Company governance
Decision Queue
One company-wide register for choices that need evidence, discussion and an accountable conclusion. Each item states the actual question, a recommended starting point, what evidence closes it and the source that created it.
Frame
Agree on the exact decision—not merely the surrounding topic.
Challenge
Review the recommendation, risks, alternatives and missing evidence.
Decide
Name the accountable decision-maker, decision and effective date.
Propagate
Update the source document, roadmap, owner and dependent work.
31 of 31 decisions shown
P0DR-001TechnologyReady to discussConfirm the Design Registry product repository, default branch, hosting provider and production deployment workflow.
Confirm the Design Registry product repository, default branch, hosting provider and production deployment workflow.
Confirm the Design Registry product repository, default branch, hosting provider and production deployment workflow.
Confirm the Design Registry product repository, default branch, hosting provider and production deployment workflow.
The live product cannot have traceable releases, rollback or migration ownership until this is known.
Confirm the accountable owner and record the selected production approach in the Technology and Operating Register.
Named account owner, current configuration, production evidence and an accepted operating procedure.
- Decision owner
- Brad + technical lead
- Required timing
- Before the next production release
P0DR-002TechnologyReady to discussConfirm Supabase project references, environment separation, migration ownership, backups and restoration procedure.
Confirm Supabase project references, environment separation, migration ownership, backups and restoration procedure.
Confirm Supabase project references, environment separation, migration ownership, backups and restoration procedure.
Confirm Supabase project references, environment separation, migration ownership, backups and restoration procedure.
Supabase is the intended source of truth and authentication boundary.
Confirm the accountable owner and record the selected production approach in the Technology and Operating Register.
Named account owner, current configuration, production evidence and an accepted operating procedure.
- Decision owner
- Technical and data owners
- Required timing
- Before the next production release
P0DR-003TechnologyReady to discussSelect observability, error tracking and alert routing for the product and integrations.
Select observability, error tracking and alert routing for the product and integrations.
Select observability, error tracking and alert routing for the product and integrations.
Select observability, error tracking and alert routing for the product and integrations.
Provider, payment and communication failures must reach an accountable operator.
Confirm the accountable owner and record the selected production approach in the Technology and Operating Register.
Shortlist, cost, product compatibility, alert-routing plan and a tested failure notification.
- Decision owner
- Technical lead
- Required timing
- Before the next production release
P0DR-008ExecutiveReady to discussApprove the first-year company focus
Is the first-year mandate to prove Designer activation and Provider workflow depth in Ottawa before broader software growth?
Approve the first-year company focus
Is the first-year mandate to prove Designer activation and Provider workflow depth in Ottawa before broader software growth?
The plan contains marketplace, lead-generation, studio, software and operational-service opportunities. Without a dominant proof point, the team can spread effort across too many businesses at once.
Make Designer activation and coordinated Project execution the primary proof. Treat marketplace revenue, studio locations and geographic expansion as gated extensions.
A one-page company scorecard with 12-month targets, explicit non-goals and quarterly gates.
- Decision owner
- Founder / CEO
- Required timing
- Now — governs every roadmap and hiring decision
- Source
- Business Plan 4.0 →
P0DR-011ProductReady to discussSet the free-core product boundary
Which capabilities remain permanently free for Designers, and which services or advanced features can become paid?
Set the free-core product boundary
Which capabilities remain permanently free for Designers, and which services or advanced features can become paid?
Free access drives network adoption, but communications, AI, storage, support and transaction operations create variable cost.
Keep core CRM, Projects and invited collaboration free within fair-use limits; monetize transactions, managed services, premium automation, advanced reporting and excess usage.
Feature entitlement table, per-active-workspace cost model and three packaging interviews with Designers.
- Decision owner
- Founder + Product + Finance
- Required timing
- Before paid integrations and public pricing
P0DR-015OperationsReady to discussApprove Provider quality standards by category
What minimum evidence, insurance, service standards and review cadence are required for each Provider Category?
Approve Provider quality standards by category
What minimum evidence, insurance, service standards and review cadence are required for each Provider Category?
The Registry promise depends on a vetted network, yet qualification cannot be one generic checklist across vendors, storage, delivery, trades and creative services.
Create a global trust baseline plus category-specific qualification, expiry and suspension rules; do not mark a Provider active until both pass.
Approved matrix for all nine categories, application mappings and re-verification cadence.
