North Star & Guardrails

Make the work predictable. Protect the North Star. Ship small, prove it, and keep receipts. See the guardrails or watch the brief.

why: help readers reach a usable answer in under 60 seconds without being ordered around.

try:

• see example: /operate/versioning-and-releases/
• learn more: /playbook/guardrails/index.html

exit metric: m-time-to-answer improves ≥ 10% vs baseline for two consecutive weeks.
state: /navigation/state/v2025.11-navigation.md
receipts: /signals/receipts/v2025.11-navigation.md

Watch the brief

Do the right thing, calmly, with receipts. Speed is a byproduct, not the goal.

What it means here:

• pages open with context, two sane options, and a clear “what good looks like”
• readers keep autonomy; we nudge by default and block only for red-lines
• we show proof monthly under seam-scoped tags (e.g., v2025.11-navigation)

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guardrails (boundaries that protect the promise)

1. narrator tone = guide, not boss
   Use soft labels (try, use, choose, see example). Avoid commands (must, always, fix now, comply).

2. opener pattern above the fold
   One sentence why, exactly two actions, one exit metric line. No walls of text up top.

3. traceability or it didn’t happen
   PR ↔ decision/exception ↔ guardrail ↔ page ↔ signal ↔ receipt. Zero orphans.

4. signals are scarce
   Cap at 8 active; each has an owner and 30-day refresh SLA.

5. labs are real
   Any example lab must run in ≤ 10 minutes or get cut until it can.

6. sanitize for public
   No personal data, secrets, unverifiable hard numbers. Directional ranges are fine.

7. autonomy ladder (nudge-first)
   L0 observe → L1 highlight → L2 nudge → L3 conscious override (with expiry) → L4 block (red-lines only).

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how to read a page here

• why: a single sentence that names the scope or tradeoff
• try: two reversible choices, not one path masquerading as freedom
• exit metric: what success looks like in one line, mapped to a metric ID

works when: choices are real, reversible, and mapped to one leading + one lagging signal
fails when: the page orders people around or ships without a measurable exit

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exceptions with dignity

When you must break a guardrail, use an L3 exception with owner, date, expiry ≤ 30 days, and exit criteria.
Public summary: /governance/exceptions.md
Private ledger: /governance/_exceptions_ledger.csv

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red-lines (hard blocks)

• gdpr or privacy leaks
• security secrets or source-of-truth tamper
• broken traceability that prevents rollback
• compliance audit prune requests

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receipts (what we show monthly)

• adoption: m-nav-open on key landings
• quality: annex lab pass rate where applicable
• credibility: state freshness; exceptions closed on time

Find them under the current tag: /signals/receipts/v2025.11-navigation.md.

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quick faq

• why two actions? Two good options preserve autonomy and reduce bounce.
• can i be prescriptive? Only in a safety note. Otherwise, guide.
• what if my example takes 15 minutes? Cut scope until the runnable part fits ≤ 10 minutes.