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Use when tempted to add broad abstractions, future-proofing, or extra product surface beyond the requested change.
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Based on SOC occupation classification
| name | keeping-it-simple |
| description | Use when tempted to add broad abstractions, future-proofing, or extra product surface beyond the requested change. |
| source | bundled |
Choose the smallest design that handles the current requirement cleanly.
Before adding an abstraction, ask:
Delete unused knobs, speculative layers, and generic frameworks that are not needed for the requested behavior. Simple does not mean sloppy: keep names clear, errors explicit, and tests focused.
Use when waiting for servers, jobs, files, tests, queues, or external processes.
Use when a bounded subtask is summarization, mechanical review, fixture inspection, proposal triage, verification, or boilerplate.
Use when locating where a symbol, function, type, command, or constant is defined or referenced, instead of grep/find/read chains.
Use before asking the user about infrastructure, preferences, conventions, prior decisions, or past incidents.
Use when evaluating reviewer feedback, review delegates, or suggested code changes.
Use when you need a project fact, document, relationship, investigation note, or prior finding that may already be captured.
