Cool-down is unstructured time between cycles for the encoding loop to run without pressure — processing triage, enriching frontmatter, running mechanical improvements.
The concept comes from Ryan Singer’s Shape Up (Basecamp, 2019), where it serves a similar function between fixed cycles.
Cool-down is where progressive automation (policy 001) produces its returns: Ollama handles enrichment, scripts handle validation, agents handle gap-filling. This work does not require a plan or an appetite — it is maintenance of the system’s substrate.