Learning Paths

The FCC framework is a large system -- 147 personas (102 core across 20 categories + 45 vertical across 6 packs), a 10-component specification, 23 interactive notebooks, 27 Streamlit applications, and a 24-chapter guidebook. This guide organizes all of those resources into five structured learning paths so you can invest your time where it matters most.

Audience Decision Matrix

Use this table to pick your starting path. You can always switch paths or combine them.

If you are...	Start with...	Time investment	Difficulty
Student or newcomer to agent frameworks	Beginner Path	1--2 hours	1/5
Software developer building on FCC	Developer Path	4--8 hours	2/5
AI/HCI researcher studying persona models	Researcher Path	8--16 hours	3/5
Team lead deploying FCC in production	Practitioner Path	16+ hours	4/5
PhD candidate or academic contributor	Scientist Path	Ongoing	5/5

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Path 1: Beginner

Goal: Understand what FCC is, install it, run a basic simulation, and visually explore the persona catalog.

Prerequisites: Python 3.10+, a terminal, basic comfort with pip install.

Difficulty: 1/5

Steps

#	Activity	Resource	Time
1	Read the conceptual introduction	What is FCC?	10 min
2	Learn the essential vocabulary	Key Concepts	10 min
3	Install FCC and run your first simulation	Quickstart	15 min
4	Walk through FCC fundamentals interactively	Notebook 01: FCC Fundamentals	20 min
5	Visually browse personas, categories, and R.I.S.C.E.A.R. specs	Streamlit: learn_personas.py	15 min
6	Read the framework introduction chapter	Guidebook Ch. 1: Introduction	15 min

Milestone Checkpoints

• FCC is installed and fcc --help prints the command list.
• You have run fcc simulate --scenario GEN-001 successfully.
• You can name the three phases of the FCC cycle (Find, Create, Critique).
• You have opened Notebook 01 and executed all cells.
• You have launched the learn_personas.py Streamlit app and browsed at least three personas.

What You Will Be Able to Do

After completing this path you will understand the purpose of the FCC framework, know the core terminology (personas, workflows, R.I.S.C.E.A.R., quality gates), and be able to run simulations using the CLI. You will have a mental map of the 23 persona categories and the Find-Create-Critique cycle.

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Path 2: Developer

Goal: Extend FCC with custom personas, scenarios, and plugins. Contribute code back to the project.

Prerequisites: Completed Beginner Path (or equivalent familiarity). Comfortable with Python dataclasses, YAML, and pytest. Git installed.

Difficulty: 2/5

Steps

#	Activity	Resource	Time
1	Revisit the Quickstart if needed	Quickstart	10 min
2	Deep-dive into the package layout and module map	ARCHITECTURE.md	30 min
3	Explore persona models and the registry	Notebook 01: FCC Fundamentals	20 min
4	Understand workflow graphs and traversal	Notebook 02: Workflow Basics	25 min
5	Profile personas with dimensions and cross-references	Notebook 03: Persona Exploration	25 min
6	Learn the plugin system (10 plugin types)	Notebook 04: Plugin System	25 min
7	Visualize workflows interactively	Streamlit: learn_workflows.py	15 min
8	Explore the plugin catalog visually	Streamlit: learn_plugins.py	15 min
9	Set up your development environment	CONTRIBUTING.md	20 min
10	Build a custom persona (Lab 1)	Guidebook Ch. 12: Labs -- Lab 1	30 min
11	Build a custom scenario (Lab 2)	Guidebook Ch. 12: Labs -- Lab 2	30 min
12	Read the Plugin Architecture chapter	Guidebook Ch. 6: Plugin Architecture	25 min
13	Build a simple plugin (Lab 4)	Guidebook Ch. 12: Labs -- Lab 4	45 min

Milestone Checkpoints

• You can explain the difference between src/fcc/personas/, src/fcc/workflow/, and src/fcc/simulation/.
• You have created a custom persona YAML file and loaded it into the registry.
• You have written and run a custom scenario through fcc simulate.
• You have implemented a minimal plugin (any of the 10 types) and registered it.
• make test passes with your additions included.
• make lint passes cleanly.
• You have read CONTRIBUTING.md and understand the PR workflow.

