operating-model / loops/platform-loop/design.md
id: platform-loop.designtype: domainstatus: activeversion: 2.0loop: platform-loop

Domain · Design and architecture

What it covers

How platform changes are designed before they get built. Shared data model, integrations, the external product surface, and technical debt management.

Activities

  • Data model design — ensuring shared data structures are coherent across loops.
  • Integration architecture — how Rentiful connects to operator systems, payment providers, third-party services.
  • Product architecture — the coherent design of what the external product is and how it evolves.
  • Technical debt management — keeping the platform maintainable as it grows.

Operations

Data model design operation

Queued spec needing data model change → impact on consuming loops assessed → design drafted → reviewed with each consuming loop → committed to documentation → handed off to build.

Integration architecture operation

Queued spec requiring integration → options evaluated (API, feed, manual) → failure modes and fallbacks designed → handoff to build.

Product architecture operation

Queued spec affecting external surfaces → coherence with existing surfaces assessed → multi-brand implications considered (owned surface vs White Label partner surface) → handoff to build.

Technical debt management operation

Velocity indicator flags or specific debt surfaces → impact assessed → debt item scheduled, parked, or worked into the next relevant build → outcome tracked.

Notes

Design is where multi-loop implications get surfaced. A change that seems local to one loop often has ripple effects on others — data model additions, event contract changes, and product surface changes should always be reviewed with every consuming loop.

Multi-brand concerns (surfaces can be Rentiful-branded or operator-branded) are a permanent design consideration now that White Label exists. "What does this look like on a partner surface?" is always a question.

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