Outside-in access baseline with pre-auth browse and minimal signup

DEC-0043 - Outside-in access baseline with pre-auth browse and minimal signup

Context

Outside-in direction was already set, but V2 still needed explicit low-friction contracts for pre-auth browsing, auth gate point, signup minimum fields, and first post-signup landing behavior.

Decision

Pre-auth browsing:

• Users can browse program/course/exercise discovery surfaces before login.

Auth gate point:

• Require auth at attempt start or first action that must persist user data.

Signup minimum:

• Minimum required fields for account creation are auth identity and terms acceptance.

Post-signup first landing:

• First landing after successful signup is Home with empty-state guidance.

Return behavior:

• If auth was triggered from a protected context, return to that context after success.
• If no valid return context exists, fallback to Home.

Decision Value

• Reduces drop-off before first learning action.
• Keeps auth boundary clear and consistent.
• Preserves context when users authenticate mid-flow.

Rationale

Users should be able to discover value before commitment. The platform keeps persistence-protected actions gated, while minimizing unnecessary friction at entry.