Routing Card Pattern

Use this pattern when adding a new situation to START-HERE.md. Keep the field names stable so the Markdown can later be parsed into a docs UI, search card, or lightweight web app route.

Blank routing card

Field	Route
Situation	Short user-facing prompt in the user’s words, such as “I have a call in the next 24 hours.”
Use when	The conditions that make this route the right starting point.
Start here	One primary playbook link, with optional secondary links only when they clarify the path.
Next artifact	The checklist, template, update, plan, email, or decision record the user should create next.
Common mistake	The most likely failure mode to avoid.

Copy-paste snippet

### “Situation prompt goes here.”

| Field | Route |
| --- | --- |
| **Situation** |  |
| **Use when** |  |
| **Start here** |  |
| **Next artifact** |  |
| **Common mistake** |  |

Authoring guidelines

• Write the Situation as a phrase someone would recognize under pressure.
• Keep Start here focused on the first playbook to open, not every related document.
• Make Next artifact concrete enough that the user knows what to produce before moving on.
• Use Common mistake to prevent the behavior that usually creates rework, confusion, or customer risk.
• Prefer relative Markdown links so the routing layer works in GitHub, local editors, generated docs sites, and future UI routes.

Example

Field	Route
Situation	“A POC is off track.”
Use when	Success criteria are slipping, blockers are accumulating, timeline is at risk, or stakeholder confidence is dropping.
Start here	POC recovery, then update the customer with the POC status update email.
Next artifact	Recovery plan with blocker list, owner/date for each action, revised success criteria, and communication cadence.
Common mistake	Waiting until the final readout to acknowledge that the POC is not tracking to plan.