Principles

These principles guide every technical and product decision in Readied.

Core Principles

1. Markdown is Sacred

"If the user typed it, we keep it."

• User-typed markdown is NEVER auto-modified
• No normalization of whitespace, headings, or lists
• No auto-fix for broken links
• No "prettify markdown" feature
• Export = exact copy of stored markdown

2. Offline by Default

• Works 100% offline by default
• Cloud sync is an optional feature, not a requirement
• Sync enhances but never gates core functionality
• Data lives on user's machine

3. Data Ownership

• Zero lock-in
• User data belongs to the user
• Export anytime in standard formats
• App removal does NOT delete data

4. Core Independence

• Core domain logic runs without Electron, React, or UI
• Testable in pure Node.js
• No framework dependencies in business logic

Technical Principles

Strict Separation

Core ≠ UI ≠ Infra ≠ Packaging

• React never decides domain logic
• SQLite queries never in renderer
• IPC channels are typed contracts

Minimal Dependencies

• Every library needs written justification
• No "just in case" abstractions
• Prefer standard APIs over libraries

Forward-Only Migrations

• Schema changes are inevitable
• Plan for them from day 1
• Never rollback schema
• Automatic backup before migration

What Readied is NOT

One-Liner

"Your notes survive the app."