Onboarding manual: Layer 1a/1b, ledger, Now vs Later, competitor risk note

docs/operations/employee-onboarding-manual-v1.md

@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
-# Employee Onboarding Manual — Digital Operations Partner (v1)
+# Employee Onboarding Manual — Digital Operations Partner (v1.1)
 
 **Audience:** Any employee, contractor, or operator joining the company  
 **Purpose:** Give you everything you need to work inside DOP without guessing  
 **Source of truth:** The Gitea repository `Tony_tech/digital-operations-partner`  
 **Status:** Active operating guide (reflects system as of 2026-08-02)
 
+**Read README “Now vs Later” first.** Strategy docs (`strategic-frame.md`, `whitepaper.md`) are horizon, not day-to-day SOP.
+
 ---
 
 ## 1. What this company does
@@ -64,6 +66,8 @@ Memorize these. They govern every task.
 7. **Gitea is the system of record.**  
    Client work, templates, playbooks, and decisions live in the repo under the documented paths. Do not keep the “real” version only in chat or email.
 
+8. **Competitor claims about other businesses** are Tier 2 by default, never the primary threat claim, and require snapshot date + source. Wrong third-party claims are a higher risk class — prefer omit.
+
 ---
 
 ## 3. Where everything lives
@@ -80,7 +84,9 @@ Memorize these. They govern every task.
 | Templates | `docs/templates/` |
 | Client instances | `docs/clients/<client-name>/` |
 | GBP Snapshot HTML form | `tools/gbp-snapshot-form.html` |
+| Task reliability ledger | `docs/operations/task-reliability-ledger.md` |
 | This manual | `docs/operations/employee-onboarding-manual-v1.md` |
+| Strategy (LATER, not SOP) | `docs/strategic-frame.md`, `docs/whitepaper.md` |
 
 **Client artifact naming (standard):**
 - `data-inventory-v1.md`
@@ -99,7 +105,8 @@ Every real client engagement follows these layers **in order**. Do not skip.
 
 | Layer | Name | What you produce | Human gate |
 |-------|------|------------------|------------|
-| 1 | Account Intelligence | Data Inventory | Inventory accurate before Layer 2 |
+| **1a** | Public Account Intelligence | Data Inventory (public / Tier 2 ceiling) | Inventory matches what was publicly observable |
+| **1b** | Owner-access Intelligence | Upgraded inventory (Tier 1 eligible) | Owner-gated fields confirmed |
 | 2 | Threat Diagnosis | Threat Register | Each threat verified/downgraded/rejected |
 | 3 | Economics & Pricing | Economics doc + pricing bands | Owner conversation required |
 | 4 | Requirements | Outcome-based requirements | Scoped to pricing band |
@@ -107,7 +114,9 @@ Every real client engagement follows these layers **in order**. Do not skip.
 | 6 | Agent Build & Test | Working agents on real data | Human reviews full run |
 | 7 | POC Delivery | Demo + gap doc + retainer framing | Owner has seen live draft alert |
 
-**Layer 3 cannot be skipped.** Without owner economics, downstream pricing and scope are speculative and must be labeled as such.
+**Cold audits complete at Layer 1a** (or Draft Benchmark). Do not claim full Layer 1 engagement-ready without 1b or explicit Tier 2 ceiling acceptance.
+
+**Layer 3 cannot be skipped** for paid path. Without owner economics, downstream pricing and scope are speculative and must be labeled as such.
 
 Full detail: `docs/architecture/path-to-poc-sequencing.md`
 
@@ -115,7 +124,7 @@ Full detail: `docs/architecture/path-to-poc-sequencing.md`
 
 ## 5. Day-one cold audit workflow (what you actually do)
 
-This is the current production procedure for a **new prospect / first assessment**.
+This is the current production procedure for a **new prospect / first assessment** — **Layer 1a path**.
 
