Own the components, not another package

Reusable UI is valuable. An interface that can only evolve when an upstream package agrees is not. Starter uses a shadcn registry so a fork receives component source, not a permanent runtime dependency.

Source is the API

Installing an element copies a reviewed implementation into the product. From that point on, the fork owns the markup, styles, accessibility, and product-specific evolution.

npx shadcn@latest add \
  http://localhost:4173/r/status-badge.json

The registry still provides consistency:

• A predictable install command.
• Machine-readable metadata for humans and coding agents.
• Dependencies and file targets declared with the component.
• A common Base UI and Tailwind vocabulary.

But consistency does not require captivity.

A shared vocabulary

Starter organizes interface concepts around a small product ontology: objects, properties, actions, and interfaces. Names such as StatusBadge, CurrencyField, ApproveAction, and KanbanView say what a component means, not only what shape it draws.

This vocabulary helps design, data, and agent instructions converge on the same concepts.

The premium seam

The public registry and a future gated registry can share the same manifest shape while using different serving policies. That distinction is intentional:

1. Free elements remain public and source-owned.
2. Premium manifests can live in a separate private product.
3. A Worker can validate a license before returning premium JSON.
4. The consuming app still receives editable source.

Delivery policy can change without changing the component format.

Starter does not build that gate. It leaves a clean boundary so a later product can add one without refactoring the free tier.