---

name: referral description: Referral systems - referral programs, viral loops. Use for referrals.

Referral Guideline

Tech Stack

• Analytics: PostHog
• Database: Neon (Postgres)

Non-Negotiables

• Referral rewards must have clawback capability for fraud
• Attribution must be auditable (who referred whom, when, reward status)
• Velocity controls must exist to prevent abuse

Context

Referral programs can drive explosive growth — or become fraud magnets. The best referral programs make sharing natural and rewarding. The worst become liability when abusers exploit them.

Consider both sides: what makes users want to share? And what prevents bad actors from gaming the system? A referral program that's easy to abuse is worse than no referral program.

Driving Questions

• Why would a user share this product with someone they know?
• How easy is it for a bad actor to generate fake referrals?
• What fraud patterns exist that we haven't addressed?
• What is the actual ROI of the referral program?
• Where do users drop off in the referral/share flow?
• If we redesigned referrals from scratch, what would be different?