Fix onboarding loading gate for inactive subscriptions

docs-site/docs/user-journeys/developers/deployment.md

@@ -105,21 +105,8 @@ JWT_SECRET_KEY=your_jwt_secret_key
 
 # Monitoring
 SENTRY_DSN=your_sentry_dsn
-
-# Podcast demo-mode switch (temporary testing flag)
-# Enable demo-only podcast behavior:
-PODCAST_ONLY_DEMO_MODE=true
-# Full restore to normal behavior:
-# PODCAST_ONLY_DEMO_MODE=false
-# (or leave PODCAST_ONLY_DEMO_MODE unset)
 ```
 
-### Release Checklist (Demo-Mode Safety)
-
-Before finalizing a release after demo testing, confirm:
-
-- [ ] `PODCAST_ONLY_DEMO_MODE` is unset (or explicitly `false`) in production deployment config.
-
 **Security Best Practices**
 - **Use Environment Variables**: Never hardcode sensitive data
 - **Rotate Keys Regularly**: Change API keys periodically

frontend/src/App.tsx

@@ -280,10 +280,11 @@ const InitialRouteHandler: React.FC = () => {
     );
   }
 
-  // Loading state - only wait for onboarding init, not subscription check
-  // Subscription check is non-blocking and happens in background
-  const waitingForOnboardingInit = loading || !data;
-  if (loading || waitingForOnboardingInit) {
+  // Only block on onboarding initialization once we know the user has an active subscription.
+  // This allows no-subscription/inactive flows to continue even when onboarding data is still null.
+  const isActiveSubscriber = Boolean(subscription && subscription.active && subscription.plan !== 'none');
+  const waitingForOnboardingInit = isActiveSubscriber && (loading || !data);
+  if (waitingForOnboardingInit) {
     return (
       <Box
         display="flex"
@@ -295,7 +296,7 @@ const InitialRouteHandler: React.FC = () => {
       >
         <CircularProgress size={60} />
         <Typography variant="h6" color="textSecondary">
-          {subscriptionLoading ? 'Checking subscription...' : 'Preparing your workspace...'}
+          Preparing your workspace...
         </Typography>
       </Box>
     );