PARA

Getting started

# Start from the right angle

This page exists because PARA has different kinds of readers. The shortest useful path for a product reader is not the same as the shortest useful path for an engineer or contributor.

Product reader Start with the thesis, then jump into how the civic flows work in the app. App explorer Read the route-level flow docs for communities, RAQ, cabildeo, highlights, and maps. Engineer Use the current runtime notes and workspace split before reading the schema reference. Contributor Read the product docs first, then move into the curated `com.para.*` contracts.

Recommended paths

Path 1

If you want to understand the product

  1. Read [About](/about) for the political thesis.
  2. Read [How it works](/docs/how-it-works) for the civic surfaces and route families.
  3. Use [Product](/docs/product) to see the visual language.
  4. Use [Trust and safety](/trust-and-safety) when identity, privacy, or moderation matter.

Path 2

If you want to run the stack

  1. Open [Try app](/try-app) for the current shared host and local commands.
  2. Read [How it works](/docs/how-it-works) so the route families and terms make sense.
  3. Use [Schemas](/docs/schemas) only after the product surface is clear.

Path 3

If you want to contribute docs or implementation

Website
Public thesis, docs shell, schema reference, and reader onboarding.
PARA
Actual app routes, screens, and the civic surface area the docs describe.
watx
Backend lexicons, service behavior, indexed views, and xrpc contracts.

The safest order is product surface first, lexicon contract second, implementation internals third. That avoids writing technically accurate docs that still fail to explain the app.

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