Bounties & workflow
Claiming & soft reservation
Claiming is designed for velocity — tasks don't sit reserved by someone who isn't working.
The mental shift: posting a task on Forke shouldn't feel like “I assigned this and now I wait.” It should feel like “I posted this to a managed engineering system — it will get done.” The claim engine is what makes that true.
Soft reservation
Claiming a bounty gives you a 20-minute soft reservation, not instant ownership. It's yours to start, but it isn't locked yet — other developers see “Reserved — 19:43 remaining.” Twenty minutes is long enough to actually begin, but short enough that an impulse claim that goes nowhere returns to the marketplace fast.
Activating a claim
Activate within the window by creating a branch, making your first commit, opening a draft PR, or pressing “I'm Working”. The task then locks to you, you earn +5 XP, and — critically — the deadline clock only starts at activation, not at claim. That's fair to developers who think before starting, and ruthless to claim-and-forget.
Task lifecycle
Every task moves through a clear state machine:
| State | Meaning |
|---|---|
| OPEN | Anyone eligible can claim it |
| RESERVED | Soft reservation held; 20-minute activation timer running |
| IN_PROGRESS | Activated and locked to one developer; deadline clock running |
| UNDER_REVIEW | PR submitted; automated checks + AI review running |
| AWAITING_OWNER | Passed the pipeline; verdict card live for the founder |
| COMPLETED | Approved, merged upstream, escrow released, XP awarded |
| REVISION_REQUESTED | Sent back to the same developer for a new submission |
| EXPIRED | Deadline passed with no submission; returns to OPEN, trust penalty |
Queue & fast-fail
If you don't activate in time, the soft reservation expires and the next developer in the warm queue gets their turn — they've already been previewing the task, so they can often start within minutes. While a task is in progress, Forke silently watches for failing signals (no commits, repeated failed builds, scope creep) and steps in early. Abandoning a task after activating is a strong negative on your trust score.