 ### Step A — Open a client folder
 1. Create `docs/clients/<client-slug>/` if it does not exist.
@@ -148,9 +157,9 @@ Leonard must:
 - Fire **only** threat rules R1–R3 if conditions match
 - Not invent fields or write solutions
 
-You (human) then review and approve or correct.
+You (human) then review and approve or correct. Record scored runs in `docs/operations/task-reliability-ledger.md`.
 
-### Step D — Data Inventory (Layer 1)
+### Step D — Data Inventory (Layer 1a)
 Use `docs/templates/data-inventory-template.md` and the Audit Playbook.
 
 Required minimum sources:
@@ -160,10 +169,10 @@ Required minimum sources:
 - Booking/scheduling (or “not visible”)
 - Review surfaces if observable
 
-Exit only when a human has signed the review gate.
+Exit only when a human has signed the review gate → **Locked (1a)** or **Draft Benchmark** with blockers.
 
 ### Step E — Threat Register (Layer 2)
-Only after Layer 1 is human-confirmed (or explicitly accepted as Draft Benchmark with documented blockers).
+Only after Layer 1a is human-confirmed (or explicitly accepted as Draft Benchmark with documented blockers).
 
 Rules from the Audit Playbook:
 - One primary fact per threat
@@ -171,6 +180,7 @@ Rules from the Audit Playbook:
 - Data Recency must reference inventory snapshot dates
 - No solution language (“fix the 404s” is forbidden here)
 - Severity: Critical / Major / Minor — when unsure, choose lower
+- Competitor facts: secondary only, Tier 2, snapshot + source
 
 ### Step F — Stop at the gate
 Do **not** invent economics. Do **not** write requirements or workflows until Layers 2 and 3 allow it.
@@ -196,7 +206,7 @@ If GBP is still incomplete, either:
 - GBP ingest without the execution card is out of process.
 
 ### Scoring Leonard (training)
-Use the rubric in `docs/agents/audit-playbook-v1.md` (0–2 on evidence, tier discipline, scope, recency, template fidelity). Pass ≥ 7/10 with no zeros.
+Use the rubric in `docs/agents/audit-playbook-v1.md` (0–2 on evidence, tier discipline, scope, recency, template fidelity). Pass ≥ 7/10 with no zeros. **Log every scored run in the task reliability ledger.**
 
 ---
 
@@ -206,7 +216,7 @@ High-level path (see full doc for detail):
 
 1. Prospect  
 2. Qualification  
-3. Initial Assessment (Layers 1–2 style work)  
+3. Initial Assessment (Layers 1a–2 style work)  
 4. Evidence classification  
 5. Proof-of-Concept fix (low-risk, scoped, human-approved before publish)  
 6. Before/After report  
@@ -250,14 +260,14 @@ Anything that changes a **client-facing surface** requires human approval first,
 - Website or directory updates
 - Business/service descriptions
 
-Until a specific task type has a documented reliability run of **≥ 100 error-free executions**, the human gate stays on for that task type.
+Until a specific task type has a documented reliability run of **≥ 100 error-free executions** in `docs/operations/task-reliability-ledger.md`, the human gate stays on for that task type. Empty ledger = never auto-publish.
 
 ---
 
 ## 10. Communication standards
 
 ### Internal docs
-- Status header: Draft / Human Review / Locked
+- Status header: Draft / Human Review / Locked (and 1a vs 1b where relevant)
 - Last Updated date
 - Evidence tier on factual claims
 - Blockers listed explicitly
@@ -267,6 +277,7 @@ Until a specific task type has a documented reliability run of **≥ 100 error-f
 - No scare tactics from Tier 2 alone
 - No guaranteed rankings, AI citations, or “we’ll get you #1”
 - Reports answer: what we watched, what changed, what we found, what we fixed/recommended, what remains at risk, what happens next
+- Competitor comparisons: provisional, relative, never prosecution from thin Tier 2 alone
 
 ---
 
@@ -274,13 +285,13 @@ Until a specific task type has a documented reliability run of **≥ 100 error-f
 