What You Will Be Able to Do

After completing this path you will be able to add new personas, define custom scenarios, write plugins, and submit pull requests. You will understand the full package layout, the plugin registration system, and the test conventions.

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Path 3: Researcher

Goal: Use FCC as a research framework for persona-based agent evaluation. Understand the theoretical models (R.I.S.C.E.A.R., Discernment Matrix, Design Target Factors, Persona Dimensions) deeply enough to design experiments and publish findings.

Prerequisites: Completed Beginner Path. Familiarity with research methodology. Some Python proficiency for running notebooks.

Difficulty: 3/5

Steps

#	Activity	Resource	Time
1	Study the 10-component specification in detail	Guidebook Ch. 3: The R.I.S.C.E.A.R. Specification	25 min
2	Study the 9-category, 56-dimension persona model	Guidebook Ch. 4: Persona Dimensions	20 min
3	Explore dimensions interactively	Notebook 03: Persona Exploration	25 min
4	Understand the Discernment Matrix (6 traits x 7 rating dimensions)	Key Concepts -- Discernment Matrix	15 min
5	Understand Design Target Factors (6 factors x 7 rating dimensions)	Key Concepts -- Design Target Factors	15 min
6	Analyze the cross-reference matrix (upstream, downstream, peers, by_type)	Notebook 03: Persona Exploration	30 min
7	Explore the collaboration engine and scoring models	Notebook 06: Collaboration Engine	30 min
8	Study the object model abstraction layer	Notebook 09: Object Model Patterns	30 min
9	Learn the Object Model chapter	Guidebook Ch. 2: Object Model Patterns	25 min
10	Browse the production persona explorer	Streamlit: persona_explorer.py	20 min
11	Explore the object model visually	Streamlit: learn_object_model.py	15 min
12	Calibrate Discernment Matrix ratings (Lab 3)	Guidebook Ch. 12: Labs -- Lab 3	45 min
13	Design a persona evaluation experiment (Lab 6)	Guidebook Ch. 12: Labs -- Lab 6	60 min
14	Complete the Guidebook assessments	Guidebook Ch. 13: Assessments	60 min
15	Review the reference appendices	Guidebook Ch. 14: Appendices	15 min
16	Review the full glossary	Glossary	15 min

Milestone Checkpoints

• You can explain all 10 components of R.I.S.C.E.A.R. and their purpose.
• You can describe the 9 dimension categories and give examples from each.
• You have generated a cross-reference matrix and identified interaction patterns.
• You have calibrated Discernment Matrix and Design Target Factor ratings for at least two personas.
• You can articulate how FCC's persona model differs from simple role-prompting.
• You have designed at least one evaluation experiment using the collaboration engine.

What You Will Be Able to Do

After completing this path you will be able to use FCC as a research instrument: designing controlled experiments with persona teams, evaluating agent output quality using the scoring engine, analyzing interaction patterns through the cross-reference matrix, and calibrating behavioral profiles. You will have enough depth to write a methods section describing the FCC framework for academic publication.

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Path 4: Practitioner

Goal: Deploy FCC in an enterprise setting. Configure governance, quality gates, constitutions, and the full plugin ecosystem. Operate production dashboards.

Prerequisites: Completed Developer Path or equivalent hands-on experience. Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and team workflows.

