re: Folding Chair

I try to limit my nerdy references so I don't appear too, well, nerdy, but there's a software development decision-making and prioritization strategy called The Last Responsible Moment.  Critical decisions are deferred as long as possible to both narrow the options and reduce the risk of making a poor choice early.   I've found (and it sounds like you have found) that the principle applies equally well to woodworking projects.

I can't claim that I have a lot of experience with chairs, but since my first chair build 6 years ago, they have been some of my favorite builds.