# Clark Decision Log This log records decisions that have been made strongly enough to guide the project. ## How To Use - Add one entry per meaningful decision. - State whether the decision is evidence-backed, assumption-led, or provisional. - Reference the source docs affected by the decision. - Update or supersede old entries rather than silently drifting. ## Status Labels - `Provisional`: current working decision, but still evidence-sensitive - `Confirmed`: strong enough to treat as default - `Superseded`: replaced by a later decision ## Entries ### D-001: CLARK Is The Sole Platform Entity - Date: 2026-03-20 - Status: Confirmed - Type: Confirmed - Decision: Use CLARK consistently as the company and platform name. - Reasoning: The earlier GAIN reference was accidental and removed. - Affected docs: - `docs/venture/venture-overview.md` - `docs/venture/business-plan.md` - `docs/venture/pitch.md` - `README.md` ### D-002: Hamilton-Buffalo Is The Initial Corridor Thesis - Date: 2026-03-20 - Status: Provisional - Type: Assumption-led - Decision: Treat Hamilton and Buffalo as the first operating corridor. - Reasoning: This is the current strategic wedge, but it still requires comparative validation. - Affected docs: - `docs/venture/venture-overview.md` - `docs/venture/business-plan.md` - `docs/venture/pitch.md` - `docs/process/research.md` ### D-003: Research Must Gate Investor Claims - Date: 2026-03-20 - Status: Confirmed - Type: Confirmed - Decision: Factual claims must remain in research until validated strongly enough for promotion. - Reasoning: The detailed CLARK thesis contains high-potential claims that are not yet sufficiently sourced. - Affected docs: - `docs/process/research.md` - `docs/process/research-board.md` - `docs/venture/pitch.md` ### D-004: Use Industrial Controls And Adjacent Rugged Hardware As The Current Beachhead Default - Date: 2026-03-20 - Status: Provisional - Type: Evidence-backed - Decision: Use industrial controls, smart-energy hardware, sensor modules, edge devices, and rugged instrumentation as the current default beachhead cluster for further research. - Reasoning: First-pass competitor and market evidence suggests this cluster fits CLARK's intended strengths better than generic EMS work or broad defense claims. - Affected docs: - `docs/process/research.md` - `docs/process/claims-register.md` - `docs/process/research-board.md` ### D-005: Keep Hamilton-Buffalo As The Working Corridor, But Downgrade Any Claim That It Is Clearly Best - Date: 2026-03-21 - Status: Provisional - Type: Evidence-backed - Decision: Keep Hamilton-Buffalo as the working corridor for CLARK, but treat superiority claims as unproven. - Reasoning: Current evidence supports the corridor as credible and strategically coherent, but not yet as clearly stronger than alternatives such as Hamilton-Waterloo or Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse. - Affected docs: - `docs/process/research.md` - `docs/process/claims-register.md` - `docs/process/research-board.md` - `docs/venture/pitch.md` ### D-006: Remove START-UP NY From Active CLARK Incentive Framing - Date: 2026-03-21 - Status: Confirmed - Type: Evidence-backed - Decision: Do not use START-UP NY as an active Buffalo incentive claim in CLARK planning. - Reasoning: Empire State Development states that START-UP NY is closed to new applicants as of January 1, 2026. - Affected docs: - `docs/process/research.md` - `docs/process/claims-register.md` - `docs/venture/pitch.md` - `docs/venture/business-plan.md` ### D-007: Use Training-First Revenue As CLARK's Initial Commercial Model - Date: 2026-03-23 - Status: Confirmed - Type: Founder-directed - Decision: CLARK's first revenue should come from IPC certification and train-the-trainer activity before assembly and platform-fee revenue become meaningful. - Reasoning: This creates an early commercial foothold using a practical, non-scaled launch model while Niagara Assembly comes online. - Affected docs: - `docs/venture/venture-overview.md` - `docs/venture/business-plan.md` - `docs/process/claims-register.md` ### D-008: Set Default Node Ownership At 10% With A Practical Ceiling Of 15% To 20% - Date: 2026-03-23 - Status: Confirmed - Type: Founder-directed - Decision: CLARK should target 