Principles
The rules we build Shots by,decided before we wrote the code.
We argued out each part of Shots in writing before building it. These are the decisions that shape the product.
Principles
13 rules every release is held to,each with the reason behind it.
- 01
Keep the promise narrow
Shots doesn't claim to run your whole marketing department. Every new feature has to serve that one promise.
Give us what you shipped, and we turn it into content ready to publish.
- 02
Build the manual tools first
Each layer uses only what the layer below already does reliably. Starting with the AI would mean debugging workflows it made up.
Manual tools first, then step-by-step workflows, then the AI.
- 03
Fixed steps before the AI
The order of steps is written in code. The AI fills in text at set points, and its output is checked.
When a workflow fails, it tells you which step failed.
- 04
Records over chat history
Chat is one way to change a launch. A form, an API call, or a scheduled job can change it too.
A launch is saved as records, so you can change one piece without redoing the rest.
- 05
The workspace comes first
The AI edits the same workspace you do, and you can do all of its work by hand.
Everything you can do in chat, you can also do in the workspace.
- 06
Approval is enforced
No AI action can skip approval, and no API key can give it.
Every post needs a teammate's approval, checked on the server.
- 07
Safe tools
The AI gets marketing tools. It can't query the database, make arbitrary web requests, hold credentials, or name another workspace.
The AI suggests what to do. Shots decides how it runs safely.
- 08
Cite or ask
Asking you one question costs less than a launch that invents a benchmark.
A claim that cites nothing, or a missing source, is removed and becomes an open question.
- 09
What you type wins
Automation fills empty fields. It never overwrites what you wrote.
A description you typed always wins over text Shots extracted.
- 10
Always leave something useful
Posts without a visual are kept. Partial results are saved and labeled.
If a step fails, you still reach a workspace with something to act on.
- 11
Late beats twice
When delivery is uncertain, a teammate decides. Shots does not resend on its own.
A duplicate post or email is worse than a late one.
- 12
Automation is earned
You choose the level. A mode never gives a role more permissions.
You move from Manual to Copilot to Autopilot one step at a time.
- 13
Measure whether teams come back
If a team runs one launch and leaves, Shots hasn't done its job.
The number that matters is how many teams return for their next launch.
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