[META] 2026-06-03 HN launch — umbrella tracking issue

[justin808]

Why this launch matters

Updated 2026-05-25 — lead thesis sharpened. The compelling claim is "React Server Components on Rails — without leaving Rails." Rails teams looking at modern React in 2026 face the Next.js-migration question. RSC + streaming is the most-discussed React capability of this cycle. Inertia structurally cannot do RSC (different rendering model). Next.js can, but at the cost of leaving Rails entirely. React on Rails Pro + this kit is the only combination that lets a Rails team ship RSC + streaming on their existing Rails app — keeping ActiveRecord, sessions, jobs, mailers, and the rest of the stack intact.

The launch is the front-page event for that thesis. Everything below ladders up to it.

Goal

Launch this starter publicly on Hacker News, Wed 2026-06-03 ~7am Pacific, to drive attention to ShakaCode and adoption of React on Rails Pro.

Full plan: internal/planning/3357-react-on-rails-starter-launch.md (companion to the strategic + implementation planning docs in shakacode/react_on_rails).

Narrative threading

• HN title (Draft HN post (4 angle options — RSC lead recommended) and pick by end of Day 6 #40): "Show HN: React Server Components on Rails — without leaving Rails"
• README hook (Rewrite README.md to lead with positioning, screenshot, demo URL #25): RSC-on-Rails thesis above the fold; surface-aware rendering as the demonstration
• Thesis doc (NEW — docs/07-why-rsc-on-rails.md): the deep-dive HN commenters land on
• vs-inertia (Polish docs/02-vs-inertia.md with structural argument for hostile HN readers #26): structural arguments — TanStack Router as primitive Inertia can't host; RSC requires a rendering boundary Inertia doesn't have
• Rendering-mode drawer (Polish rendering-mode drawer visuals (the launch screenshot calling card) #37): the in-product demonstration; the marketing screenshot
• Demo portfolio (Add 4 demo-portfolio cards to dashboard (HN, Marketplace, Gumroad, Octochangelog) #30-PR reciprocal link into react_on_rails-demo-octochangelog-on-rails-pro back to the starter #34): Hacker News (perf), Marketplace (e-commerce), Gumroad (Inertia head-to-head), Octochangelog (migration)

Wave 1 — Foundations (Days 1-3, Tue 2026-05-26 → Thu 2026-05-28)

• Bump react_on_rails_pro + react-on-rails-pro to version with Rspack RSC fix #13 — Bump react_on_rails_pro + react-on-rails-pro to version with Rspack RSC fix
• Update SPIKE.md from AMBER to GREEN now that Rspack RSC fix landed #14 — Update SPIKE.md from AMBER to GREEN (blocked by Bump react_on_rails_pro + react-on-rails-pro to version with Rspack RSC fix #13)
• Install Tailwind v4 + shadcn/ui scaffolding #15 — Install Tailwind v4 + shadcn/ui scaffolding [critical path / single-owner]
• Reskin authenticated /dashboard surface with shadcn/ui components #16 — Reskin authenticated /dashboard surface with shadcn/ui (blocked by Install Tailwind v4 + shadcn/ui scaffolding #15) [critical path / single-owner]
• Reskin auth views (signup, login, email verification, password reset) with shadcn #17 — Reskin auth views with shadcn (blocked by Install Tailwind v4 + shadcn/ui scaffolding #15)
• Reskin public/404.html and public/500.html with shadcn-styled pages #18 — Reskin public/404.html and public/500.html (blocked by Install Tailwind v4 + shadcn/ui scaffolding #15)
• Implement password reset on User model (authenticate_by + token methods) #19 — Implement password reset on User model
• Add request specs for SessionsController + PasswordsController #20 — Add request specs for SessionsController + PasswordsController (blocked by Implement password reset on User model (authenticate_by + token methods) #19)
• Enable force_ssl in production environment #21 — Enable force_ssl in production environment
• Configure baseline Content Security Policy for React + Rails + RSC #22 — Configure baseline Content Security Policy
• Deploy starter.reactonrails.com via Control Plane Flow #23 — Deploy starter.reactonrails.com via Control Plane Flow
• Pre-seed demo user (demo@example.com / password) on production deploy #24 — Pre-seed demo user on production deploy (blocked by Deploy starter.reactonrails.com via Control Plane Flow #23)

