Periodic Table of Software — interactive site (spec seed)

Origin: founder shared [[../../06-reference/2026-07-19-periodic-table-of-software-thatguybg|Brett Goldstein's Periodic Table of Software]] (2026-07-19) and the design converged over the same-morning iMessage thread. This file is the spec seed for when he says go. Do not build until explicit go.

The concept (founder + Ray, converged 2026-07-19)

Layered chemistry model, potions/alchemy feel:

1. Elements — the 115 from Brett's table (Objects, Properties, Actions, Interfaces, Intelligence, Rules). Tap → detail card.
2. Compounds — named combinations (CRM, kanban board, standup, Squarely, the brigade house). Founder: several of Brett's "elements" are arguably compounds — the site makes that argument playable.
3. Reactions (recipes) — mad-libs-style instructions for combining elements/compounds: 2 [Person] + [Task] + [Schedule] --[Trigger]--> Standup. (Chemistry term supplied: reaction/synthesis.)
4. Knowledge graph — reactions-as-typed-edges. Functional (queryable), educational (drill the fundamentals), fun (potions). RDCO already runs typed edges in duckdb for the vault graph → machinery nearly free.

Extra chemistry mappings ratified in-thread:

• Emergent properties distinguish compound from mixture (dashboard = mixture; CRM = compound). The educational payload.
• Catalysts = the AI (101-108) + automation (109-115) rows: enable reactions without being consumed.
• Valence = how many bonds an element wants (Person bonds greedily; ID bonds to everything; Vendor barely bonds). Valence is the playable version of the founder's "soft requirements" point — element-vs-compound is arguable, and the site can host the argument.

Design direction

• Potions/apothecary/alchemy aesthetic — hand-drawn engraving, alchemical diagrams. Dead center of founder taste (../../06-reference/2026-05-23-founder-design-taste-synthesis: hand-drawn/engraving > flat-minimal).
• Aesthetic carrier: ray-data-co-design umbrella; likely its own micro-feel.

Delivery rails (when go lands)

• v0 internal toy: rdco.dev via /publish-site (Access-gated, IC-mode OK).
• Public version: production-mode (12-stage, design-critic gate) + original twist (compounds/reactions layers) + credit to Brett Goldstein — a bare re-render of his image would be derivative.
• Element/compound/reaction data model doubles as a content pipeline: each reaction card is a data-dots-adjacent atomic content unit (X/SC remix candidates).

Open questions for the go conversation

• Adopt Brett's 115 verbatim (with credit) or fork our own table (agent-era elements: ticket, rail, station, eval…)? Forking dodges derivative risk and makes it an RDCO artifact; adopting keeps the drill-the-canon story.
• Scope of v0: static cards + compounds view only, or reactions + graph too?
• Domain: subdomain of rdco.dev (toy) vs raydata.co surface (public bet).