EvenFlow to HomeDir (Origin Experiment → Pathfinder)

Context

• Need: full event management (auth, speakers, schedule, notifications) for a real group in ~6 weeks.
• Constraint: solo build, frugal stack; no heavy middleware or expensive tooling.
• Outcome: EvenFlow worked as the alpha experiment and its DNA became the foundation for HomeDir.

Decision

• Reject heavy/enterprise middleware and costly managed services; build lean messaging/persistence.
• Prefer server-side rendering and simple components over complex client-side frameworks.
• Keep everything behind clear guardrails (baseline + flags) to move fast without hidden debt.

Guardrails

• Frugality first: only dependencies that fit budget and operational simplicity.
• Live Alpha: ship increments behind flags; keep default paths stable.
• Baseline updates after every failure; add constraints for auth/session and UI consistency.
• Health probes stay on (/q/health/live, /health/ready) across iterations.

Outcome

• Auth + speaker management + schedule + notification flow delivered in ~1.5 months by one orchestrator.
• Baseline enriched with “no heavy middleware” and “SSR-first” rules; reusable in HomeDir.
• Evidence captured via plan → prompt → commit/tests; rollback paths stayed trivial through flags.

Lessons

• Governing the gap beats knowing every API: validation (50/50) + flags keep velocity safe.
• Frugal constraints (no bloat, SSR) reduce coordination tax and make handoff easier.
• Experiments feed the Pathfinder: successful patterns from EvenFlow became HomeDir standards.