Wave 2 — Narrative (Days 3-4, Wed-Fri)

• Rewrite README.md to lead with positioning, screenshot, demo URL #25 — Rewrite README.md (RSC-on-Rails lead) (blocked by Reskin authenticated /dashboard surface with shadcn/ui components #16, Deploy starter.reactonrails.com via Control Plane Flow #23, Replace placeholder CHANGELOG.md with real Phase 0-4 content + 2026-06-03 launch entry #27) [single-owner]
• Polish docs/02-vs-inertia.md with structural argument for hostile HN readers #26 — Polish docs/02-vs-inertia.md (structural arguments — Router + RSC)
• Replace placeholder CHANGELOG.md with real Phase 0-4 content + 2026-06-03 launch entry #27 — Replace placeholder CHANGELOG.md
• Replace placeholder UPGRADING.md with adopter ownership + upgrade guide #28 — Replace placeholder UPGRADING.md
• Add 'Powered by React on Rails Pro' conversion link in dashboard footer + drawer #29 — Add "Powered by React on Rails Pro" link in dashboard footer + drawer (blocked by Reskin authenticated /dashboard surface with shadcn/ui components #16)
• NEW — Draft docs/07-why-rsc-on-rails.md (thesis deep-dive) — issue link added on creation

Wave 3 — Portfolio + AI surface (Days 3-4, in parallel with Wave 2)

• Add 4 demo-portfolio cards to dashboard (HN, Marketplace, Gumroad, Octochangelog) #30 — Add 4 demo-portfolio cards to dashboard (blocked by Reskin authenticated /dashboard surface with shadcn/ui components #16)
• PR reciprocal link into react-on-rails-demo-hacker-news-rsc back to the starter #31 — PR reciprocal link into react-on-rails-demo-hacker-news-rsc [external repo]
• PR reciprocal link into react-on-rails-demo-marketplace-rsc back to the starter #32 — PR reciprocal link into react-on-rails-demo-marketplace-rsc [external repo]
• PR reciprocal link into react-on-rails-demo-gumroad-rsc back to the starter #33 — PR reciprocal link into react-on-rails-demo-gumroad-rsc [external repo]
• PR reciprocal link into react_on_rails-demo-octochangelog-on-rails-pro back to the starter #34 — PR reciprocal link into react_on_rails-demo-octochangelog-on-rails-pro [external repo]
• Write minimal AGENTS.md and thin CLAUDE.md indexing canonical reference files #35 — Write minimal AGENTS.md and thin CLAUDE.md
• Add REFERENCE PATTERN: markers to additional canonical files #36 — Add REFERENCE PATTERN: markers to additional canonical files
• Polish rendering-mode drawer visuals (the launch screenshot calling card) #37 — Polish rendering-mode drawer (surface-aware rendering content) (blocked by Reskin authenticated /dashboard surface with shadcn/ui components #16)

Wave 4 — Rehearsal + launch (Days 6-7, Tue 2026-06-02 → Wed 2026-06-03)

• Schedule and run 30-min outside-eval rehearsal (Day 6, Tue 2026-06-02) #38 — Schedule and run 30-min outside-eval rehearsal [hard gate]
• Pre-launch audits: Lighthouse + console-clean hydration check on starter.reactonrails.com #39 — Pre-launch audits: Lighthouse + console-clean hydration check
• Draft HN post (4 angle options — RSC lead recommended) and pick by end of Day 6 #40 — Draft HN post (4 angles — RSC lead recommended) and pick by end of Day 6
• Submit to Hacker News Wed 2026-06-03 ~7am Pacific and monitor thread for 6 hours #41 — Submit to Hacker News + monitor thread for 6 hours [single-owner]

Critical path

Pro bump (#13) → shadcn install (#15) → dashboard reskin (#16) → README screenshot (#25) → submission (#41).

