Build on brand,
every time.

These are represented by the full-width swatches below. They are designed to be the first colors used in the brand, with a large amount of white space at all times.

Shown as smaller swatches, these are designed to be accent colors used to add color within icons, backgrounds, or text.

When working with the brand, ensure the colors you are using match the color values as shown on this page.

/* Primary */
--deep-blue:    #1F3946;   /* Deep Blue — dark backgrounds, headings */
--sea-blue:     #51708F;   /* Sea Blue — links, labels, accents */
--land-green:   #A5B586;   /* Land Green — highlights, tags */
--white:        #FFFFFF;   /* White — backgrounds, space */

/* Secondary */
--bright-green: #BFC879;   /* Bright Green — accent only */
--yellow:       #ECCD7D;   /* Yellow — accent only */
--sky-blue:     #74A9B9;   /* Sky Blue — accent only */
--mint:         #73A98F;   /* Mint — accent only */

/* Neutrals */
--black:        #181818;
--dark-grey:    #353130;
--light-grey:   #EFEFEF;

This glossary standardizes recurring terms, personas, and metaphors across the three-part System of Action series and Tidemark content. Capitalization and usage rules are noted for each.

System of Action

The environment where work actually happens — humans, AI-assisted humans, and autonomous agents acting on data and triggering downstream workflows. Always capitalized. Use sparingly; don't re-define in each piece. Plural: Systems of Action (titles/tables only).

Control Point

The incumbent software platform that owns key workflows and data gravity in a vertical — the strategic high ground that Native AIs seek to displace. Always capitalized. In SOA3, also refers to the "Control Point CEO" persona.

Native AI

A challenger built from day one around agentic AI workflows — starting lightweight and expanding via learning loops. Always capitalized. The "attacker" in the narrative. Plural: Native AIs.

Hero User

The influential practitioner who has the agency to choose and buy their software tools. Always capitalize; prefer singular. Use "they" as pronoun. Not all businesses have a Hero User.

Good Work

The high-value, meaningful work the Hero User wants to do — core to their craft or mission. Sentence case in running text; capitalize only when listed alongside Administrative Work and Work Not Done.

Administrative Work

Low-leverage, routine work that must be done but adds little differentiated value — prime for automation. Capitalize only when referring to the formal concept in SOA1; otherwise sentence case.

Work Not Done

Valuable work that never gets done — ignored, delayed, or outsourced due to time, skill, or incentive gaps. Latent value AI can capture. Capitalized as a formal category in SOA1; sentence case in SOA2–3 unless directly recalling SOA1.

Sticky Jobs

High-hassle workflows that are complex, collaborative, and poorly served — and therefore perfect for AI disruption. Replaces "Hero Problems." Capitalize both words. Defines the second attack vector when there's no Hero User.

Value Roadmap

A structured plan for how a company expands across adjacent jobs and personas to deepen strategic relevance and lock in value. One word (not "road map"). Capitalize. Key to both challenger and incumbent strategies.

System of Record

The incumbent database/workflow layer on which Control Points historically sit — often the base from which a System of Action evolves. Capitalize when referring to the product category; use in contrast with System of Action.

Cousin Richie

Weak competition — your worst employees, freelancers, offshore vendors, or local agencies. Capitalize. Use sparingly as narrative color, not as a framework item. "Cousin Richie work" reappears as the foundation for agentic automation.

Power Lines

The critical workflows or data conduits where most of an industry's value and coordination flow. Interchangeable with Systems of Record and Control Points. Lowercase unless in quotes. Attribute first mention to John Foreman.

Agentic Solutions / Agents

AI-driven actors that perform tasks autonomously or semi-autonomously, often as co-pilots or embedded assistants. Lowercase unless in a title or subhead. Use "agentic solutions" sparingly — once per piece, then "agents."

Human-in-the-Loop

Verification points where human oversight complements AI automation for trust, quality, or compliance. Hyphenate consistently; this is a compound modifier. Sentence case unless in a subhead.

integrate and surround strategy

A go-to-market tactic where a challenger gains adoption by connecting into an incumbent's system of record ("integrate") then expands outward with adjacent workflows ("surround"). Lowercase; descriptive term only.

Merchant vs. Customer

"Merchant" is the software company's customer. "Customer" is the merchant's customer. Do not conflate these two personas in the System of Action series or any vertical SaaS content.