01
Offline operation.
Tools must function without network connectivity — not merely degrade gracefully. If the network is down, the tool still works. Full stop.
offline-first · not offline-tolerantStandard · 06 / 12Business Tool Durability
BASICS.
A commitments system for frontier-grade software. Business Assistance System — a practical standard for building business tools that can operate across unstable conditions, constrained devices, mixed operator skill levels, and long product lifecycles. Not what to build. What your tool must survive.
BASICS · statusACTIVE
Versionv0.1.1
TypeNormative standard · testable obligations
CLI
basics · evidence-backed assessorConformingWorkpads Standard v0.1 (Core tier)
§ 01What it coversfive survival domains
02
Constrained devices.
Tools must work on low-memory, low-power, small-screen hardware, including feature phones. The frontier does not run the latest MacBook.
low-memory · low-power · KaiOS03
Mixed skill levels.
Tools must be operable by people who did not build them and may not read English. The operator learned the tool yesterday. It must still work.
non-technical · multilingual04
Data durability.
Records must be exportable in open formats, never locked to a vendor. Your data outlives every product cycle, every funding round, every pivot.
open export · no vendor lock05
Long lifecycles.
Tools must be designed to operate for decades, not just until the next funding round. Century-capable is the design target.
decades · not quarters06
Evidence-backed assessment.
The BASICS CLI examines code, configuration, documentation, and test coverage. It does not guess — it checks specific files, specific patterns, specific behaviors, and reports what it finds.
CLI assessor · not a checklist§ 02How it worksrules, profiles, tiers
Structure
RulesStable identifiers · testable obligations
ProfilesTiers of conformance (Core + specialized)
Assessor
basics CLI · evidence-backed reportsCore tierBaseline requirements all tools must meet
Higher tiersIntermittent, KaiOS, multilingual, audit-grade
Philosophy
NotSuggested practices or best-effort guidelines
InsteadVerifiable promises about behavior under stress
OriginInternal Babb discipline, made public
Applies toWorkpads, BitPads, BitLedger, Workwarrior
Available toAnyone building tools for the same conditions
§ 03Where to find it
BASICS is an open standard.
The standard specifies obligations. The CLI assesses conformance. Both are public.