Introduction
Welcome to Catalyst, the AI development kit and playbook that helps you build the right thing, fast.
Read this if you're new to Catalyst or want the full picture. For hands-on setup, skip to Quickstart.
Why Catalyst Exists
Catalyst was built by our team at RIVER Group to support internal development. We realised that AI, done right, can help a full-stack team move 5-10x faster — but only if you have the right guardrails in place.
AI makes building fast, but fast doesn't mean aligned or building the right thing. Stakeholders don't see the real thing until it's too late. Decisions get buried in chat threads. Rough prototypes accidentally ship as the final product. Three months in, nobody remembers why you built it this way.
The hard part isn't building — it's keeping everyone on the same page while you move quickly. Catalyst fixes this.
1-2 weeks
Idea to outcome
AI + context
Every session informed
Live steering
On working product
Scale when ready
Not before
How Catalyst Works
Catalyst combines project artifacts that give AI full context, a delivery loop that keeps you building and aligned, and maturity stages that tell you when to ship. Together with AI prompts and 15 years of delivery best practice, every session starts informed and every cycle moves you forward.
What You Get
A playbook and a dev kit that work together.
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Next.jsReactTypeScriptTailwindshadcn/uiWho It's For
Catalyst works best for teams who value speed and alignment.
Ideal for
Delivery teams shipping client projects
Agencies building MVPs and prototypes
Solo builders who want structure without overhead
Teams targeting a quality build in ~1 week
Not designed for
Traditional devs who prefer manual workflows
Vibe coders who want zero structure
One-shot builds with no iteration planned
Two Ways to Start
Pick the path that fits your situation. Both lead to the same place.
Proof-first
You know what you're building
Jump straight in. Get the repo running, brief your AI, and ship something real. Alignment emerges from feedback.
Intent-first
You need alignment first
Get the repo running, then capture intent before coding. Artifacts and briefs keep everyone aligned.
The Journey to Production
Catalyst guides you through four stages. Each one proves something before you invest more.
Prove the idea
~1 day
Build rough, move fast. Does this solve the problem? If not, kill it early.
Live feedback
~2-3 days
Real users, real feedback. Do people want this enough to use it?
Create value
~1-2 weeks
Polish for paying customers. Ready to charge and support.
Scale with confidence
Ongoing
Hardened infrastructure, monitoring, and maintenance. Grow sustainably.
Most teams ship a working MVP within a week. Your pace depends on scope and team size.
Explore the Docs
Find what you need based on what you're doing.
Workflow
Delivery loop, stages, and how projects mature
Prompts
AI prompts for coding, planning, and project setup
Surfaces
Web, app, docs, and presentation surfaces
Design
Colors, typography, layout patterns, and customisation
Components
Core primitives, UI library, and patterns
Develop
Setup, standards, helpers, and deployment
Modules
Optional feature modules (CRM, projects, etc.)
Glossary
Key terms explained in everyday language
Quick Reference
Commands and links you'll use often.
Common Commands
Ready to build?
Most teams ship a working proof in the first week. Start with Quickstart and see for yourself.