Field Notes · 18 January 2026
Cutover weekends need a no-go sentence written in advance
Write the conditions that stop a portal cutover before the freeze begins. Ambition is a poor substitute for criteria.
Teams often debate go-live courage in the final hours. That debate belongs earlier. A Cutover Readiness Review should produce a short no-go sentence: the measurable conditions under which the sponsor pauses.
Examples we have used: partner notification not confirmed by Thursday noon; rollback rehearsal incomplete; on-call coverage below two named engineers. The exact thresholds differ. The habit of writing them does not.
When the sentence exists, Friday afternoon becomes quieter. People still feel pressure; they simply know what pressure means.