The shadcn install (#15) and dashboard reskin (#16) are the bottleneck. Single-owner enforced. Target completion: end of Day 3.

Rehearsal gate policy

Per launch plan, applied on Day 6 after #38:

• 0–2 minor stumbles → launch Wed 06-03
• 3+ stumbles or 1 major → slip 24h to Thu 06-04
• Demo down or auth broken → slip 48h+ to Fri 06-05

Coordinator notes

• Issues are wave-labeled (wave-1, wave-2, wave-3, wave-4) and owner-mode labeled (single-owner, parallel-safe)
• external-repo issues need PRs to other ShakaCode repos — open Day 2 to leave review lead time
• Always check single-owner issues for overlap before assigning a second agent
• Update this checklist as issues close

[justin808]

Launch posture update (2026-05-29): slipping off 06-03 to protect the RSC story

RSC (React 19 streaming React Server Components) is the star — the differentiator vs Inertia and other Rails-React tools without Node rendering. Leading the HN launch with RSC only makes sense if interactive RSC actually works.

It doesn't yet: the Rspack build does not emit the RSC client-reference manifests (react-client-manifest.json, react-server-client-manifest.json) — the AMBER limitation tracked in shakacode/react_on_rails#1828 / #3385. Launching with a broken RSC demo would hand HN the top comment.

Decision:

• Slip the 06-03 date (new date TBD) rather than ship a broken or strawman RSC story.
• Substitute Webpack for Rspack as the interim bundler — Webpack's mature RSC path emits the client-reference manifests. Rspack RSC stays the in-progress perf/DX track. Spike in progress: branch jg/rsc-webpack-bundler-spike.
• Cut the Rails-vs-React landing comparison (Rebuild landing page: live Rails-vs-TanStack comparison, shadcn redesign, AI prompts #98's "Same data, two front-ends"): the Rails panel does full page reloads (turbo: false, no Hotwire) — a strawman, and mixing frameworks makes the starter a confusing mishmash. Refocus the demo on the RoR-Pro-only capability (RSC + TanStack Router via real Node rendering) vs Inertia.
• No Hotwire/Stimulus added — keep a coherent single-stack story.
• Future idea (post-launch): a react_on_rails_pro adapter for Inertia so Inertia can use the Node rendering path.

New launch date and the relaunch checklist depend on the Webpack-RSC spike landing. #38/#40/#41 dates are on hold pending that.

[justin808]

Relaunch backlog (2026-05-30) — delegatable issue map

Target: official relaunch when Rspack RSC lands; demo looks GREAT on the Webpack bridge in the meantime.

Foundation (in flight):

• ✅ Webpack RSC bridge — PR Webpack RSC bridge: deploy wired + full-app verified (adopts #108) #109 (merging): RSC renders on the deployed demo via Webpack.
• 🔬 RSC-in-TanStack composition spike — proving the centerpiece's hard part (branch jg/rsc-tanstack-composition-spike).
• 🔬 CSP-nonce RSC hydration investigation — the last blocker for interactive RSC under the prod CSP (an issue will be filed once it reports fixable-in-repo vs upstream).

Build (the great-on-Webpack demo):

• [centerpiece] Build the public RSC + TanStack Router showcase (/rsc-showcase) #110 — [centerpiece] public RSC + TanStack Router showcase (/rsc-showcase). Depends on Webpack RSC bridge: deploy wired + full-app verified (adopts #108) #109 + composition spike + the CSP fix.
• [landing] Cut the Rails-vs-React comparison; refocus landing on RSC + TanStack vs Inertia #111 — [landing] cut the Rails-vs-React strawman comparison; refocus on RSC + TanStack vs Inertia.