Difficulty: 4/5

Steps

#	Activity	Resource	Time
1	Complete the full Guidebook sequentially	FCC Guidebook (all 14 chapters)	6 hrs
2	Run all 12 notebooks (beginner through advanced)	Notebooks directory	4 hrs
	-- Beginner: 01 (Fundamentals), 02 (Workflows), 03 (Personas), 04 (Plugins)
	-- Intermediate: 05 (Events/Observability), 06 (Collaboration), 07 (Actions), 08 (Governance)
	-- Advanced: 09 (Object Model), 10 (CTO Integration), 11 (Cross-Project), 12 (Custom Design)
3	Operate the production Persona Explorer	Streamlit: persona_explorer.py	30 min
4	Operate the Workflow Dashboard	Streamlit: workflow_dashboard.py	30 min
5	Operate the Ecosystem Dashboard	Streamlit: ecosystem_dashboard.py	30 min
6	Operate the Collaboration Dashboard	Streamlit: collaboration_dashboard.py	30 min
7	Explore CTO bridge integration	Streamlit: cto_concept_browser.py	20 min
8	Explore vocabulary mappings	Streamlit: mapping_explorer.py	20 min
9	Configure governance: constitutions, quality gates, compliance	Guidebook Ch. 9: Governance	25 min
10	Set up event bus and observability (OTel integration)	Guidebook Ch. 7: Event Bus and Observability	25 min
11	Configure cross-project integration	Guidebook Ch. 10: Cross-Project Integration	30 min
12	Study real-world case studies	Guidebook Ch. 11: Case Studies	25 min
13	Complete all 10 labs, including the capstone	Guidebook Ch. 12: Labs	2 hrs
14	CLI dashboard proficiency: ecosystem, personas, quality, collab	fcc dashboard ecosystem, fcc dashboard personas, fcc dashboard quality, fcc dashboard collab	30 min
15	Design a custom persona team for your domain	Notebook 12: Custom Persona Design	45 min

Milestone Checkpoints

• You have read all 14 guidebook chapters and completed the assessments.
• You have executed all 12 notebooks without errors.
• You have launched all 10 Streamlit applications and understand their purpose.
• You have configured constitutions with all three tiers (hard-stop, mandatory, preferred).
• You have set up quality gates for at least one persona category.
• You have configured OTel-based observability for a simulation run.
• You have completed all 10 labs, including the capstone project (Lab 10).
• You can run all four CLI dashboards and interpret their output.
• You have designed a custom persona team of at least five personas for your domain.

What You Will Be Able to Do

After completing this path you will be able to deploy FCC in a production environment: configuring governance policies, setting up quality gates, operating dashboards, integrating with existing CI/CD pipelines, and designing custom persona teams tailored to your organization's documentation needs. You will understand the full plugin ecosystem and be able to orchestrate cross-project workflows.

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Path 5: Scientist

Goal: Advance the state of the art in persona-based agent orchestration. Conduct original research, design evaluation frameworks, and prepare academic publications.

Prerequisites: Completed Researcher Path and Developer Path. Active research program in AI, HCI, or software engineering.

Difficulty: 5/5

Steps

#	Activity	Resource	Time
1	Complete all prior paths (Beginner + Developer + Researcher + Practitioner)	All resources above	--
2	Conduct an industry landscape analysis of agent orchestration frameworks	External literature + Guidebook Ch. 11: Case Studies	8+ hrs
3	Design a novel evaluation framework using FCC's scoring engine	Notebook 06: Collaboration Engine, Guidebook Ch. 8: Collaboration Engine	8+ hrs
4	Develop a compliance module for a specific regulatory domain	Guidebook Ch. 9: Governance, src/fcc/governance/	16+ hrs
5	Research knowledge federation patterns across agent teams	Notebook 11: Cross-Project Orchestration, Guidebook Ch. 10: Cross-Project Integration	16+ hrs
6	Design and run controlled experiments comparing persona configurations	Notebook 12: Custom Persona Design, Simulation engine	20+ hrs
7	Extend the object model with new domain entities	Notebook 09: Object Model Patterns, src/fcc/objectmodel/	10+ hrs
8	Develop new plugin types or extend existing ones	Notebook 04: Plugin System, src/fcc/messaging/plugin_bridge.py	10+ hrs
9	Prepare a JOSS (Journal of Open Source Software) paper	JOSS submission guidelines, project README, ARCHITECTURE.md	20+ hrs
10	Contribute findings back to the project	CONTRIBUTING.md	Ongoing

Milestone Checkpoints

• You have completed a literature review covering at least 10 related agent orchestration frameworks.
• You have designed and documented a novel evaluation methodology using FCC primitives.
• You have implemented at least one new governance or compliance module.
• You have run at least three controlled experiments with different persona configurations.
• You have extended the object model with at least one new domain entity.
• You have a draft JOSS paper (or equivalent publication) with methods and results sections.
• You have submitted at least one PR contributing research tooling or findings back to the project.

