Documentation

Build a traceable path from signal to decision.

Northstar Stack organizes company intelligence as a set of connected records. Each record keeps the source, evidence state, owner, and next decision visible from intake through outcome.

Architecture

Evidence layer

Listening Engine

Collects declared sources, extracts relevant signals, preserves context, and routes supported findings to the right decision.

Operating layer

Glass Dashboard

Connects the finding, decision, active work, blocker, and observed result in one inspectable view.

Core records

  • Source: the original call, record, measurement, document, or system entry.
  • Signal: a source-linked observation that may change a marketing question.
  • Finding: a supported conclusion with its evidence state and limits attached.
  • Decision: the move selected, its owner, rationale, and next review point.
  • Action: the work created by the decision, including dependencies and status.
  • Outcome: the observed result, measured against the definition agreed for the decision.

Evidence states

Direct

Established by the source

A quotation, measurement, behavior, or record supports the statement without interpretation.

Supported

Corroborated interpretation

Independent evidence points to the same conclusion and the interpretation remains visible.

Estimate

Calculated with assumptions

The value shows its inputs and can be replaced when the company provides an actual.

Unknown

Not established

The source set cannot answer the question, so the record stays open instead of forcing a conclusion.

Operating flow

  1. Declare the business question, source inventory, owners, and access boundaries.
  2. Review new signals against the question they can change.
  3. Promote supported signals into findings and leave unresolved signals open.
  4. Route each finding to a named decision owner with a review date.
  5. Connect the resulting action and observed outcome back to the original evidence.

Roles and authority

The source owner controls the underlying record. The decision owner chooses the consequential move. The reviewer checks whether the evidence supports the finding and whether the output preserves its limits. AI can prepare and compare records, but it does not replace any of those owners.

Output contract

  • Every factual finding retains an exact source link or source identifier.
  • Every estimate is labeled and shows the assumptions used.
  • Every decision has a named owner, rationale, and review point.
  • Every outcome keeps its metric definition, system of record, and observation date.