DX / docs / polish:

• [dx] Verify (and enable if needed) Webpack HMR + dev-server for local RSC development #113 — [dx] verify/enable Webpack HMR for local RSC dev.
• [docs] Align README + docs (01/02/08/AGENTS) to the RSC-star pivot + honest TanStack-Start distinction #114 — [docs] align README + docs to the RSC-star pivot + the honest TanStack-Start distinction.
• [qa] Design-QA 'look great' pass on the live demo (after centerpiece + landing) #115 — [qa] design-QA "look great" pass once [centerpiece] Build the public RSC + TanStack Router showcase (/rsc-showcase) #110 + [landing] Cut the Rails-vs-React comparison; refocus landing on RSC + TanStack vs Inertia #111 land.

Gate to the official Rspack relaunch:

• [bundler] Return to Rspack as the default bundler once Rspack RSC support lands #112 — [bundler] return to Rspack as default when its RSC support ships (upstream #1828/#3385). Then flip Update SPIKE.md from AMBER to GREEN now that Rspack RSC fix landed #14 fully GREEN.

Launch logistics (when the date is set): reschedule #38 (rehearsal), #41 (submit); update #40 (HN post) to the RSC lead with the honest Webpack-bridge framing.

[justin808]

Technical launch posture update (2026-05-31 UTC)

The previous Rspack/RSC blocker comments in this issue are now stale. The Rspack path is green again for this starter.

What changed:

• Use react-on-rails-rsc rc.2 for Rspack RSC #132 moved the starter to react-on-rails-rsc@19.0.5-rc.2, which includes the Rspack RSC manifest exports.
• Use Rspack for deployed asset builds #133 made Rspack the deployed asset-build default again. Webpack is now only an optional comparison path.
• Use Pro RSCRoute for RSC showcase #134 replaced the local /rsc-showcase RSC decoder path with React on Rails Pro's public RSCRoute / wrapServerComponentRenderer path.
• [codex] Refresh Rspack RSC launch copy #135 refreshed the public landing and /hello_server fallback copy so they no longer describe a current Rspack manifest blocker.

Current verified state:

• https://starter.reactonrails.com/ returns HTTP 200 and now says Rspack is the default for local development and deployed asset builds.
• https://starter.reactonrails.com/rsc-showcase returns HTTP 200, renders the RscShowcaseApp shell, and has rscAvailable: true.
• Main CI for ac3d897 is green: rspec, Playwright, production boot smoke, dev-modes/HMR, and rspack-rsc-repro.
• The staging deploy for ac3d897 completed successfully at 2026-05-31 04:41 UTC.

Remaining technical caveats:

• /rsc-showcase is the public RSC centerpiece now.
• /hello_server remains the lower-level streaming reference route. Its strict production CSP client-island hydration issue is still tracked upstream in Pro RSC streaming should pass CSP nonce to React streaming bootstrap react_on_rails#3491. That is separate from the old Rspack manifest blocker and does not block the /rsc-showcase story.
• I filed Pro RSCRoute parser fails on blank line from default RSC payload template react_on_rails#3499 for the Pro RSCRoute parser/template blank-line issue; this repo has a small trim-safe template override until Pro ships the fix.

Remaining launch blockers are product/logistics rather than Rspack/RSC implementation:

• Schedule and run 30-min outside-eval rehearsal (Day 6, Tue 2026-06-02) #38: identify/schedule/run the outside evaluator rehearsal.
• Draft HN post (4 angle options — RSC lead recommended) and pick by end of Day 6 #40: pick the final HN title/body. I recommend refreshing Option A around /rsc-showcase, not /hello_server.
• Submit to Hacker News Wed 2026-06-03 ~7am Pacific and monitor thread for 6 hours #41: confirm the submitter account, the exact launch window, and who monitors the first 6 hours.