📦 The bare minimum to call something a release

What is the bare minimum to call something a release? Consider the following:

1. A version that increments with every release.
2. A changelog that describes what has changed for every version and why it matters.
3. A clear identification of any assets (IPNs).
4. Unique IDs for anything built (HFIDs).
5. A place to store stuff where all this gets tracked over time (Git).

The concrete benefits:

• Exact knowledge of what exists.
• Clear record of who did what when.
• Clear communication to everyone involved.
• Nothing gets lost.

Doing the above for all design assets (including documentation) from day one in the development process improves thinking, communication, and effectiveness — and reduces untold confusion and wasted time.

This does not need to be hard. Simple text files, spreadsheets, and CSV files work great. It is perfectly fine to start small.