NorthStar Navigator
The map, not the diary. Read before you decide what to build, skip, or call done.
The NorthStar
A real, comprehensive, working founder CRM — live in production — where every section is GREEN.
Not a demo. Not a green CI tick. Not a page that returns HTTP 200. A CRM Phill can run his
businesses from, where every screen shows his real data, scoped to him, behind real auth, with
honest loading/error states, proven by a passing verify loop. 200 ≠ real. A rendered page is
not evidence; real founder-scoped data behind auth is.
Definition of GREEN (all five, with proof)
A section is GREEN only when ALL of the following are demonstrably true:
- Real data — reads/writes live Supabase (or a genuinely-connected integration), never mock-as-real.
- Auth —
getUser() server-side (Supabase PKCE); unauthenticated → 401.
- Founder-scope — every query
.eq('founder_id', founderId); never workspace_id.
- Loading + error —
loading.tsx and error.tsx (or inline boundaries) exist and render.
- Verify-pass —
pnpm run type-check && pnpm run lint && pnpm run test && pnpm build passes.
Missing any one → AMBER. Fabricated-as-real → RED. Mark the ledger honestly; never round up.
The No-Invaders Manifest
Invaders are the seven ways a build drifts away from the NorthStar. Reject each on sight.
| # | Invader | The rule |
|---|
| 1 | Fake-as-real | No mock/hardcoded data presented as live. Surface source; prefer honest "not_connected" empty-state. Mocks only in tests/dev. |
| 2 | Scope-creep | Build only what the task asks. No "while I'm here" features, refactors, or polish. |
| 3 | New dependencies | Use what's already in the repo. No new packages without Board sign-off. |
| 4 | Duplicate systems | Search before creating. No second auth/client/util/table doing an existing job. |
| 5 | New repos / clones | One canonical repo per product. Never clone to a do_not_clone_to[] path. |
| 6 | Shortcut hacks | No ` |
| 7 | Speculative crons/skills | Don't scaffold no-op crons or skills for sources/providers that aren't connected yet. |
Where the variables live (the substrate map)
| Source | Holds | How to read |
|---|
Vercel prod unite-hub (prj_y8hsRwhZHe6ewe6wCbwMbBYx20yp) | Production/Preview/Dev env (7 required + Google OAuth) | vercel env ls / REST /v10/projects/{id}/env |
Vercel sandbox unite-hub-sandbox (prj_tNqIsHGY3kvw7zdO2bXVxFWTPIk0) | Sandbox-first env, source of truth for replication | vercel env pull |
| Railway | Pi-CEO / external service vars (if consumed) | Railway project variables |
| Linear | Goals, issues, current-state tracking | Linear MCP |
.md SSOTs | CONSTITUTION.md, PRODUCTION-LEDGER.md, PORTFOLIO.yaml, this skill | Read before deciding |
The Navigation Loop (run before deciding what to do next)
- Locate — which section/task, and which NorthStar gap does it close?
- Consult SSOTs — read the ledger + relevant
.md; is this already done or already decided?
- Invader check — would doing this trip any of the 7 invaders? If yes, stop and choose the honest path.
- Verify reality — is the dependency (data/provider/env) actually connected? If not, it's blocked, not buildable.
- Build the minimum — surgical change, existing systems only, real data + auth + scope + boundaries.
- Prove — run the verify loop AND confirm the page serves real founder-scoped data. No proof → not done.
- Record honestly — update the ledger GREEN/AMBER/RED with evidence; log the decision.
Integration with existing guardrails
| Guardrail | NorthStar relationship |
|---|
execution-guardian | Blocks destructive/shortcut defaults — enforces Invader #6. |
system-supervisor | Duplicate/drift detection — enforces Invaders #4, #5. |
mock-vs-real-detector | Proves a 200 serves real data — enforces Invader #1 / GREEN #1. |
section-finaliser | Per-section done-gate — implements Definition of GREEN. |
verification-first | No task complete without proof — implements GREEN #5 + step 6. |
council-of-logic | Overrides first-answer bias when choosing build/skip/defer. |
Anti-Patterns
- Calling a section GREEN because the build passed — build-green is one of five gates, not the gate.
- Manufacturing scaffolding (crons/skills/tables) for a provider that isn't connected.
- Adding a dependency to save five lines — three similar lines beat a new package.
- "Improving" adjacent code during a fix — that's Invader #2 wearing a helpful mask.
- Bypassing a failing gate instead of fixing the root cause.
Checklist (before declaring any step done)
en-AU localisation
All output: Australian spelling (colour, behaviour, optimisation, licence n.), dates DD/MM/YYYY,
currency AUD, timezone AEST/AEDT. Direct, no superlatives.
