{
 "id": "1.4",
 "title": "Principles",
 "department": "Company and strategy",
 "department_slug": "company-and-strategy",
 "direction": null,
 "branded": false,
 "status": "draft",
 "owner": "Param",
 "last_verified": "Mon Oct 26",
 "holds": "The rules that settle arguments: truth first, read only until asked, one version, every brand",
 "urls": {
  "html": "https://handbook.joinsquareup.com/company-and-strategy/principles",
  "markdown": "https://handbook.joinsquareup.com/company-and-strategy/principles.md",
  "json": "https://handbook.joinsquareup.com/company-and-strategy/principles.json"
 },
 "other_directions": [],
 "tldr": {
  "headline": "Fifteen rules that settle arguments, and the lower number always wins",
  "points": [
   {
    "icon": "flag",
    "text": "Truth first, read only until a yes, nothing dummy on production."
   },
   {
    "icon": "lock",
    "text": "Arata's Meta and Shopify connections are never disconnected, guarded in code."
   },
   {
    "icon": "check",
    "text": "Every fix works for every brand, never a one brand patch."
   },
   {
    "icon": "heart",
    "text": "One version then Redo it, and sell relief, never discounts."
   },
   {
    "icon": "book",
    "text": "New rules enter only through the decisions log with a date and a reason."
   }
  ],
  "stat": {
   "value": "15",
   "label": "rules in force"
  },
  "decide": "Is this rule order right? Proposal: accept it, truth and read only sit on top.",
  "mood": "solid"
 },
 "sources": [
  "handbook AGENTS.md, Rules that never bend",
  "brand-directions/book/content/a.js a-3 ten-rules",
  "brand-directions/BRIEF.md section 1, section 2 claims, section 3.1, section 3.5",
  "brew origin/main a559de6: CLAUDE.md:20-38, SCOPE.md:32-40, tools/prod-env.sh:9",
  "memory: feed-for-all-brands, fix-as-product, prod-clean-only, brew-one-version, keep-all-moves, sell-relief-not-discounts, no-spend-while-building, never-disconnect-arata-meta, brew-qv-process, brew-name-and-scope, brand-directions-2026-10-25"
 ],
 "open_questions": [
  "**Is this order right?** Proposal: accept it; truth and read only sit above everything because breaking them loses a partner's trust for good.",
  "**Does rule 9 cover pricing pages too?** Proposal: yes; the plan and the wallet are sold on time saved, never on a percent off."
 ],
 "parts": {
  "Answer": "The rules that settle arguments before they start: truth first, read only until a person says yes, one version then Redo it, and every fix for every brand; when two rules pull apart, the one higher in this list wins.",
  "Today": "### The rules in force, in the order they win\n\n| # | Rule | What it settles | Source |\n|---|---|---|---|\n| 1 | Truth first | Every number has a source; unsure numbers say to confirm; projections say so; never invent a customer, quote or result | [src: brand-directions/BRIEF.md section 2] [src: brew/SCOPE.md:13] |\n| 2 | Read only until a yes | v1 never posts, sends, schedules, pauses, spends or writes to an account | [src: brew/SCOPE.md:32-40] |\n| 3 | Nothing dummy reaches production | A clean gate runs before every promote; no demo, mock or open sign in flags on production | [src: memory prod-clean-only] [src: brew/tools/prod-env.sh:2-3] |\n| 4 | Never disconnect Arata | Arata's Meta and Shopify connections are never disconnected or reconnected; `PROTECTED_CONNECTIONS` guards it | [src: memory never-disconnect-arata-meta] [src: brew/tools/prod-env.sh:9] |\n| 5 | Every fix for every brand | Fix the shared cause, heal saved data, test several kinds of brand; never a one brand patch | [src: brew/CLAUDE.md:20-38] [src: memory feed-for-all-brands] [src: memory fix-as-product] |\n| 6 | One version, then Redo it | Never three options at once in the product | [src: memory brew-one-version] |\n| 7 | Keep every Play | Cost cuts make each Play cheaper, never fewer | [src: memory keep-all-moves] |\n| 8 | No spend while building | No paid generations unless asked; ask before a paid probe | [src: memory no-spend-while-building] |\n| 9 | Sell relief, never discounts | Upsells name the payoff a person feels, never a percent off | [src: memory sell-relief-not-discounts] |\n| 10 | Start from the store owner | Their moment first, then the screen | [src: brand-directions/book/content/a.js a-3 user-first] |\n| 11 | Play kindly | No guilt, no fake countdowns; only real scarcity such as the capped read | [src: brand-directions/BRIEF.md section 3.5] |\n| 12 | Reshape, never break | Every change names Restyle, Recompose, Add on or Change core; core changes are risks | [src: brand-directions/BRIEF.md section 3.1] |\n| 13 | Check after every phase | A full QV round and its fixes before the next phase | [src: memory brew-qv-process] |\n| 14 | Plain words | No dashes, no exclamation marks, sentence case, no AI cadence, say Plays | [src: brand-directions/BRIEF.md section 1] [src: memory brand-directions-2026-10-25] |\n| 15 | Act on the brand's own stack | No payments, logistics, tax or India only plumbing inside the product | [src: memory brew-name-and-scope] |",
  "Tomorrow": "| Item | Version | Tag |\n|---|---|---|\n| Rule 2 becomes: nothing acts without a yes, and every action can be undone | v2 to v4 | Changes |\n| Rule 1 adds: every result shows how it was measured | v3 | Changes |\n| A rule for money the product spends: inside a cap the owner set, never above | v4 | New |\n| All other rules | v1 to v4 | Stays |",
  "How we do it": "1. When two people disagree, find the lowest numbered rule that applies; it decides.\n2. A choice that breaks a rule loses, however good it looks.\n3. A new rule enters only through the decisions log with a date and a reason.\n4. Before planning, read the decisions log; never re-decide a decided thing.",
  "Numbers": "| Metric | Definition | Where measured | Status |\n|---|---|---|---|\n| Rule breaks found in QV | Findings per round that break a rule above | QV reports | Proposed |\n| Production clean gate | Promotes that passed the clean gate, out of all promotes | Promote logs | Proposed |",
  "Open": "1. **Is this order right?** Proposal: accept it; truth and read only sit above everything because breaking them loses a partner's trust for good.\n2. **Does rule 9 cover pricing pages too?** Proposal: yes; the plan and the wallet are sold on time saved, never on a percent off."
 }
}