- Decision owner
- Provider Operations
- Required timing
- Before approving production Provider accounts
P0DR-018MarketingReady to discussLock the public positioning
What single promise should lead the website and Designer outreach?
Lock the public positioning
What single promise should lead the website and Designer outreach?
The business is simultaneously a permanent home record, free operating system, exclusive Provider network, lead marketplace and future studio concept. Listing everything equally weakens the first impression.
Lead with “Every professionally designed home deserves to be remembered.” Explain that one active Project becomes a permanent Registry, then prove the value through Designer-first operations and Provider coordination—not generic CRM, marketplace or AI language.
One approved message hierarchy tested in ten Designer conversations.
- Decision owner
- Founder + Brand + Marketing
- Required timing
- Before the next public website revision
- Source
- Business Plan 4.0 →
P0DR-021SalesReady to discussDefine the founding Designer profile
Which Designer stage, Project type, operating pain and commitment level qualify for the first cohort?
Define the founding Designer profile
Which Designer stage, Project type, operating pain and commitment level qualify for the first cohort?
Targeting every emerging and mid-tier Designer produces a weak recruitment message and inconsistent product feedback.
Recruit five to ten independent Designers with active Projects, spreadsheet-heavy operations, willingness to invite Providers and capacity to participate in weekly feedback.
ICP scorecard, disqualifiers, founding agreement and a 50-account outreach list.
- Decision owner
- Founder + Designer Success
- Required timing
- Before scaled outreach
- Source
- Business Plan 4.0 →
P0DR-024FinanceReady to discussApprove the monetization architecture
Which revenue streams launch first, at what rate, and which remain experiments?
Approve the monetization architecture
Which revenue streams launch first, at what rate, and which remain experiments?
Potential revenue includes lead fees, product/procurement contribution, Provider transactions, payments, premium software and managed services.
Launch only revenue tied to proven value: Registry-generated lead fees and selected transaction/managed-service revenue; defer broad subscription packaging until usage costs and willingness to pay are known.
Revenue policy with rate, payer, trigger, refund treatment, cost-to-serve and accounting treatment for every stream.
- Decision owner
- Founder + Finance
- Required timing
- Before the first monetized transaction
- Source
- Business Plan 4.0 →
P0DR-025FinanceBlockedChoose the payment and funds-flow model
When does the Registry collect funds, hold funds, pay Providers or simply record an external payment?
Choose the payment and funds-flow model
When does the Registry collect funds, hold funds, pay Providers or simply record an external payment?
Stripe, large bank payments, Provider payouts, refunds and marketplace obligations change legal, tax, KYC and reconciliation responsibilities.
Do not assume merchant-of-record status. Map each transaction type with counsel and payments specialists, support bank-based and recorded manual payments, then configure Stripe accordingly.
Counsel-approved funds-flow diagrams, Stripe account model, payout/refund rules and reconciliation tests.
- Decision owner
- Finance + Legal + Technology
- Required timing
- Before payments or Provider payouts
P1DR-004TechnologyEvidence requiredConfirm the public website repository, deployment path, production domain and application handoff contract.
Confirm the public website repository, deployment path, production domain and application handoff contract.
Confirm the public website repository, deployment path, production domain and application handoff contract.
Confirm the public website repository, deployment path, production domain and application handoff contract.
Provider and Designer signup must preserve the correct application type and referral context.
Confirm the accountable owner and record the selected production approach in the Technology and Operating Register.
Named account owner, current configuration, production evidence and an accepted operating procedure.
- Decision owner
- Marketing + technical lead
- Required timing
- Before the dependent integration or domain launch
P1DR-005TechnologyEvidence requiredChoose the production secret manager and document account ownership, billing ownership and emergency access.
Choose the production secret manager and document account ownership, billing ownership and emergency access.
Choose the production secret manager and document account ownership, billing ownership and emergency access.
Choose the production secret manager and document account ownership, billing ownership and emergency access.
Keys must not be shared informally or stored in source and documents.
Confirm the accountable owner and record the selected production approach in the Technology and Operating Register.
Named account owner, current configuration, production evidence and an accepted operating procedure.
- Decision owner
- Workspace owner + technical lead
- Required timing
- Before the dependent integration or domain launch
P1DR-006TechnologyEvidence requiredDefine recovery objectives, retention periods and legal/privacy requirements by data domain.
