend recognition | 90 min | Evolve |
| Monthly | Config health full audit | 55 min | Standards |
| Per-sprint | Debate open → close window | 1-3 days | Filter |
| Per-deploy | Production dogfood | 15 min | Gauge |
Inner cadence is scheduled, not improvised. When a Debate window appears on the calendar, the Council knows the pump is locked until close. When a dogfood block appears, the deploy has a named moment of truth instead of a vague "someone will check."
Context
- Perfect Day — Where the daily open + close lives
- Perfect Week — Where the engineering cadence lives
- Debate Meeting — What the per-sprint Debate window runs
- Meetings — The five types mapped to stations
- Standards — Why config health needs its own cadence
- Flow State — What the inner cadence protects
Questions
If the external calendar is full and the inner cadence has no blocks, which loop is actually running the team?
- When a Debate window lives on the calendar, who owns closing it — and what happens if no one does?
- If config health has a daily 3-minute scan and a monthly 55-minute audit, why does the monthly still surprise you?
- What does your per-deploy dogfood block look like — and if it does not exist, what stands in its place?