ponytail

name	ponytail
description	AI agent skill that enforces minimal code output — 80-94% less code, prevents over-engineering
version	1.0.0
author	Hermes Agent
license	MIT
platforms	["linux","macos"]
metadata	{"hermes":{"tags":["ai-agent","code-quality","minimal-code","skill"],"related_skills":["claude-code","opencode"]}}

Ponytail — Minimal Code Agent Skill

An AI agent skill that enforces "lazy senior dev" thinking — your agent writes 80-94% less code by preferring zero-code solutions and minimal implementations.

Prerequisites

• Any AI coding agent (Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Windsurf, etc.)
• Node.js 18+ (for installation)

Installation

# Install via npm
npm install -g ponytail

# Or clone and use directly
git clone https://github.com/DietrichGebert/ponytail.git
cd ponytail

Usage

As an Agent Skill

Add to your agent's skill configuration. Ponytail modifies the system prompt to enforce minimal-code thinking.

Key Principles

1. Think before writing — Is there a zero-code solution?
2. Prefer existing tools — Don't reinvent what's available
3. Minimal implementation — Only write what's strictly necessary
4. Delete before adding — Can you solve this by removing code?

Example

Before Ponytail:

# Agent generates a 200-line custom parser
def parse_data(input):
    # ... 200 lines of custom parsing logic

After Ponytail:

# Agent suggests using existing library
import json
data = json.loads(input)  # 1 line instead of 200

Common Pitfalls

• Over-aggressive minimization: Some problems genuinely need complex solutions. Ponytail works best for routine tasks, not algorithm design.
• Missing edge cases: Minimal code sometimes skips validation. Review agent output for correctness.

Verification

# Test the skill loads correctly
ponytail --version

# Compare agent output with and without the skill
# Measure lines of code before/after