Define recovery objectives, retention periods and legal/privacy requirements by data domain.
Define recovery objectives, retention periods and legal/privacy requirements by data domain.
Define recovery objectives, retention periods and legal/privacy requirements by data domain.
Backup, deletion, audit and incident obligations depend on explicit policy.
Confirm the accountable owner and record the selected production approach in the Technology and Operating Register.
Named account owner, current configuration, production evidence and an accepted operating procedure.
- Decision owner
- Business, legal and technical owners
- Required timing
- Before the dependent integration or domain launch
P1DR-009ExecutiveEvidence requiredDefine the Ottawa-to-Toronto expansion gate
What measurable conditions must Ottawa meet before Toronto recruitment or a second physical studio begins?
Define the Ottawa-to-Toronto expansion gate
What measurable conditions must Ottawa meet before Toronto recruitment or a second physical studio begins?
A second market compounds Provider coverage, support, capital and operating complexity before the first network is proven.
Require two consecutive quarters of Designer activation, Provider participation, contribution margin and non-founder operating reliability before expansion.
Approved scorecard thresholds, cohort performance and a named Toronto market owner.
- Decision owner
- Founder / CEO
- Required timing
- Before any Toronto commitments
- Source
- Business Plan 4.0 →
P1DR-012ProductReady to discussChoose the first Provider workflows to take fully live
Which Provider Categories receive deep operational portals first?
Choose the first Provider workflows to take fully live
Which Provider Categories receive deep operational portals first?
Nine Provider Categories are supported in the model, but building every category-specific workflow simultaneously would delay proof.
Launch Receiving, Warehouse & Storage plus White-Glove Delivery first, then Vendors & Product Suppliers; they create the clearest shared Item-status value for Designers.
Two live pilot Providers per selected category and a complete Project workflow test.
- Decision owner
- Product + Operations
- Required timing
- Before Project Operations implementation is finalized
P1DR-013ProductEvidence requiredSet AI autonomy boundaries
Which AI actions may draft, recommend or execute without an explicit human confirmation?
Set AI autonomy boundaries
Which AI actions may draft, recommend or execute without an explicit human confirmation?
AI can accelerate imports, proposals, communication and monitoring, but commercial, scheduling and Project data errors can create liability.
Allow drafting, extraction and anomaly detection; require confirmation for record creation from uncertain inputs, external messages, commitments, payments and status changes affecting other parties.
Risk-tier matrix, confidence thresholds, evaluation set and rollback/audit design.
- Decision owner
- Product + Technology + Operations
- Required timing
- Before production AI workflows
P1DR-016OperationsReady to discussSet cross-party service levels
What response and update standards apply to Offers, quotes, receiving, damage, storage release, delivery and installation?
Set cross-party service levels
What response and update standards apply to Offers, quotes, receiving, damage, storage release, delivery and installation?
Designers will only trust the shared system if Provider status is current and exceptions are handled predictably.
Define category-specific response targets, automatic reminders, escalation owners and visible exception states rather than one generic SLA.
Provider-reviewed SLA table and two real workflow simulations.
- Decision owner
- Provider Operations
- Required timing
- Before Provider pilots
P1DR-017OperationsEvidence requiredDefine damage, claims and service-recovery ownership
Who records, investigates, communicates and financially resolves damage or failed delivery at each handoff?
Define damage, claims and service-recovery ownership
Who records, investigates, communicates and financially resolves damage or failed delivery at each handoff?
Receiving, storage, delivery and installation evidence crosses several independent businesses and can expose the Registry brand.
Use timestamped condition evidence and chain of custody, with one Registry case owner and contract-defined commercial responsibility by handoff.
Counsel-reviewed claims workflow, required insurance and a simulated damaged-Item case.
- Decision owner
- Operations + Legal + Finance
- Required timing
- Before physical-goods workflows go live
P1DR-019MarketingDecision recordedOrganic acquisition and referral model
How should the Registry acquire its first Designers and Providers before spending on paid growth?
Organic acquisition and referral model
How should the Registry acquire its first Designers and Providers before spending on paid growth?
The free product can propagate through real Projects: Designers join through personal outreach, import a live Project and invite the Providers already involved. Paid acquisition would hide whether this loop creates genuine activation and retention.
