Short answer
A single source of truth is the one place where a fact is officially recorded, so that every other place points to it instead of keeping its own copy. For team answers, it means each answer lives in one approved spot, with an owner and a date, and nobody repeats it from memory.
Why teams need it
When the same rule lives in chat threads, a document and someone's head, the copies drift apart. People then ask the founder which one is right, which is the question you were trying to avoid.
How to build one
Pick one home for approved answers. Write each answer once, say who owns it, and link to it instead of retyping it. When a rule changes, change it there and remove the old versions.
Where an AI assistant fits
An assistant that answers only from the single source can show the source and date under every reply. If the source has no answer, the assistant should say so and ask the owner, not fill the gap.
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Common questions
Not reliably. A thread is not an official answer and it ages fast. Record the decision in the one approved place and link to it.
Pick which is right, update that one, and delete or redirect the other. Two conflicting answers leave people and AI assistants unable to tell which is correct.