Systems
The headless software every Startup inherits, from Billing to CRM to the Ledger, in 11 groups by job, with one set of Verbs for agents and people.
A System is headless software that owns one business job, such as Billing, CRM or the Ledger. Every Startup inherits the whole set at creation, with nothing to install or wire.
By job
Each System sits in one group, named for its job. Finance holds every System that touches money.
- “Charge $29 a month.”
- “Show me my numbers.”
- “Send this customer a quote.”
- “Book a call with every new lead.”
- “Start a waitlist for the launch.”
- “Publish this post on the blog.”
- “Answer my customers within an hour.”
- “Put up a status page.”
- “Give me dana@leaseline.app.”
- “Get a phone number for support.”
- “Let a customer invite their team.”
- “Delete everything we hold about this person.”
- “Onboard a new supplier.”
- “Send each job to an available supplier.”
- “Register my trademark.”
- “Send the customer contract for signature.”
- “Hire a part-time bookkeeper.”
- “Run payroll this Friday.”
- “Test a $39 price against $29.”
- “Where do visitors drop off?”
- “Answer this security questionnaire.”
- “Show me our SOC 2 status.”
Groups are for finding; Events cross them freely. A won Deal in CRM starts a Subscription in Billing, each paid Invoice posts to the Ledger, and Success tracks the new Customer to value.
What a System is
Each System keeps its records in db.sb, runs on platform Capabilities, and exposes one set of Verbs. An Agent and a Human call the same Verbs through the API, SDK, CLI or MCP server, or on an App screen. One Role is accountable for each System.
All Systems share one database, so a question that crosses them is one Collection.query call. db.sb is always the record. An outside tool mirrors it or sends its edits in as Changes, so no record has two owners.
Money is the one job built on an outside service. Billing, Treasury, Spend management and Earnings run on Stripe, and the Ledger reconciles every Transaction Stripe reports.
A Startup tunes a System in systems/ (file convention). A rule it writes for itself is an automation: a small Process over these Verbs, never another System.
When each System wakes
Most Systems serve a Startup from its first day. Others enter at the Lifecycle state where their job appears. Billing arrives while the Startup is building, Support and Tax when it goes live, and Hiring and Pay runs when it hires.
Opt-in Systems wake with the Product Template that needs them. A Dropship store brings Commerce, and a Marketplace brings Matchmaking, Supplier onboarding and Earnings.
A Licensed-human marketplace adds Credentialing and Dispatch. A Dataset API brings Datasets, and Services-as-Software brings Service delivery.
Every System lists each one with the records it holds, the Role accountable for it and its status. How to read a System page explains the 17 headings every page shares.
Guides
What a founder says to their agent, and the guide that does it.