10% default ownership in new Assembly Centres / Assembly Centers, with higher ownership only where CLARK contributes more capital or strategic support. - Reasoning: This preserves local operator ownership while still creating economic upside and room for later capital recycling. - Affected docs: - `docs/venture/venture-overview.md` - `docs/venture/business-plan.md` - `docs/process/claims-register.md` ### D-009: Bundle Software Into Assembly Centre / Assembly Center Licensing - Date: 2026-03-23 - Status: Confirmed - Type: Founder-directed - Decision: Software should be bundled into center licensing by default and billed separately only for non-center users seeking partial access to the Clark System. - Reasoning: This keeps the operating model simpler for centers while preserving a separate monetization path for outside users. - Affected docs: - `docs/venture/venture-overview.md` - `docs/venture/business-plan.md` - `docs/process/claims-register.md` ### D-010: Operate The Hamilton Training Facility Directly Inside Niagara Assembly As A CLARK Beta Model - Date: 2026-03-23 - Status: Confirmed - Type: Founder-directed - Decision: The Hamilton Training Facility should be operated directly by CLARK within the larger Niagara Assembly footprint and used as the beta case study for future licensed expansion. - Reasoning: This creates a direct learning loop for CLARK, keeps the brand primary, and allows the training model to be iterated before scaling. - Affected docs: - `docs/products/training-services/hamilton-training-model.md` - `docs/venture/venture-overview.md` - `docs/venture/business-plan.md` - `docs/process/claims-register.md` ### D-011: Position Hamilton As A Regional Workforce Center With Niagara Assembly As Prime Beneficiary - Date: 2026-03-23 - Status: Confirmed - Type: Founder-directed - Decision: Position the Hamilton Training Facility as a broader regional workforce center rather than only an internal Niagara Assembly training arm. - Reasoning: This supports revenue generation, ecosystem relationships, and the replicability of CLARK's training model while still benefiting Niagara Assembly directly. - Affected docs: - `docs/products/training-services/hamilton-training-model.md` - `docs/venture/venture-overview.md` - `docs/venture/business-plan.md` - `docs/process/claims-register.md` ### D-012: Use A Defined IPC Launch Bundle For Hamilton Training - Date: 2026-03-23 - Status: Confirmed - Type: Founder-directed - Decision: Use IPC-A-610 CIS, IPC-A-610 CSE, Hand Soldering Certification, EPTAC Hands-on Cable and Wire Harness Lab, and IPC-A-610 CIT as the initial Hamilton training bundle. - Reasoning: This creates a rigorous first offering that supports both operator capability and trainer development, with CIT aimed more directly at experienced professionals. - Affected docs: - `docs/products/training-services/hamilton-training-model.md` - `docs/venture/business-plan.md` - `docs/process/claims-register.md` ### D-013: Pair IPC Credentials With Separate CLARK-Branded Wraparound Curriculum - Date: 2026-03-23 - Status: Confirmed - Type: Founder-directed - Decision: Market formal IPC outcomes as IPC-certified while developing separate CLARK-branded modular courses that build broader manufacturing literacy and industry readiness. - Reasoning: This preserves the integrity of the IPC credential while giving CLARK its own defensible training layer and intake pathway. - Affected docs: - `docs/products/training-services/hamilton-training-model.md` - `docs/venture/business-plan.md` - `docs/process/claims-register.md` - `docs/venture/venture-overview.md` ### D-014: Use A Hybrid Fee Model And Split Liability In Hamilton - Date: 2026-03-23 - Status: Confirmed - Type: Founder-directed - Decision: Use nominal fixed fees plus simple revenue sharing with Niagara Assembly, with instructor liability carried by CLARK and trainee injury and equipment-damage responsibility carried by the facility side. - Reasoning: This keeps the beta commercial model simple while establishing a practical first-pass risk allocation. - Affected docs: - `docs/products/training-services/hamilton-training-model.md` - `docs/venture/business-plan.md` - `docs/venture/venture-overview.md` - `docs/process/claims-register.md` ### D-015: