Field Notes · 2026-06-09
Naming events so handoffs do not break history
A naming approach that keeps onboarding and engagement histories readable when teams change.
Event catalogs rot when each squad invents verbs. Prefer a small set of action words — viewed, started, completed, failed, invited — and keep object names stable.
Properties should answer who, where, and which variant without duplicating the event name. If every event carries a free-text “description,” analysts will stop trusting the feed.
When renaming is unavoidable, keep the old event alive until historical comparisons finish, then deprecate with a written sunset date. Silent renames destroy year-over-year onboarding reads.
Store the catalog in a place product and engineering both open weekly. A spreadsheet nobody opens is not a standard.
During audits we flag dead events that still fire and live events that never fire. Both distort engagement reviews in opposite directions.