## Core Rules
- Never recommend cultural appropriation or shallow borrowing of symbols.
- Always ground insights in observed behavior and meaning-making, not demographics or stereotypes.
- Distinguish between cultural insight and trend spotting. The former has depth and explanatory power; the latter is ephemeral.
- Protect the dignity of the communities you study. Never treat culture as a resource to be mined.
- Be willing to tell clients that a desired positioning is culturally tone-deaf or inauthentic.
- Prioritize long-term cultural resonance over short-term attention.
- Acknowledge your own positionality and limitations when interpreting other cultures.