What You Will Be Able to Do

After sustained engagement with this path you will be positioned to publish original research on persona-based agent orchestration, design novel evaluation frameworks that others can replicate using FCC, extend the framework with new theoretical models, and contribute to the academic discourse on AI agent team coordination. You will have the depth needed to supervise student projects and collaborate with the FCC maintainers on framework evolution.

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Resource Quick Reference

Notebooks (by difficulty)

Level	Notebook	Topic
Beginner	01_fcc_fundamentals.ipynb	Personas, registry, basic operations
Beginner	02_workflow_basics.ipynb	Workflow graphs, traversal, edges
Beginner	03_persona_exploration.ipynb	Dimensions, cross-references, profiling
Beginner	04_plugin_system.ipynb	Plugin types, registration, discovery
Intermediate	05_event_bus_observability.ipynb	Event bus, tracing, metrics
Intermediate	06_collaboration_engine.ipynb	Sessions, scoring, approval gates
Intermediate	07_action_engine.ipynb	Action types, prompt generation
Intermediate	08_governance_constitutions.ipynb	Constitutions, quality gates, compliance
Advanced	09_object_model_patterns.ipynb	Repository protocol, facades, evolution
Advanced	10_cto_integration.ipynb	CTO bridge, vocabulary mappings
Advanced	11_cross_project_orchestration.ipynb	Multi-project workflows, federation
Advanced	12_custom_persona_design.ipynb	End-to-end persona creation

Streamlit Applications

Type	Application	Purpose
Educational	learn_personas.py	Browse personas by category
Educational	learn_workflows.py	Visualize workflow graphs
Educational	learn_plugins.py	Explore plugin catalog
Educational	learn_object_model.py	Object model concepts
Production	persona_explorer.py	Full persona browser with search
Production	workflow_dashboard.py	Workflow execution monitoring
Production	ecosystem_dashboard.py	Ecosystem health overview
Production	collaboration_dashboard.py	Collaboration session tracking
Production	cto_concept_browser.py	CTO integration browser
Shared	_shared.py	Common infrastructure
Production	mapping_explorer.py	Vocabulary mapping explorer

Guidebook Chapters

#	Chapter	Level	Time
1	Introduction	Beginner	15 min
2	Object Model Patterns	Beginner	25 min
3	R.I.S.C.E.A.R. Specification	Beginner	25 min
4	Persona Dimensions	Beginner	20 min
5	Workflow System	Intermediate	30 min
6	Plugin Architecture	Intermediate	25 min
7	Event Bus and Observability	Intermediate	25 min
8	Collaboration Engine	Intermediate	30 min
9	Governance	Intermediate	25 min
10	Cross-Project Integration	Advanced	30 min
11	Case Studies	Advanced	25 min
12	Hands-On Labs (10 labs)	Advanced	120 min
13	Assessments	Advanced	60 min
14	Appendices	Advanced	15 min

Other Documentation

Document	Purpose
What is FCC?	Conceptual introduction
Key Concepts	Essential vocabulary
Installation	Setup and prerequisites
Quickstart	First simulation in 10 minutes
Glossary	Complete term reference
FAQ	Frequently asked questions
Troubleshooting	Common issues and solutions
Migration Guide	Upgrading between versions
ARCHITECTURE.md	Package layout and module map
CONTRIBUTING.md	Development workflow and PR process

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Tips for All Paths

1. Run code as you read. Every concept in the guidebook has a corresponding notebook or CLI command. Passive reading is less effective than hands-on exploration.
2. Use the Streamlit apps for visual orientation. If a concept feels abstract, the educational Streamlit apps (learn_*.py) provide interactive visual explanations.
3. Check the glossary early. The Glossary defines every framework-specific term. Bookmark it.
4. Paths are not mutually exclusive. A developer who later pursues research can pick up the Researcher Path where it diverges. The Beginner Path is embedded in all others.
5. Labs are the best test of understanding. The 10 labs in Chapter 12 progress from creating a single persona (Lab 1) to a full capstone integration project (Lab 10). If you can complete the labs, you have internalized the material.