Add Full-Stack Layers Perspective

CODEOWNERS

@@ -1 +1,2 @@
-articles/* @mavishay
+articles/* @mavishay
+layers/* @mavishay

CONTRIBUTING.md

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+# Contributing
+
+We welcome contributions from Tikal team members and the broader fullstack community.
+
+## How to Contribute
+
+1. **Discuss first** — Open an issue or start a discussion to propose changes before writing
+2. **Branch strategy** — All work happens on feature branches (e.g., `factor-N-topic`). The `next` branch accumulates changes for the next release. `main` is the current approved version.
+3. **Style guide** — Follow the existing article format: cover image, consistent heading hierarchy, case studies grounded in real experience, code examples with language annotations, cross-references to related factors.
+4. **Review** — All articles require review by a maintainer. CODEOWNERS defines who must approve changes to each directory.
+5. **Commit messages** — Use conventional commits format: `feat:`, `fix:`, `docs:`, `refactor:`
+6. **Images** — Place cover images in `images/`. Source files (PSD, Sketch, Figma) go in `assets/`.
+
+## Getting Started
+
+- Read `VISION.md` to understand the project's goals
+- Check the README table for articles needing owners
+- Review existing articles for style and structure
+
+## Code of Conduct
+
+Be respectful, constructive, and inclusive. Focus on what's best for the guide and its readers.

README.md

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 # The Modern Full-Stack Developer's Guide: A 12-Factor Approach
 This is the repository for the text of the updated version of the "The Modern Full-Stack Developer's Guide: A 12-Factor Approach
 " manifesto, which will ultimately replace the one published on medium. The text is located in the articles directory. As noted in the governance document, changes will occur in the next branch until the maintainers agree that the current round of updates is complete.
+
+We've also developed a complementary [Layers Perspective](layers/00-Intro.md) that covers the backend, infrastructure, and operations side of fullstack development.
 ## Vision
 The details of our vision for the update can be found in VISION.md
 ## How to Participate
@@ -30,3 +32,25 @@ Information on participating is in CONTRIBUTING.md
 | [Supplemental Factor 1: Testing strategies](https://github.com/tikalk/full-Stack-12-factors/blob/main/articles/13-Supplemental-factor-1.md)            | @mavishay     | 🟢      | 🟢       | ⚪️        |                                              |       |         |          |           |
 | [Supplemental Factor 2: Observability & Error Management](https://github.com/tikalk/full-Stack-12-factors/blob/main/articles/14-Supplemental-factor-2.md) | @mavishay    | ⚪️      | ⚪️       | ⚪️        |                                              |       |         |          |           |
 | [Supplemental Factor 3: Micro-frontend architectures](https://github.com/tikalk/full-Stack-12-factors/blob/main/articles/15-Supplemental-factor-3.md)  | @mavishay   | 🟢      | 🟡       | ⚪️        |                                              |       |         |          |           |
+
+## Layers Perspective (Complementary View)
+
+A second lens on fullstack development — covering the backend, infrastructure, and operations layers that complement the 12 factors above.
+
+| Layer | Owner | Created | Approved | Published |
+|-------|-------|---------|----------|-----------|
+| [Intro](layers/00-Intro.md) | @mavishay | ⚪️ | ⚪️ | ⚪️ |
+| [Layer 1: Frontend](layers/01-Layer-1-Frontend.md) | @mavishay | ⚪️ | ⚪️ | ⚪️ |
+| [Layer 2: APIs & Backend Logic](layers/02-Layer-2-APIs-and-Backend-Logic.md) | @mavishay | ⚪️ | ⚪️ | ⚪️ |
+| [Layer 3: Database & Storage](layers/03-Layer-3-Database-and-Storage.md) | @mavishay | ⚪️ | ⚪️ | ⚪️ |
+| [Layer 4: Auth & Permissions](layers/04-Layer-4-Auth-and-Permissions.md) | @mavishay | ⚪️ | ⚪️ | ⚪️ |
+| [Layer 5: Hosting & Deployment](layers/05-Layer-5-Hosting-and-Deployment.md) | @mavishay | ⚪️ | ⚪️ | ⚪️ |
+| [Layer 6: Cloud & Compute](layers/06-Layer-6-Cloud-and-Compute.md) | @mavishay | ⚪️ | ⚪️ | ⚪️ |
+| [Layer 7: CI/CD & Version Control](layers/07-Layer-7-CICD-and-Version-Control.md) | @mavishay | ⚪️ | ⚪️ | ⚪️ |
+| [Layer 8: Security & RLS](layers/08-Layer-8-Security-and-RLS.md) | @mavishay | ⚪️ | ⚪️ | ⚪️ |
+| [Layer 9: Rate Limiting](layers/09-Layer-9-Rate-Limiting.md) | @mavishay | ⚪️ | ⚪️ | ⚪️ |
+| [Layer 10: Caching & CDN](layers/10-Layer-10-Caching-and-CDN.md) | @mavishay | ⚪️ | ⚪️ | ⚪️ |
+| [Layer 11: Load Balancing & Scaling](layers/11-Layer-11-Load-Balancing-and-Scaling.md) | @mavishay | ⚪️ | ⚪️ | ⚪️ |
+| [Layer 12: Error Tracking & Logs](layers/12-Layer-12-Error-Tracking-and-Logs.md) | @mavishay | ⚪️ | ⚪️ | ⚪️ |
+| [Layer 13: Availability & Recovery](layers/13-Layer-13-Availability-and-Recovery.md) | @mavishay | ⚪️ | ⚪️ | ⚪️ |
+| [Cross-Reference Matrix](layers/LAYERS-MATRIX.md) | @mavishay | ⚪️ | ⚪️ | ⚪️ |

VISION.md

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+# Vision
+
+The Modern Full-Stack Developer's Guide: A 12-Factor Approach aims to define a comprehensive, practical methodology for building modern full-stack web applications. Drawing on the collective experience of 50+ Tikal full-stack experts, this guide updates the original 12-factor app methodology for a world where frontend complexity, cloud infrastructure, and developer experience are first-class concerns.
+
+Our vision is a guide that:
+- Serves as the definitive reference for fullstack developers at every career stage
+- Bridges the gap between frontend, backend, and infrastructure concerns
+- Provides actionable patterns, not abstract theory
+- Evolves through community contribution and real-world practice
+- Covers the full stack from UI components to cloud deployment
+
+This repository contains the source text for the guide. The latest stable version is published on Medium. The `main` branch represents the current approved version; development happens in feature branches and the `next` branch until maintainers agree updates are complete.