Earned — the spec

Earned is a curated community directory for everyday consumers who are tired of algorithmic recommendations and paid placement. Items are nominated by the community and approved by a human editorial layer, so every listing has genuinely earned its spot. Browsers discover trusted products by category, read the case for each entry, save favorites, and shop directly. Nominators get a stake in what gets recognized.

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Decisions locked

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The core loop

1. A visitor lands on the directory home and picks a category that interests them.
2. They read a listing: the item name, a short editorial rationale, and community save/vote counts.
3. They save the item to their personal list or click through to shop (affiliate link where applicable).
4. They decide to nominate something: they submit a product URL plus a written pitch explaining why it has earned its place.
5. An editor reviews the nomination and approves or declines it.
6. Approved items go live; the nominator and all subscribers receive that week's email digest of new additions.

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v1 scope

Category-based browsable directory
Approved items are organized into browsable categories, each listing showing the item name, an editorial description of why it made the cut, and a direct link. Lives on the home page and individual category pages.

Nomination form
A structured form collects the product URL, the nominator's pitch, and their account details. Submitted nominations enter an internal review queue invisible to the public until approved. Lives on a dedicated Nominate page.

Social proof: votes and saves per listing
Authenticated users can save a listing to their personal collection or cast a single upvote. Counts are displayed on each listing card and detail page, giving editors a secondary signal of community interest.

Email digest of new approved items
A triggered email goes out on a set cadence (weekly by default) listing every item approved since the last send, with a one-line rationale and a link to the full listing. Subscribers opt in at signup or from account settings.

Search across approved items only
A search bar queries titles, descriptions, and category tags within the approved corpus only — nominations in review are never surfaced. Lives persistently in the site header.

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Deliberately later

• Editorial approval queue with public reasoning: publishing the editor's written rationale alongside each listing adds accountability and editorial voice, but content volume must reach a threshold first or the feature feels sparse.
• Affiliate link integration at item level: per-listing affiliate URLs require merchant relationships and legal/disclosure scaffolding; build once a stable inventory exists and the revenue case is clear.
• Editorial board member profiles and judgment: named editors with bios strengthen trust but add identity management complexity — a better v2 investment once the editorial process is proven.

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Data model sketch

• users — id, email, display_name, created_at, notification_preferences
• listings — id, title, description, category_id, external_url, affiliate_url, status (pending / approved / declined), approved_at, submitted_by_user_id
• categories — id, name, slug, description
• nominations — id, user_id, product_url, pitch_text, supporting_file_url, status, reviewed_at, reviewer_id
• saves — id, user_id, listing_id, saved_at
• votes — id, user_id, listing_id, created_at
• digest_sends — id, sent_at, listing_ids_included, recipient_count
• files — id, owner_type, owner_id, storage_url, uploaded_at

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Screens

• Home / Directory — category grid plus featured or recent approved listings; primary entry point.
• Category page — filtered listing feed for a single category with sort by newest or most saved.
• Listing detail — full editorial rationale, save/vote controls, and the outbound shop link.
• Nominate — the submission form with URL, pitch textarea, and optional file upload.
• Search results — keyword results scoped to approved listings only.
• Account / settings — saved items, nomination history, and email digest preferences.
• Admin / editorial queue — internal-only view for editors to approve or decline nominations.

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How to use this document

• Bring it into Mind Palace, where the guided platform and its AI coach pick up from exactly this document and build Earned with you step by step.
• Hand it to a developer as the complete v1 brief — scope, data model, and screens are all here.
• Keep it as the single source of truth while you build, so every feature decision traces back to one document.