learning-path.md

Learning Path

This guide gives Swarm Command readers a sane order to follow instead of dropping straight into deep protocol docs.

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Path 1 — I just want to try it (5 minutes)

1. Read the 30-Second Overview in the README
2. Copy the install command from the README
3. Run the Quick Demo prompt
4. Skim use-cases.md for your next prompt

Best for: first-time users, evaluators, demos.

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Path 2 — I want to use it well (15 minutes)

1. Read the README
2. Read scaling.md
3. Read use-cases.md
4. Skim architecture.md
5. Return to the README FAQ when questions come up

Best for: operators, engineers deciding between SS-50 / SS-100 / SS-250.

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Path 3 — I want to understand the system design (25 minutes)

1. Read the architecture summary in the README
2. Read architecture.md
3. Open architecture-diagrams.md
4. Read consensus.md
5. Read shadow-scoring.md
6. Finish with scaling.md

Best for: architects, contributors, people adapting the pattern to another swarm system.

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Path 4 — I want the origin story

1. Read How It Was Built in the README
2. Read the motivation section in shadow-scoring.md
3. Read architecture.md with the failure modes in mind

Best for: people who care how the system evolved, not just what it does.

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Suggested reading order by persona

Persona	Start	Next	Finish
New user	README	use-cases.md	scaling.md
Operator	README	scaling.md	FAQ + architecture.md
Architect	architecture.md	consensus.md	shadow-scoring.md
Contributor	README	architecture.md	templates/ + protocols/

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One-sentence summaries for each doc

Doc	Why it exists
README.md	The best single-page overview
architecture.md	The system model in prose
architecture-diagrams.md	The visual version of the architecture
scaling.md	How to choose a scale and what it costs
use-cases.md	Prompts that make the swarm feel concrete
consensus.md	How outputs are merged and scored
shadow-scoring.md	How hidden validation catches false confidence