Launch RLC Plus/Pro re-architecture under new non-Rocky brand

Situation

Decided to launch the RLC Plus/Pro product re-architecture under a completely new brand name, deliberately decoupling it from the Rocky name to avoid getting caught in the PR fallout from Lewis and Neil departure.

Reasoning

The Lewis and Neil departure will create a hostile narrative environment where any Rocky-related product launch would be attacked. Decoupling the product brand from Rocky allows the product to proceed on its own timeline and be judged on its merits, rather than being dragged into political drama. This is about minimizing blast radius - letting the product run unimpeded regardless of what happens with the community situation.

Additional Context

The RLC Plus/Pro branding was already confusing and needed re-architecture. The timing of the expected community backlash from Lewis and Neil departure made this the right moment to make a clean break. Initial plan was 4-6 week delay to secure Rocky rights, but the community fallout risk changed the calculus toward full brand separation.

Observed Evidence

From Fathom meeting summary: Decision - Launch the re-architecture under a new, non-Rocky brand to decouple the product from the community drama. Rationale - The departure will create a narrative void filled by trolls, making it a poor time to launch a product that could be perceived as co-opting the Rocky brand.

Matching Patterns

Confidence Breakdown

Reasoning Depth Analysis