---
log: 004
title: "A pricing oracle, born from a 'no'"
date: 2026-06-04
task: "#9 Seed escales ledger + flotille"
tags: [escales, pricing, network, strategy]
shareable: true
---

## Cap (what & why)
A gig fell through — "sorry, went with the house DJ for budget." That sting is
data. `escales` turns it into a pricing-calibration ledger + a network graph.

## Manœuvre (how)
Built `escales` as **strategic memory, not a booking app**: a flat YAML ledger keyed
by gig slug (extends the site's existing gig data with the two things it lacks —
**fees** and **co-players**). Fees are private → gitignored. Flotille seeded from repo
collab dirs + the site's events ontology.

## Prise (findings / artifacts)
- `escales/{README, escales.example.yaml, .gitignore, flotille.yaml}`.
- The lost gig is data point #1: anchor lower for that org type/region next time.

## Sel (the shareable learning)
- A rejection is a **calibration sample**, not a verdict. Logged consistently, a
  dozen of them become a "what should I ask?" oracle.
- The network of budding artists is the #1 growth engine — so the relationship map
  deserves to be **data** (a flotilla), not just folders.
- Caught a false positive: `nova` isn't a collaborator, it's the **Novation**
  controller. Verify your seed data against the human.

## Hameçon (hook)
"A promoter told me no. So I built a tool that makes the next 'no' less likely."

## Sillage (what it unlocks)
Pricing confidence + a network graph that feeds gig leads and site cross-links.
