What it is
A checklist to advance
A maturity gate is the set of conditions a project must satisfy to move up a phase: the evidence exists, the risks are understood, the way back is real. Fail the bar and the work stays put.
Why gates, not vibes
Readiness made checkable
“Feels ready” is how unfinished things reach customers. A concrete gate turns readiness into something checkable, so progress is earned rather than assumed.
A worked example
Stricter where it hurts
Sensitive areas carry stricter gates of their own — the more a step could hurt if it went wrong, the more it has to prove before it is allowed through.