Builders as compilers · StartupBuilder

A Builder compiles part of a project into the running business. StartupBuilder directs four others, and each owns a set of folders.

Five Builders

Builder	Compiles	Produces
StartupBuilder	`startup.ts`, `startups.lock`, `settings.mdx`, `policies.mdx`, `agents/`, `workflows/`, `plays/`, `systems/`, `dashboards/`, `tests/`	The Startup, Teams, Roles, Processes, Workflows, Dashboards
SoftwareBuilder	`nouns/`, `verbs/`, `evaluators/`, `mappings/`, `env.ts`, `products/` of kind App, API, Agent or Dataset, `apps/`, `code/`	Nouns, Verbs, Functions, Apps, the API, SDK, CLI and MCP
SiteBuilder	`sites/`, `domains/`, `content/`, `brand/`, `components/`	Sites, Pages, Domains, Brand, Components
[Service](/business/nouns/service)Builder	`products/` of kind Service, and the outcome terms in its Offer	Services and their work lifecycle
SalesBuilder	`offers/`, demand `plays/`	Offers, Prices, checkout, Stripe Products and Prices

Every save under npx startup-builder dev, and every push, runs the same steps:

Parse. Each file becomes a typed record. A syntax error, a secret-shaped value or a key set twice stops here and names the line.
Canonicalize. The record is printed in one canonical form and fingerprinted. Formatting changes mint nothing.
Resolve. Own values merge over the pinned Startup Template into .sb/resolved/.
Build. Each Builder compiles its folders: types, routes, screens, Pages, Stripe objects, MCP tools.
Check. Verb tests, Role tests, scenario tests and Evaluators run on the preview.
Preview. The result is a Change on its own preview address, merged with Change.merge and deployed with Version.deploy.

One nouns/Lease.mdx file, in a Startup that declares a Lease Noun, yields every one of these:

Output	Where
Types	`.sb/types/Lease`, and `/$.d.ts` for agents
API	`GET /leaseline.app/leases`, `POST /leaseline.app/leases/{lease}/renew`
SDK	`$.Lease.renew({ lease })`
CLI	`npx startup-builder do Lease.renew --json '{"lease":"lease_1"}'`
MCP	`Lease.renew` in the `do` tool's program
App	`/app/leases`, and a form for each Verb
Events	`Lease.created`, `Lease.renewed`
Docs	A reference page for the Noun and each Verb

To see where any value came from, show it:

Terminal

npx startup-builder show /offers/pro/price

Text

offers/pro.price = $29 per month
  set by    offers/pro.mdx:3
  shadows   solo-saas@7  ($19 per month)