Welcome to the pond. What are you fishing for?
I'll recommend a product once I learn more about your needs.
Choose a starting point:
Terms, policies, and transparency
Effective Date: December 24, 2024
Last Updated: December 24, 2024
By accessing or purchasing from MillPond ("the Store"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service.
MillPond offers digital products including:
All payments are processed securely through Stripe. Prices are in USD and include all applicable taxes.
See our for complete details.
Open source products are licensed under MIT. Premium products include a single-user commercial license unless otherwise specified.
Products are provided "AS IS". MillPond is not liable for any damages arising from use of our products.
Questions? Visit GitHub or email [email protected]
Effective Date: December 24, 2024
We collect minimal information necessary to process orders:
Your information is used solely to:
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We use minimal cookies for session management and analytics. No tracking cookies are used.
You have the right to request data deletion or export. Contact us at [email protected]
We may update this policy. Significant changes will be announced via email to customers.
We stand behind our products. If you're not satisfied, we offer a 30-day money-back guarantee on all paid products.
Refunds are issued to the original payment method via Stripe. Allow 5-7 business days for the credit to appear.
We believe in our products and trust our customers. No lengthy forms, no hassle.
Open source tools and free playbooks are provided as-is with no warranty.
Pattern for Agentic Conversational Experience
"Welcome to the pond. What are you fishing for?" 🐦
MillPond is not a traditional e-commerce site. It's a conversational guide to the SemanticIntent ecosystem — tools, MCP servers, playbooks, and reports built for developers.
Users don't browse catalogs. They talk to Cormorant, an AI guide who helps them discover the right product — whether free or paid.
Developer Experience 2.0 is a quality standard for modern web applications. It's not just about working code — it's about thoughtful execution, intentional design, and attention to detail that developers appreciate.
MillPond is built to DevEx 2.0 standards, meaning every technical decision reflects best practices and developer excellence.
What: Alpine.js (15kb), no build step, fast loading, zero framework bloat
Why: Faster page loads, simpler debugging, easier maintenance, accessible to all skill levels
Example: Product detail panel loads in <100ms with smooth transitions
What: Explicit validation, no silent failures, no fallback values, clear error messages
Why: Problems surface immediately during development, preventing production bugs
Example: Missing product data throws validation error instead of showing broken UI
What: Hover-to-reveal patterns, smooth transitions, contextual guidance, progressive disclosure
Why: Reduces cognitive load, reveals features progressively, delights users
Example: Expand button appears on hover (not always visible cluttering UI)
What: Single source of truth (products.json), data-driven UI, separation of concerns
Why: Add products without touching code, consistent structure, easier testing
Example: New MCP server? Add 1 JSON entry, entire UI adapts automatically
What: PACE pattern based on peer-reviewed cormorant foraging research
Why: Grounded in biological optimization principles, not arbitrary UX trends
Example: Proactive guidance mirrors how cormorants actively pursue prey (not passive browsing)
"This platform reflects developer standards at the highest level — thoughtful experience and excellent execution."
TL;DR: DevEx 2.0 means building software the way experienced developers appreciate — clean, intentional, researched, and delightful.
Proactive, Adaptive, Contextual, Efficient
PACE (Pattern for Agentic Conversational Experience) is a UX framework for building AI-guided product discovery experiences.
Traditional storefronts force users to browse. PACE storefronts guide users through conversation.
The guide doesn't wait for users to stumble on the right product. It actively pursues intent through conversation.
The guide adjusts its approach based on user signals and context.
The guide remembers what you've viewed, asked, and clicked.
The guide respects user attention — concise responses, clear actions, no waste.
Users shopping for developer tools don't want to browse 50 products. They want to describe their problem and get pointed to the solution.
PACE transforms passive catalog navigation into active guided discovery.
"The bird doesn't browse the pond hoping to bump into fish. It dives with intent, adjusts to conditions, and surfaces with exactly what it needs."
PACE isn't just named after a bird. It embodies how the bird hunts.
Cormorants (family Phalacrocoracidae) are diving waterbirds known for their efficient, adaptive foraging strategies. They can:
Cormorants don't wait for fish to come to them — they actively dive and chase prey underwater.
PACE Parallel: The Guide actively pursues user intent through conversation.
Cormorants hunt by sight, using sharp bills to grasp fish precisely. They adapt to light conditions.
PACE Parallel: The Guide "sees" intent through conversation and remembers context.
Cormorants are generalist feeders. They switch strategies based on prey type (pelagic vs. benthic, motile vs. sedentary).
PACE Parallel: The Guide adapts its approach based on user type and clarity of intent.
Cormorants manage energy carefully — short dives, rest periods, no waste. Research shows they spend 57% of daylight resting, 18% actively foraging.
PACE Parallel: The Guide is concise, respects user attention, and optimizes for outcome.
PACE is backed by peer-reviewed research on cormorant foraging behavior:
| Element | Connection |
|---|---|
| Mill Pond | Where cormorants live — the storefront name |
| Cormorant | The guide persona — named after the bird |
| PACE | How the guide behaves — like the bird hunts |
| Foraging | The action — finding what you need |
| "What are you fishing for?" | The greeting — the hunt begins |
"The cormorant doesn't ask this — it just dives. But the PACE Guide does ask, because humans appreciate being understood before being served. Then, like the cormorant, it dives with purpose, adapts to what it finds, and surfaces with exactly what you need."
For full documentation including research references, see: