# Cascade

*A bounded social network built on the reality of finite human social capacity.*

**"Room for 126. Grown from 6."**

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## What Is Cascade?

Cascade is a social constellation app where relationships emerge from resonance, not algorithmic matching. You plant your Inner Circle (6 people). The cascade does the rest.

- **126 hexes** in a honeycomb lattice, growing organically from your center
- **Ring tempo system** — each ring refreshes at a different rate (hourly → yearly)
- **Cart identity layer** — Food / Activities / Habitat, broadcasting real signal
- **5 currencies** — Hearts, Stars, Moons, Hourglasses, Balloons
- **Resonance emerges** — you discover, you don't search

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## Document Index

| Document | Contents |
|----------|---------|
| `docs/00-OVERVIEW.md` | Full product overview, concept, competitive landscape |
| `docs/01-RING-SYSTEM.md` | All 7 rings (R0-R6), assignment, tempo, permanence |
| `docs/02-CART-SYSTEM.md` | Food / Activities / Habitat categories, item schema, pattern recognition |
| `docs/03-CURRENCIES.md` | Five currencies, earning/spending, Float levels |
| `docs/04-RESONANCE.md` | Propagation, gravity, discovery flow, anti-gaming |
| `docs/05-ONBOARDING.md` | 7-step user flow, claim mechanics, empty states |
| `docs/06-THE-CURRENT.md` | R6 ambient layer, hourly refresh, discovery UX |

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## Core Design Principles

1. **Finite space** — 127 nodes maximum per user. No infinite accumulation.
2. **Organic growth** — Claim R1 manually. R2-R6 fill through resonance.
3. **Tempo-gated** — Each ring has a different refresh rate. Closer = more signal.
4. **Passive resonance** — You don't search. The cascade surfaces people.
5. **Presence over payment** — Balloons (tenure) can't be bought.
6. **Discovery over search** — Survey your atmosphere. Investigate what calls to you.
7. **No forced matching** — Rising through rings requires bidirectional confirmation.

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## The Rings

| Ring | Size | Tempo | Name |
|------|------|-------|------|
| R0 | 1 | — | YOU |
| R1 | 6 | Yearly | Inner Circle |
| R2 | 12 | Quarterly | Archetypes |
| R3 | 18 | Monthly | The Longing |
| R4 | 24 | Weekly | The Echo |
| R5 | 30 | Daily | The Wave |
| R6 | 36 | Hourly | The Current |

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## The Cart

Three categories, broadcasting identity:

- **Food** — Restaurants, food types, cooking habits, social dining
- **Activities** — Hobbies, sports, entertainment, social style
- **Habitat** — Plants, pets, aesthetic, living space signals

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## The Currencies

| Currency | Pattern | Earned When... |
|----------|---------|---------------|
| ❤️ Hearts | Direct Overlap | Your item appears in another's cart |
| ⭐ Stars | Category Congruence | Your category matches another's type |
| 🌙 Moons | Complementary Rhythm | Your cart fills their gap (and vice versa) |
| ⏳ Hourglasses | Values Alignment | You pass a values quiz |
| 🎈 Balloons | Frequency + Growth | Consistent presence over time |

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## Status

**Currently:** Design phase — documents being written

**Next:** Architecture + first build