# Decisions Log

## 2026-08-22 — Repo creation
- Created Tony_tech/directory-engine as the home for Leonard-powered niche directory work.
- Structure and playbook seeded from Startup Ideas Podcast directory thesis.

## 2026-08-23 — Reset
- Operator requested deletion of the LM Studio page and full reset of niche lock.
- Previous niche decision (local AI tools and stacks for real hardware) and Cycle 1 entry removed.
- Awaiting new vertical selection from operator.

## 2026-08-23 — Afterthedemo proposal (Operator) + Leonard assessment
**Proposed name:** Afterthedemo  
**Core focus:** Real shipped products built by people using AI tools (especially Hermes and similar agent stacks).

**Filters proposed by operator:**
- Only products with a public, verifiable artifact (live site, installable package, open repo, running bot, downloadable tool, etc.)
- Must be past the demo stage
- Not tools themselves as the main content, not tutorials as the main content, not Veripath/client service work
- No scoring system

**Content pillars proposed:**
1. Product Directory (evergreen, evidence-backed entries)
2. Weekly Builder Spotlight (one project + interview with the person who shipped it)
3. Creation Walkthroughs (how a real product was actually made)
4. Tool Tutorials & Setup Guides (grounded in real shipped work)
5. Process Notes (messy reality: what broke, what changed)

**Leonard assessment:**
- **Coherent & workable?** Yes. Strong vertical. Aligns with operator taste, existing Hermes/Leonard work, and the Grokbot directory thesis (curated, evidence-based, useful to both humans and AI overviews).
- **Strengths:** Clear “past demo” filter creates differentiation; interview + process notes give authentic signal that pure directories lack; natural newsletter/Shopify/SaaS expansion path later.
- **Risks:** Sourcing enough real shipped artifacts that meet the bar; interview dependency could slow weekly cadence; temptation to drift into tool reviews or tutorials.
- **Recommendation:** Lock Afterthedemo as the niche. Start with Product Directory pillar only (Research + Engineer). Defer Spotlight / Walkthroughs until 8–12 solid directory entries exist and traffic is measurable. Treat tutorials and process notes as secondary content that can be generated from the same research.
- **First concrete steps:**
  1. Lock niche in this file (done pending operator confirm).
  2. Seed 3–5 real shipped products that already meet the “public verifiable artifact + past demo” test.
  3. Run one full research → publish cycle.
  4. Stand up minimal Astro site on the Cloudflare + GitHub stack.

## 2026-08-23 — Full podcast incorporation
- Added `best-practices.md` with 4-week cadence, Chief of Staff pattern, routines, anti-patterns, and the three business shapes (newsletter, Shopify, directory/site-builder).
- Added `agents/chief-of-staff-prompt.md`.
- Directory remains the chosen entry point; newsletter and site-builder stack are explicit future expansions once traffic exists.