Goal policy is fully optional across all flows

DEC-0040 - Goal policy is fully optional across all flows

Context

Previous decisions already positioned goal as optional in onboarding. However, later docs still left ambiguity around whether goal/profile data could become required in paid flow or profile completion gates.

Decision

Global optional policy:

• Goal setup is not mandatory in any user flow.
• This includes free flow and paid flow.

Paid-flow boundary:

• Checkout cannot require goal or learning-profile completion.
• Checkout requires payment-relevant data only.

No-goal behavior:

• If goal is missing, hide target-comparison surfaces.
• Progress/trend analytics remain visible.

Editability:

• User can set/update goal later from Home, Practice Management, or Profile.

Decision Value

• Removes hidden hard-gates that conflict with learner flexibility.
• Keeps paid conversion flow low-friction.
• Preserves personalization as opt-in, not mandatory.

Rationale

The product direction is learner freedom first. Personalization should improve guidance quality without becoming a forced prerequisite for learning or payment.