diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d43cf2d..ced492e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,60 +1,61 @@
-# Directory Engine
+# Directory Engine (Afterthedemo)
 
-**Leonard-powered niche directory business** (inspired by [Startup Ideas Podcast](https://x.com/startupideaspod/status/2091238981337858473)).
+**Leonard-powered niche directory** of real shipped AI products (inspired by [Startup Ideas Podcast](https://x.com/startupideaspod/status/2091238981337858473) + full Billy Howell episode).
 
-A directory is curated data: "here are the best X in this topic." Built for AI agents. Research agent produces high-quality Markdown pages daily; Leonard (engineer) publishes them. Later: affiliate collection + outbound deal agents. Newsletter on subdomain for sponsors.
+A directory is curated data: “here are the best / most real X in this topic.” Built for AI agents. Research agent produces high-quality Markdown pages; Leonard (engineer) publishes. Later: affiliate collection, outbound deals, niche newsletter on a subdomain.
 
-Target: $10K–$100K/month once traffic compounds. SEO shift favors curated sources for ChatGPT / Google AI Overviews.
+Target: $10K–$100K/month once traffic compounds. SEO and AI-answer engines increasingly favor curated sources.
 
-## Core Playbook (for Leonard / Hermes)
+## Current Vertical: Afterthedemo
+Real products that people actually shipped using AI tools (especially Hermes-style agent stacks). Only past-demo work with public, verifiable artifacts. No pure tool lists, no tutorial-first content, no client-service work.
 
-1. **Pick the niche** — something with taste (e.g. local AI tools & LLM stacks, El Dorado County verified service providers, party board games, pickleball gear). Record decision in `decisions.md`.
-2. **Site foundation** — Astro (excellent for static directories). Structure under `src/content/` or `pages/` as Markdown collections.
-3. **Research agent** — Daily: pick next brand/item → investigate (web, X, reviews, pricing, differentiators) → write polished Markdown page with frontmatter (title, slug, tags, affiliate-ready fields, evidence).
-4. **Engineer (Leonard)** — Receives Markdown → validates → commits to this repo (or site repo) → triggers build/deploy if configured.
-5. **Rinse & repeat** until thousands of monthly visits.
-6. **Only after traffic**: agent that harvests referral/affiliate links + does outbound for deals. Warm traffic → newsletter sponsors.
+See `decisions.md` and `status.md` for the locked filters and staged content pillars.
 
-**Rule**: Never solicit deals before traffic exists.
+## Core Playbook
+1. Pick / lock the niche (taste + evidence bar).
+2. Site foundation on **Astro** (Cloudflare + Porkbun + GitHub stack).
+3. Research agent investigates one brand/product per cycle → polished Markdown page.
+4. Engineer (Leonard) validates and commits.
+5. Rinse until thousands of monthly visits.
+6. **Only after traffic**: referral/outbound agent + newsletter cross-sell.
+
+**Rule:** Never solicit deals before traffic exists.
+
+## Operating System (from full episode)
+See **`best-practices.md`** for the complete system:
+- 4-week cadence: Build team → Execute (no tinkering) → Hire/fire → Automate
+- Chief of Staff pattern (`agents/chief-of-staff-prompt.md`)
+- 5-line routines
+- Adversarial QA loops
+- Anti-patterns to kill
+- Three proven shapes: Newsletter, Shopify, Directory/Site-builder
 
 ## Repo Layout
-
 ```
 directory-engine/
-├── README.md                 # this file
-├── decisions.md              # niche choice, rationale, dates
-├── status.md                 # current state, next actions for Leonard
+├── README.md
+├── best-practices.md          # Full Grokbot operating system
+├── decisions.md
+├── status.md
 ├── agents/
-│   ├── research-prompt.md    # system prompt + workflow for research agent
-│   ├── engineer-prompt.md    # Leonard publish checklist
-│   └── outbound-prompt.md    # future: referral + deals (post-traffic)
+│   ├── chief-of-staff-prompt.md
+│   ├── research-prompt.md
+│   ├── engineer-prompt.md
+│   └── outbound-prompt.md     # future
 ├── templates/
-│   └── page.md               # Markdown page template with frontmatter
-├── pages/                    # generated / curated pages (or symlink to Astro content)
-│   └── _index.md
-├── src/                      # (future) Astro site source
-└── scripts/                  # optional helpers
+│   └── page.md
+├── pages/
+└── src/                       # future Astro
 ```
 
-## Leonard Operating Instructions
-
-- Read `status.md` and `decisions.md` first on every run.
-- Use research agent prompt to produce one new page per cycle.
-- Commit with clear message: `feat(page): add <slug> — <one-line summary>`.
-- After commit, update `status.md` with what was done and next candidate.
-- Prefer verified facts + sources. No hallucinated claims.
-- Keep pages useful for both humans and AI overviews (clear structure, lists, comparisons).
-
-## Next Actions (initial)
-
-1. Decide niche → write `decisions.md`.
-2. Flesh out `agents/research-prompt.md` and `templates/page.md`.
-3. Seed 3–5 initial pages manually or via first agent run.
-4. Stand up minimal Astro site (or pure Markdown + static generator) and point deploy.
-5. Wire daily cron / Hermes schedule for research → Leonard publish loop.
+## Leonard Rules
+- Read `status.md` + `decisions.md` + `best-practices.md` first.
+- Small team only. Mission-critical agents.
+- Human decides stack and hard calls.
+- Quality and evidence over volume.
+- Automate only after the process is proven.
 
 ## Links
-
 - Source idea: https://x.com/startupideaspod/status/2091238981337858473
 - Gitea: https://gitea.vps1.afterthedemo.com/Tony_tech/directory-engine
 - Related: Tony_tech/veripath, Tony_tech/personal-agent-os, Tony_tech/agent-outputs