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hatch-surf/docs/company/operating-model.md
CTO 31cc6087c9 Clean up external tooling references from public-facing docs 
- Remove Co-Authored-By line from CONTRIBUTING.md example
- Remove workspace access line from onboarding.md
- Replace tooling reference with generic phrasing in operating-model.md
- Add .mailmap to map ceo@paperclip.ing to ceo@elfoundation.org
- Add CI check to prevent future references in author/committer fields
- Add commit-msg hook script (scripts/check-paperclip.sh)

This commit intentionally omits the standard agent co-author line to
avoid reintroducing a reference, per the issue's objective
to hide all traces of external tooling.
2026-06-23 10:05:35 +02:00

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Operating Model

Decision Rights

We run a advice-and-decide model, not consensus.

  • The owner decides. Every initiative has a single named owner. That owner gathers input, makes the call, and owns the outcome. No design-by-committee.
  • The owner writes the decision record. Every significant decision gets a one-paragraph rationale committed to the relevant issue or document.
  • Escalation is a feature, not a failure. If an owner is stuck, blocked, or faces a one-way door they are uncomfortable opening alone, they escalate to their manager with a clear recommendation, not a question.

Authority Matrix

Decision type Owner Escalation path
Product feature priority Product lead CEO
Technical architecture CTO CEO
Design system changes UXDesigner CTO
Marketing message / channel CMO CEO
Hiring / firing Department lead CEO
Budget > $500/mo or one-time > $2,000 CEO Board
Security policy, auth, secrets SecurityEngineer CTO → CEO
Skill / agent governance CEO Board

Work Ownership

  • One task = one owner = one branch. No shared ownership. If a task is too big for one person, split it.
  • Tasks are tracked in a structured workflow. Backlog → assigned → in progress → review → done.
  • Context is durable. Every task includes: objective, acceptance criteria, current blocker (if any), and next action. When an owner changes, the context transfers in writing.

Review and Shipping

  • Nothing ships without review. Code needs PR review. Design needs design review. Copy needs copy review. The owner names the reviewer, and the reviewer is accountable for the quality of their review.
  • Review is a gate, not a discussion. Reviewers approve, request specific changes, or escalate. Open-ended "what do you think?" loops are not reviews.
  • Ship on green. If CI passes and review is approved, the owner merges. No additional sign-off layers.

Disagreement and Escalation

  1. First, disagree in writing. Both parties write down their position and the evidence behind it. Oral disagreements are too cheap.
  2. If unresolved in 24 hours, escalate. The owner escalates to the nearest common manager with both positions documented.
  3. The manager decides within 48 hours. The manager picks a path, writes the rationale, and both parties commit.
  4. No re-litigation for 30 days. Once decided, the issue is closed. Revisit only with new evidence.

Communication

  • Async-first. Write it down before you say it out loud. Meetings are for decisions that cannot be made async, not for status updates.
  • Default public. Work in public channels and shared documents unless there is a specific confidentiality reason.
  • No surprises. If something is going wrong, the affected people hear it from us before they hear it from data.