 **Day 1 — Orientation**
 - [ ] Read this manual end to end
-- [ ] Read `README.md`, Agent Charter, Audit Playbook
+- [ ] Read `README.md` (including Now vs Later), Agent Charter, Audit Playbook
 - [ ] Skim Path to PoC sequencing and Client Lifecycle
 - [ ] Open `tools/gbp-snapshot-form.html` and click through once (empty is fine)
 
 **Day 2 — Shadow the system**
 - [ ] Read Overcome Fitness client folder end to end (`docs/clients/overcome-fitness/`)
-- [ ] Note what is Draft vs what is still blocked
+- [ ] Note what is Draft vs what is still blocked; identify 1a vs full Layer 1
 - [ ] Identify the open GBP gate and why Layer 3 is blocked
 
 **Day 3 — Practice cold audit mechanics**
@@ -290,10 +301,10 @@ Until a specific task type has a documented reliability run of **≥ 100 error-f
 
 **Day 4 — Threat discipline**
 - [ ] Write 2–3 practice threats that each contain exactly one primary fact + evidence snippet + recency + tier
-- [ ] Have a lead score them against the playbook rubric
+- [ ] Have a lead score them against the playbook rubric and log the score in the ledger
 
 **Day 5 — Gate fluency**
-- [ ] Explain aloud when Layer 1 can lock, when Layer 2 can lock, and why Layer 3 needs an owner
+- [ ] Explain aloud when Layer **1a** can lock, when **1b** is needed, when Layer 2 can lock, and why Layer 3 needs an owner
 - [ ] List V1 exclusions from memory
 
 ---
@@ -302,11 +313,12 @@ Until a specific task type has a documented reliability run of **≥ 100 error-f
 
 **Real and usable now**
 - Mission, evidence model, operating rule
-- Full Path to PoC sequence
+- Full Path to PoC sequence with Layer **1a / 1b**
 - Templates for Layers 1–2–4–5
-- Audit Playbook + Leonard GBP execution card
+- Audit Playbook + Leonard GBP execution card + competitor evidence rules
 - GBP HTML form
-- First benchmark client instance (Overcome Fitness) in Draft
+- Task reliability ledger (counters start at zero)
+- First benchmark client instance (Overcome Fitness) in Draft on **1a path**
 
 **Not built yet / do not pretend exists**
 - Locked production client package with full economics
@@ -314,8 +326,9 @@ Until a specific task type has a documented reliability run of **≥ 100 error-f
 - Fully automated Leonard → Gitea commit loop without human facilitation
 - Standard client-facing report template (still to productize)
 - Implementation code under `implementation/` (scaffold only)
+- Public Assessment AI / fixed-fee product stack (strategy horizon only)
 
-When in doubt: if it is not in the repo as a Locked or Active doc, it is not process.
+When in doubt: if it is not in the repo as a Locked or Active **operating** doc, it is not process.
 
 ---
 
@@ -339,6 +352,8 @@ Default action when stuck: **document the blocker, do not invent past it.**
 | **GBP** | Google Business Profile (Maps / local panel listing) |
 | **DOP** | Digital Operations Partner |
 | **Tier 1 / Tier 2** | Verified vs Indicative evidence |
+| **Layer 1a** | Public baseline inventory (cold audit) |
+| **Layer 1b** | Owner-access inventory (engagement) |
 | **Locked** | Human-approved; safe to build the next layer on |
 | **Draft Benchmark** | Training/reference package; not client-locked |
 | **WTP** | Willingness to pay |
@@ -347,6 +362,6 @@ Default action when stuck: **document the blocker, do not invent past it.**
 
 ---
 
-**Version:** v1  
+**Version:** v1.1  
 **Maintainer:** Lead / Director  
 **Update rule:** When Path to PoC, Playbook, or cold-audit tooling changes, this manual must be updated in the same change set or immediately after.