Why the portfolio content starts as data

Phase 1 starts with contracts and safe inventory so later page work can assemble content without exposing private details or relying on API availability.

The decision is deliberately unglamorous: content schemas define the launch shape before page composition starts. That makes it harder for a visual pass to hide missing proof, unsafe evidence, or routes that only work when JavaScript is available.

Verification lives next to the content model. The build checks parse real examples, reject invalid metadata, and keep the notes, project catalog, resume, and case-study routes aligned with the PRD. The tradeoff is more frontmatter and slower authoring, but the result is a portfolio that can be reviewed as evidence rather than as a hand-built brochure.