Treat The Hamilton Advisory Group As A Working Group, Not A Formal Approval Body - Date: 2026-03-23 - Status: Confirmed - Type: Founder-directed - Decision: The Advisory Group should receive monthly updates and meet quarterly to refine the approach, but should not have formal review authority over CLARK operations. - Reasoning: This preserves outside input and ecosystem alignment without slowing operational control or standards ownership. - Affected docs: - `docs/products/training-services/hamilton-training-model.md` - `docs/venture/business-plan.md` - `docs/process/claims-register.md` ### D-016: Use Clark Certified As The Proprietary Achievement Label - Date: 2026-03-23 - Status: Confirmed - Type: Founder-directed - Decision: Use Clark Certified as the default label for CLARK's proprietary wraparound curriculum, while keeping IPC outcomes labeled plainly as IPC-certified. - Reasoning: This preserves the integrity of the IPC credential while giving CLARK a clear and ownable achievement brand. - Affected docs: - `docs/products/training-services/hamilton-training-model.md` - `docs/venture/business-plan.md` - `docs/process/claims-register.md` ### D-017: Tie Hamilton Fixed Fees To Course Volume And Calculate Revenue Share After Direct Instructional Costs - Date: 2026-03-23 - Status: Confirmed - Type: Founder-directed - Decision: Structure Hamilton beta economics with fixed fees that scale by course volume plus a revenue-sharing component calculated after direct instructional costs. - Reasoning: This keeps the model fair to both CLARK and Niagara Assembly while matching fees more closely to actual training activity. - Affected docs: - `docs/products/training-services/hamilton-training-model.md` - `docs/venture/business-plan.md` - `docs/venture/venture-overview.md` - `docs/process/claims-register.md` ### D-018: Split Compliance By Function And Build Verifiable Records By End Of Year 1 - Date: 2026-03-23 - Status: Confirmed - Type: Founder-directed - Decision: Niagara Assembly should own facility safety and site procedures, CLARK should own instructor and training-process compliance, and CLARK should develop verifiable shareable records for Clark Certified outcomes by the end of year 1. - Reasoning: This creates a clean operating split for launch while giving CLARK a concrete timeline for the credentialing layer without forcing blockchain into day-one scope. - Affected docs: - `docs/products/training-services/hamilton-training-model.md` - `docs/venture/business-plan.md` - `docs/venture/venture-overview.md` - `docs/process/claims-register.md` ### D-019: Use A Volume-Banded Hamilton Beta Fee Model With A Declining Revenue Share - Date: 2026-03-23 - Status: Provisional - Type: Assumption-led - Decision: For Hamilton's beta period, use fixed monthly facility charges that rise with delivered course volume and a post-instructional-cost revenue share that declines as volume increases: CAD 1,250 plus 12% for 1 to 2 monthly courses, CAD 2,500 plus 10% for 3 to 4 courses, and CAD 4,000 plus 8% for 5 or more courses. - Reasoning: This keeps the initial commercial arrangement simple, auditable, and operationally fair while avoiding a negotiation-heavy internal transfer model during the beta phase. - Affected docs: - `docs/products/training-services/hamilton-training-model.md` - `docs/venture/business-plan.md` - `docs/venture/venture-overview.md` - `docs/process/research-board.md` ### D-020: Define Clarkware Version 1 As Facility-Aware Reporting And Coordination Software - Date: 2026-03-23 - Status: Provisional - Type: Founder-directed - Decision: Define Clarkware version 1 as facility-aware software focused on Integrated Production Environments, facility activity logging, human-and-AI audit trails, role-based reporting, secure on-site-first collaboration, workflow chat and presence, and owner-accessible local data controls. - Reasoning: This keeps CLARK's software scope tied to the real operating environments where the platform creates trust, accountability, and coordination value, while avoiding premature expansion into generic ERP, full digital twins, or over-automated factory control. - Affected docs: - `docs/products/clarkware/network-operating-model.md` - `docs/venture/business-plan.md` - `docs/venture/venture-overview.md` - `docs/process/research-board.md` ### D-021: Use A Diagnostics Test Bench And Export-First Evidence Capture For The First Niagara Clarkware Pilot - Date: 2026-03-23 - Status: Provisional - Type: Founder-directed - Decision: Use Test Bench A01 as the recommended first Niagara Clarkware pilot station, target a bench oscilloscope or equivalent diagnostics instrument with CSV export as the first evidence path, and structure the first reporting view around active jobs, recent test imports, open issues, unresolved recommendations, and items awaiting human review. - Reasoning: This keeps the pilot tied to a high-signal workstation where evidence capture, notes, handoffs, and remote expert review are all materially valuable while avoiding premature deep machine-control scope. - Affected docs: - `docs/pilots/niagara-clarkware-pilot.md` - `docs/pilots/niagara-pilot-requirements-checklist.md` - `docs/pilots/niagara-pilot-task-tracker.md` - `docs/pilots/niagara-clarkware-demo-script.md` ### D-022: Select Industrial Controls As CLARK's First Commercial Beachhead - Date: 2026-03-28 - Status: Confirmed - Type: Evidence-backed - Decision: Use industrial-controls OEMs and integrators needing low-volume, firmware-sensitive PCB and PCBA support as CLARK's first customer segment. - Reasoning: This is the strongest current fit with CLARK's training-first launch, Clarkware proof path, and the repo's best-supported market evidence. - Affected docs: - `docs/process/beachhead-customer-decision.md` - `docs/venture/venture-overview.md` - `docs/venture/business-plan.md` - `docs/venture/pitch.md` - `docs/process/claims-register.md` ### D-023: Treat Dunkirk As A Later Logistics Option, Not Active Footprint - Date: 2026-03-28 - Status: Confirmed - Type: Evidence-backed - Decision: Keep Dunkirk as a later logistics option and remove it from the current core proof case. - Reasoning: Current repo evidence supports Dunkirk as an optional warehousing and logistics path, not as a settled launch asset. - Affected docs: - `docs/process/dunkirk-scope-memo.md` - `docs/venture/venture-overview.md` - `docs/venture/business-plan.md` - `docs/venture/pitch.md` - `docs/process/claims-register.md` ### D-024: Keep Workforce Housing Out Of CLARK's Current Venture Scope - Date: 2026-03-28 - Status: Confirmed - Type: Founder-directed - Decision: Exclude workforce housing from CLARK's active venture plan. - Reasoning: Housing is not required to prove the first commercial sequence and weakens investor focus by introducing adjacency sprawl. - Affected docs: - `docs/process/workforce-housing-scope-memo.md` - `docs/venture/venture-overview.md` - `docs/venture/business-plan.md` - `docs/process/claims-register.md` ### D-025: Use A Staged Digital-First Path For Clark Certified Records - Date: 2026-03-28 - Status: Confirmed - Type: Founder-directed - Decision: Build Clark Certified records in stages using conventional digital issuance and verification first, with blockchain-backed anchoring treated as an optional later enhancement. - Reasoning: This satisfies the year-1 verifiable-record requirement without forcing speculative technology into the initial launch. - Affected docs: - `docs/products/training-services/clark-certified-records-implementation-brief.md` - `docs/products/training-services/hamilton-training-model.md` - `docs/products/clarkware/clarkware-roadmap.md` - `docs/venture/business-plan.md` - `docs/venture/venture-overview.md` ### D-026: Use A Draftable Hamilton Co-Location Agreement Position Set - Date: 2026-03-28 - Status: Provisional - Type: Founder-directed - Decision: Use a 24-month initial term, one 12-month automatic renewal with 90-day notice, defined treatment of on-site versus off-site training revenue, and explicit split control over facility safety versus training-process compliance as the working draft position for Hamilton agreement drafting. - Reasoning: The repo now needs draftable positions rather than only concept-level outline language. - Affected docs: - `docs/financials/hamilton-colocation-draft-terms.md` - `docs/financials/hamilton-colocation-term-sheet-outline.md` - `docs/products/training-services/hamilton-training-model.md` - `docs/venture/business-plan.md`