| name | scope-appropriate-architecture |
| license | MIT |
| compatibility | Claude Code 2.1.220+ |
| description | Right-sizes architecture to project scope, classifying projects into 6 tiers to prevent over-engineering. Use when designing architecture, selecting patterns, or detecting a project tier. |
| tags | ["architecture","yagni","over-engineering","scope","patterns"] |
| version | 1.0.0 |
| author | OrchestKit |
| user-invocable | false |
| context | inherit |
| complexity | low |
| persuasion-type | guidance |
| effort | low |
| model | haiku |
| metadata | {"category":"architecture"} |
| allowed-tools | ["Read","Glob","Grep","WebFetch","WebSearch"] |
Scope-Appropriate Architecture
Right-size every architectural decision to the project's actual needs. Not every project needs hexagonal architecture, CQRS, or microservices.
Core principle: Detect the project tier first, then constrain all downstream pattern choices to that tier's complexity ceiling.
The 6 Project Tiers
| Tier | LOC Ratio | Architecture | DB | Auth | Tests |
|---|
| 1. Interview/Take-home | 1.0-1.3x | Flat files, no layers | SQLite / JSON | None or basic | 8-15 focused |
| 2. Hackathon/Prototype | 0.8-1.0x | Single file if possible | SQLite / in-memory | None | Zero |
| 3. Startup/MVP | 1.0-1.5x | MVC monolith | Managed Postgres | Clerk/Supabase Auth | Happy path + critical |
| 4. Growth-stage | 1.5-2.0x | Modular monolith | Postgres + Redis | Auth service | Unit + integration |
| 5. Enterprise | 2.0-3.0x | Hexagonal/DDD | Postgres + queues | OAuth2/SAML | Full pyramid |
| 6. Open Source | 1.2-1.8x | Minimal API surface | Configurable | Optional | Exhaustive public API |
LOC Ratio = total lines / core business logic lines. Higher ratio = more infrastructure code relative to business value.
Auto-Detection Signals
| Signal | Tier Indicator |
|---|
| README contains "take-home", "assignment", "interview" | Tier 1 |
| Time limit mentioned (e.g., "4 hours", "weekend") | Tier 1-2 |
| < 10 files, no CI, no Docker | Tier 1-2 |
.github/workflows/ present | Tier 3+ |
package.json with 20+ dependencies | Tier 3+ |
