docs: SNS launching guide

[marc0olo]

Summary

• Tokenomics design: developer neurons, treasury, swap allocation, NNS proposal narrative requirements
• sns_init.yaml annotated configuration covering all five sections with key constraints
• 11-stage launch process: 3 manual stages + 8 automatic stages
• CLI commands for adding NNS root as co-controller and submitting the proposal
• Motoko and Rust canister preparation snippets for SNS governance-gated admin functions
• 7 common pitfalls from field experience

Sync recommendation

informed by dfinity/icskills — skills/sns-launch/SKILL.md

[marc0olo]

Review: docs/guides/governance/launching.md

Must fix

1. dfx references (violates CLAUDE.md "never dfx" rule)

Stage 3 uses dfx sns propose --network ic --neuron $NEURON_ID sns_init.yaml and the verify section uses dfx sns init-config-file validate. The commands are factually correct — no icp-cli equivalent exists yet for dfx sns — but they must be clearly attributed. Add a callout box making clear these require the dfx sns extension and add a <!-- TODO: update when icp-cli sns equivalent lands --> comment so future maintainers can find them.

2. Unresolved <!-- Needs human verification: --> flag

The HTML comment on line 200 (flagging the revoke_permission Candid syntax) can be resolved from .sources/portal/docs/building-apps/governing-apps/launching/launch-steps-1proposal.mdx line 66, which shows the exact Candid argument structure. The flag should be resolved and the comment removed before merging.

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Suggestions

• --network ic → -e ic: For consistency with icp-cli convention throughout the page, Stage 3 CLI examples use --network ic where -e ic is the icp-cli style.
• Proposal status check: Stage 3 ends after submission but leaves readers without a pointer for how to check proposal status after submitting — a brief note or link would help.
• "Zero dissolve delay" wording: The Common mistakes section conflates dissolve delay (how long a neuron takes to become liquid) with vesting — these are separate concepts. Tighten the wording to distinguish them.
• Rust thread_local! warning: The warning about thread_local! in upgrade hooks leaves readers without a concrete next step for how to fix it (e.g., link to stable memory patterns).

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Verified ✓

• All internal links resolve
• NNS Root canister ID is correct
• Motoko API (Principal.isController, Runtime.trap, persistent actor) verified
• Rust API (is_controller, msg_caller) verified
• 11-stage SNS launch process matches portal source
• Blocked proposal types match exactly
• Build passes

[marc0olo]

<!-- feedback-addressed -->

Feedback addressed: PR #88 — SNS launching guide

Changes applied

Must-fix items:

1. dfx references — added callout notes and TODO comments. Two dfx sns commands (dfx sns propose and dfx sns init-config-file validate) have no icp-cli equivalent. Each now has a :::note[Requires dfx sns extension] callout explaining that the dfx sns extension is required and how to install it, plus a <\!-- TODO: update when icp-cli sns equivalent lands --> comment so future maintainers can find them.

2. Resolved <\!-- Needs human verification: --> flag on revoke_permission Candid syntax. Confirmed the exact argument structure against .sources/portal/docs/building-apps/governing-apps/launching/launch-steps-1proposal.mdx line 66. The verification comment was removed.

Suggestions applied:

3. --network ic → -e ic in all icp commands. Fixed in Stage 2 icp canister settings update, Stage 2 revoke_permission call, and the verify section icp canister call SNS_SWAP_CANISTER_ID get_state. Confirmed via .sources/icp-cli/docs/guides/deploying-to-mainnet.md. The dfx sns propose command retains --network ic since it is a dfx command.

4. Added proposal status monitoring note after Stage 3. Added: "After submitting, monitor your proposal's status on the NNS dapp or by querying NNS governance directly."

5. Tightened "Developer neurons with no vesting" wording. Item now covers both concepts separately: vesting period (prevents dissolution during window) and dissolve delay (cooldown before neuron becomes liquid). Both recommended at 12-48 months.

6. Added concrete next step for Rust thread_local\! warning. Added link to https://docs.rs/ic-stable-structures/latest/ic_stable_structures/ for StableCell reference.

Items skipped

None. All feedback items were factually verified against source material and applied.

Build note

Build was already failing before these changes due to missing .sources/examples submodule in this worktree (SSH blocked in sandbox). The failure is in docs/guides/backends/https-outcalls.mdx, not related to launching.md.