Company record
Zod-validated Markdown and Git form a portable company record with forward-only migrations.
Built for accountable production
Start whole. Run the company as one record.
Lycato brings company memory, money, obligations, decisions, proposals, imports, backups, and a reviewable Operator into a Markdown-and-Git-native company core with a private cockpit.
Repository-backed product facts · reviewed 26 August 2026
Architecture and value
Keep consequential work attributable and exportable instead of scattering the company across disconnected tabs and opaque automations.
Reviewable Operator
Workers draft decisions, finance closes, digests, KPIs, and queues; risk-aware review gates consequential effects.
Hosted beta boundary
The hosted beta isolates founder and company workspaces while exposing unfinished services honestly.
Compare operating models
Expand the matrix. Choose by boundary and workflow, not slogans.
Lycato ↔ Notion · official database and AI help reviewed 2026-08-26
| This system | Alternative · Notion | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary job | Company operating record, obligations, money, review, and operator proposals | Connected workspace for pages, databases, projects, search, and AI |
| Deployment boundary | Local Markdown/Git core plus hosted beta | Managed collaborative workspace |
| Evidence model | Git history, source files, proposal states, and Run Log | Page and database history; verify plan-specific retention/export |
| Operator control | Founder-owned repository and explicit high-risk approval | Workspace permissions and AI plan review |
| Integration surface | CLI, local cockpit, open files, adapters, hosted beta | Web/desktop/mobile workspace, API, integrations, AI |
Technical invariants
Founder ownership
The founder owns the company repository and source records.
The founder owns the company repository and source records.
Proposal before effect
High-risk work remains a proposal until an authorized review transition.
High-risk work remains a proposal until an authorized review transition.
Attributable Run Log
Every accepted or rejected proposal leaves an attributable Run Log entry.
Every accepted or rejected proposal leaves an attributable Run Log entry.
Testable handback
Backup, restore, open files, and hosted export make the exit path testable.
Backup, restore, open files, and hosted export make the exit path testable.
Transparent access
Local core
£0 · AGPL
AGPL local core with no licence fee.
Hosted beta
Open beta
Hosted beta access while connected surfaces are proven.
Founding
£39 · planned
Planned £39 public Founding; billing is not connected.
Current status. The local core works and the hosted beta provides founder access, company foundation, site fallback, CRM, and consented analytics. Formation, mail, customer-managed company domains, billing, and active hosted Operator work are not connected.
Frequently asked questions
What is the safest way to evaluate it?
Start with the architecture, reproduce the documented workflow, and verify the boundary against your own threat model.
Does the comparison include live third-party pricing?
No. Mutable vendor pricing is deliberately excluded. Verify current vendor terms before a purchase decision.
Where are limitations documented?
The status note, architecture page, and engineering articles state the current boundary and failure behaviour.