- ID: YYBW-016
- Status: Decided
- Date: 2026-04-13
- Scope: YY Branching World / YY's World evolution
- Depends on: YYBW-003, YYBW-007, YYBW-008, YYBW-009
- Supersedes / clarifies: Clarifies go-to-market and notification strategy
- Museum lineage: PM-004, PM-006, PM-007, PM-008
Context
The product is easier to show than explain. YouTube Shorts emerged as the best top-of-funnel: same event, multiple branches, quick outcome. Email emerged later as a Substack-like daily note for people following a branch. The site remains the place for depth and inspection.
Decision
Use a three-layer distribution model:
- YouTube Shorts for discovery
- Site for timeline exploration and diff inspection
- Opt-in email for daily/interesting-day updates on followed branches
Why
This matches the product's strengths:
- episodic
- visual/comparative
- habit-forming
- easy to serialize
Alternatives considered
- App/site only — rejected as too hard for initial concept transmission.
- Substack as the core product — rejected because Substack is not the right programmable runtime.
- Long-form video first — rejected because Shorts are the cleanest demonstration unit.
Reversals / scars preserved
- The YouTube insight materially changed go-to-market.
- The product is not just software; it is also a content engine.
- Email is a push layer for attachment, not the first explanation layer.
Consequences
- Need export-ready artifacts for Shorts and emails.
- Need careful cadence; not every day merits rich outbound messaging.
- The site must remain the source of truth and depth even if distribution channels grow.
Invariants preserved
Compression by one-event one-comparison Shorts; Explainability through side-by-side comparison; Discipline through channel roles.
Freshness boundary
Stable for launch path.