Run a near-zero-cost Designer-first plan led by personalized LinkedIn and Instagram outreach, warm introductions and earned referrals. Designers become the primary Provider acquisition channel. Gate paid experiments until two cohorts prove Project activation, Provider invitation and eight-week retention.
Organic Go-to-Market & Referral Growth Plan with a 90-day scorecard, channel cadence, activation definitions and paid-spend gates.
- Decision owner
- Founder + Marketing + Designer Success
- Required timing
- Effective immediately for founding cohort recruitment
P1DR-022SalesReady to discussApprove Provider recruitment ownership
Who owns recruiting a Provider: the Registry, the Designer, or both—and who maintains the relationship?
Approve Provider recruitment ownership
Who owns recruiting a Provider: the Registry, the Designer, or both—and who maintains the relationship?
Designers may bring existing Providers while the Registry recruits vetted network coverage. Duplicate ownership can create conflicting communication and qualification expectations.
Allow both sources, but make the Registry the qualification and network-status owner; preserve referral attribution and the Designer’s preferred-relationship context.
Provider-source policy, CRM ownership rules and onboarding communication templates.
- Decision owner
- Provider Growth + Operations
- Required timing
- Before Provider outreach scales
P1DR-023SalesEvidence requiredSet the Registry-generated lead commercial offer
What percentage, services and obligations apply when the Registry generates and matches a Designer lead?
Set the Registry-generated lead commercial offer
What percentage, services and obligations apply when the Registry generates and matches a Designer lead?
A 20% share of design fees has been discussed for Registry-generated leads, but scope, collection, refunds and attribution require validation and contracts.
Pilot a transparent 20% share only on collected design service fees for Registry-generated leads, paired with qualification, matching and operating support; review after the first five signed Projects.
Designer interviews, counsel-reviewed agreement, attribution rules and unit economics.
- Decision owner
- Sales + Finance + Legal
- Required timing
- Before accepting or routing paid leads
- Source
- Matchmaking & Offers →
P1DR-026FinanceEvidence requiredSet product and procurement economics
What net contribution should the Registry earn on furniture, materials and procurement workflows?
Set product and procurement economics
What net contribution should the Registry earn on furniture, materials and procurement workflows?
A 15% furniture contribution and other category economics have been discussed, but the new model includes multiple vendors and different fulfilment responsibilities.
Model gross margin separately from procurement/service fees; approve rates by category only after returns, damage, payment cost and labour are included.
Three transaction examples per category and reconciled contribution-margin calculation.
- Decision owner
- Finance + Operations
- Required timing
- Before product transactions launch
- Source
- Business Plan 4.0 →
P1DR-027FinanceEvidence requiredApprove the first-year operating budget and runway
What can the company invest in product, contractors, marketing, insurance, legal and studio experiments before requiring new capital?
Approve the first-year operating budget and runway
What can the company invest in product, contractors, marketing, insurance, legal and studio experiments before requiring new capital?
The product scope is ambitious and the business intends to keep Designer software free, making cost sequencing central to survival.
Build a base, constrained and funded plan tied to roadmap gates; release spending only when the preceding adoption or revenue proof is met.
Monthly 18-month cash plan with committed, variable and gated spending.
- Decision owner
- Founder + Finance
- Required timing
- Before new vendor, hiring or studio commitments
- Source
- Business Plan 4.0 →
P1DR-028BrandReady to discussSet the relationship between Registry and Workspace brands
How visible should The Design Registry be inside Designer-, Provider- and Client-facing experiences?
Set the relationship between Registry and Workspace brands
How visible should The Design Registry be inside Designer-, Provider- and Client-facing experiences?
Participants want their own brands represented, while the Registry must remain a trusted coordinating service and preserve a coherent premium experience.
Use “Powered and coordinated by The Design Registry” as a restrained service signature while making the primary Workspace and Project experience belong to the operating business.
Approved co-branding hierarchy across portal, email, proposal, invoice and Project presentation examples.
- Decision owner
- Brand + Product
- Required timing
- Before customizable client-facing templates
P1DR-030PeopleReady to discussAssign accountable owners for the first operating functions
Who is directly accountable for Product, Technology, Designer Success, Provider Operations, Finance and Brand during the first year?
Assign accountable owners for the first operating functions
Who is directly accountable for Product, Technology, Designer Success, Provider Operations, Finance and Brand during the first year?
Several critical decisions and production controls currently name functions rather than people, creating founder bottlenecks and invisible gaps.
