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Affirmology Beta Rollout - Strategy Handoff (for Cowork)

Updated Jul 09, 2026 · Affirmology_BetaRollout_Strategy_v1.md

Affirmology Beta Rollout - Strategy Handoff (for Cowork)

Written 2026-07-09 by the DATA/engine chat, from a working session with Jeff. This is the source of truth for the beta rollout conversation as it stands now, so Cowork can pick it up on screen. Supersedes the timing in Affirmology_BetaRollout_Plan_v1.md and Affirmology_BetaLaunch_RevisedPlan_v1.md where they conflict. The infra half is already built (see "What DATA already shipped"); the strategy/onboarding half is what Cowork now owns.

The core realization

Email is dead for this group, and they think they already said yes.

• The 7/6 founding beta invite went to 21 real demo-takers ("One step left to join the Founding Constellation"), each linking to their own agreement page. Verified against the live durable log (/api/admin/beta-submissions): 0 of the 21 committed through that email. The only genuine "yes" is Elmira, and she came via her results-page button, not the email.
• The commit funnel is not broken (tested). People just aren't clicking email, and "join the beta" reads as a confusing re-ask to people who felt they already committed at the demo.

Implications driving the new plan: 1. Channel = text, not email. Personal texts from Jeff/Sol, not a blast. 2. Reframe from "join the beta" to "you're already in - confirm / commit." 3. Audios are delivered through TestFlight / the app, not texted. Any copy promising "we'll text you your audios" is wrong.

Jeff's decisions / direction (2026-07-09)

• Timing: NOT Friday 7/10. Jeff feels rushed; the goal is now Sunday / Monday (~7/12 - 7/13), and it needs to be sequenced, not forced.
• Why the delay: prerequisites aren't ready - (a) app updates, (b) test new music beds, (c) get the initial journey right (the first-run experience is the one moment you can't redo), (d) a defined post-yes process.
• Tomorrow (the day we promised, 7/10): send a text with a link to the commit form (the agreement checkboxes) so people fully commit to the beta. This honors the promised date with a real touch, even as full launch moves to Sun/Mon. (Copy + go decision are Cowork's.)
• After they commit (say yes): they get instructions to download TestFlight and get the app. Needs a defined process: when and how they receive instructions, and how Jeff is handling it.
• Onboarding assets Jeff wants built: a wiki, a WhatsApp group, and an explainer video ("etc etc").
• Everything stays connected: whether someone signs up via the text link, an email link, or a future email that carries an audio, it must resolve to the same person (identity linking). Built - see below.
• Send nothing to anyone until the process is defined. Jeff sends by hand; the list is small.
• Staci Kessler = tester at most, not an investor. Don't flag/prioritize her as an investor.
• Holds still apply (.beta_invite_hold): exclude Amy Dholakia, Andrew Hague (competitor), Jenny Pruitt (attitude), Patrick Hilsbos (competitor), Mark Cleveland (attitude), Olga (birth time unknown).

What DATA already shipped (the tools Cowork can use - all live, nothing sent)

1. Results page upgrade (live for all 21): the Mission film is hoisted to right after the song with a branded "Watch This Next" play-screen. The soft "Where this is going" framing is gone.
2. Tracked personal short links - https://demo.affirmology.ai/r/<code> for the 17 non-held people. Clicking it: drops a durable aff_uid identity cookie, logs the click, and 302s to that person's existing results page. Add ?to=commit to route to their agreement/commit form instead (e.g. https://demo.affirmology.ai/r/staci?to=commit). This is the link to paste into a personal text. - Codes: alexcarper, alexdc, anthony, arezu, edith, elizabeth, jeanette, josh, kara, lauren, leandro, marcie, mio, norm, staci, taylor, tracie.
3. Engagement tracking (beacon on the results page): logs results_open, song_play, mission_film_play + watch depth (25/50/75/95%), pdf_open, im_in_click - each tied to the person. Store = Cloudflare KV. Read the log at GET https://demo.affirmology.ai/api/admin/track?key=<TRACK_ADMIN_KEY> (key held by DATA/Jeff).
4. Connected identity: the /r/<code> cookie + the ?j token both resolve to the same aff_uid, so text-link, email-link, and audio-email touchpoints stay linked to one person. Email links in future sends should use /r/<code> so they connect (note for whoever writes the emails).
5. The agreement/commit page already exists at demo.affirmology.ai/agreement?j=<token> (the "sign the boxes" form: listen / honest feedback / active / confidential commitments). It records to /api/admin/beta-submissions.
6. A /in generic join page exists but its copy promises "we'll text you your audios" - WRONG (delivery is TestFlight). Either reframe to route to TestFlight or retire it; the per-person /r/<code>?to=commit links are the better path anyway.

Not yet built (Stage 2+): email open/click metrics (Resend tracking → same store), a polished unified dashboard, bulk automated SMS (would need A2P 10DLC registration, days-to-weeks - deliberately skipped in favor of personal texts).

Open decisions for Cowork to drive

1. Launch date: Sunday vs Monday, and what "launched" means (first cohort size).
2. Tomorrow's commit text (7/10): the copy, and confirm it routes to the commit form (/r/<code>?to=commit). Who's on the list (the 17, minus anyone Jeff trims).
3. Post-commit sequence: the moment someone signs the boxes → what happens? When/how do they get TestFlight instructions? Manual or automated? Who sends?
4. TestFlight onboarding: the actual "download TestFlight + get the app" instructions (Code chat owns the TestFlight build + invites; Cowork owns the instruction copy/flow).
5. Onboarding assets: wiki (content + where it lives), WhatsApp group (create + invite flow), explainer video (script + record).
6. /in page: reframe to TestFlight or retire.

Suggested sequence (a starting point, not a decision)

1. Now → Fri: finish the initial journey, test beds, app updates (Code + Jeff). Define the post-commit flow (Cowork).
2. Fri 7/10: honor the promised date - personal text to the 17 with their /r/<code>?to=commit link to sign the boxes. Small, warm, "you're already one of us, make it official."
3. Weekend: as commits land (watch /api/admin/beta-submissions + the tracking log), send each committer their TestFlight instructions; stand up the WhatsApp group + wiki + explainer video.
4. Sun/Mon 7/12 - 13: the real launch - app in their hands, daily journey begins, community open.

Lane split

• DATA (engine/site): the render pipeline, results page, tracked links + identity + tracking store, email metrics infra. (Built the above.)
• Code (apps): the iOS/Atlas app, TestFlight build + invites, cloud-Fish, in-app library + journey.
• Cowork: this rollout strategy, the commit/text/email copy, TestFlight instruction flow, wiki, WhatsApp, explainer video, sequencing.