Name one directly responsible person per function now, even when one person holds several roles; publish authority and escalation boundaries.
Named responsibility map, weekly cadence and updated registers with real owners.
- Decision owner
- Founder / CEO
- Required timing
- Now
- Source
- Business Plan 4.0 →
P2DR-007TechnologyEvidence requiredMap business.design-registry.com to the private operating hub when domain and access policy are approved.
Map business.design-registry.com to the private operating hub when domain and access policy are approved.
Map business.design-registry.com to the private operating hub when domain and access policy are approved.
Map business.design-registry.com to the private operating hub when domain and access policy are approved.
The current private Sites URL is functional; the custom domain improves internal discoverability.
Keep the private Sites URL as the working address and map the custom subdomain only after access and DNS ownership are documented.
Named account owner, current configuration, production evidence and an accepted operating procedure.
- Decision owner
- Brad
- Required timing
- Before the dependent integration or domain launch
P2DR-010ExecutiveScheduled laterChoose the studio-location model
Should physical Design Registry studios be leased, partner-operated, licensed or deferred?
Choose the studio-location model
Should physical Design Registry studios be leased, partner-operated, licensed or deferred?
A studio can strengthen brand, events and product discovery, but fixed occupancy can distract from proving the software and network.
Use a low-commitment partner or event model until acquisition and retention lift can be measured against full occupancy cost.
Three location scenarios with annual cost, lead contribution, utilization and break-even thresholds.
- Decision owner
- Founder + Finance
- Required timing
- After the Ottawa digital and Provider workflow proof
- Source
- Business Plan 4.0 →
P2DR-014ProductScheduled laterDefine Workspace branding limits
How much can Designers and Providers personalize their Workspace without weakening The Design Registry network identity?
Define Workspace branding limits
How much can Designers and Providers personalize their Workspace without weakening The Design Registry network identity?
Personalization improves adoption, but full white-labelling can hide the network, fragment support and reduce cross-party trust.
Support logo, colours, document templates and client-facing presentation themes while retaining a subtle Registry service identity and canonical interaction patterns.
Three branded Workspace prototypes and feedback from Designers, Providers and Clients.
- Decision owner
- Product + Brand
- Required timing
- Before client-facing customization
P2DR-020MarketingScheduled laterDefine the sub-$10,000 lead policy
Should small inquiries be declined, nurtured, routed to a separate Designer cohort or monetized through a lighter service?
Define the sub-$10,000 lead policy
Should small inquiries be declined, nurtured, routed to a separate Designer cohort or monetized through a lighter service?
The current lead concept focuses on $10,000–$80,000 opportunities, but the public brand may still attract smaller inquiries.
Capture and qualify them, but hold routing until a distinct service promise, Designer cohort and economics are proven.
Lead-volume sample, close-rate interviews and a lightweight service-margin model.
- Decision owner
- Marketing + Sales + Finance
- Required timing
- After the initial lead program proves conversion
- Source
- Matchmaking & Offers →
P2DR-029BrandEvidence requiredDefine the visual range for Provider categories
Should category portals feel distinct or remain one uniform Registry interface?
Define the visual range for Provider categories
Should category portals feel distinct or remain one uniform Registry interface?
Storage, delivery, photography, trades and vendors have different workflows, but excessive visual variation weakens reuse and makes the product harder to learn.
Keep one black-and-white Registry system with category-specific operational modules, language and evidence—not separate visual products.
Provider dashboard prototypes for storage, white-glove delivery and vendors using the same component system.
- Decision owner
- Brand + Product
- Required timing
- During Provider portal design
P2DR-031PeopleEvidence requiredChoose the first dedicated hire or long-term partner
Which missing capability becomes the first dedicated role: technical leadership, Designer success, Provider operations or growth?
Choose the first dedicated hire or long-term partner
Which missing capability becomes the first dedicated role: technical leadership, Designer success, Provider operations or growth?
The correct first hire depends on whether the binding constraint is product reliability, activation, network operations or acquisition.
Delay title-based hiring; instrument founder time and service failures for eight weeks, then hire against the most repeated constraint.
Capacity log, missed-service analysis, roadmap risk and 12-month cost comparison.
- Decision owner
- Founder / CEO
- Required timing
- When repeated workload exceeds founder or contractor capacity
- Source
- Business Plan 4.0 →
Closure standard