get-shit-done

name	get-shit-done
description	Pragmatic, no-nonsense coding discipline. Cuts through analysis paralysis, scope creep, and over-engineering. USE FOR: when stuck, when a task is stalling, when scope keeps growing, when you need to ship, when perfection is blocking progress. DO NOT USE FOR: greenfield architecture decisions, security-critical systems where shortcuts are dangerous, team-wide standards changes.
license	MIT
metadata	{"author":"custom","version":"1.0"}

Get-Shit-Done: Pragmatic Execution Discipline

A set of rules and heuristics to cut through paralysis and ship working software. Inspired by pragmatic engineering culture — done is better than perfect, but not at the cost of correctness.

Core Rules

Rule 1: Ship the Smallest Thing That Works

• Default to the smallest scope that satisfies the stated requirement, not the imagined future requirements.
• If in doubt, cut the feature. If the feature is missing, add it later.
• Red flag: If a task estimates 3+ days, it needs to be split.

Rule 2: Two Hours Rule

• If you've been stuck on the same problem for more than 2 hours, you MUST:
  1. Write down exactly what you've tried and why it failed.
  2. Ask for help OR change approach completely.
  3. Never keep retrying the same failed approach expecting different results.

Rule 3: 80% Now, 20% Later

• Write code that handles the happy path + the top 3 error cases.
• Document the remaining edge cases in a // TODO(gsd): comment.
• Ship. Come back for the 20%.

Rule 4: No Rabbit Holes

• Forbidden actions while executing a task:
  • Refactoring code unrelated to the task
  • "While I'm here" changes
  • Upgrading dependencies unless directly required
  • Re-architecting because you spotted a design smell
• Allowed: Leave a // FIXME: comment and move on.

Rule 5: Done Means Done

A task is done when:

• The feature works as specified (not "mostly works")
• It doesn't break existing functionality
• A human can use it without reading source code
• The diff is reviewable (< 400 lines changed per PR)

Not done:

• ❌ "It works on my machine"
• ❌ "I'll write tests later"
• ❌ "The happy path works"

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Anti-Patterns to Eliminate

Anti-Pattern	Signal	Fix
Analysis Paralysis	Been researching for > 1h without writing code	Time-box to 30min, then code
Scope Creep	Task keeps growing with "while I'm here..."	Freeze scope, create new issues
Perfectionism	Rewriting the same function 3+ times	Ship v1, iterate
Gold Plating	Adding features no one asked for	Cut it unless in requirements
Yak Shaving	Fixing tool X to fix tool Y to fix the actual task	Work around X, file a ticket
Premature Optimization	Optimizing before profiling shows it's slow	Profile first, optimize second

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When You're Stuck: Decision Tree

Stuck for > 30min?
├── YES: Do you understand the problem?
│   ├── NO  → Restate the problem in 2 sentences. If you can't, ask for clarification.
│   └── YES → Have you tried a different approach?
│       ├── NO  → Try the dumbest, most direct approach first.
│       └── YES → Document what failed. Ask for help. Don't repeat.
└── NO → Keep going.

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The GSD Commit Protocol

Every commit should answer: "What did this change, and why?"

feat: add user login endpoint [closes #42]

- POST /api/auth/login with email+password
- Returns JWT on success, 401 on bad creds
- Skipping rate limiting for now (TODO #43)

Forbidden commit messages:

• fix stuff
• wip
• updates
• asdf

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Daily Execution Pattern

1. Morning: Pick 1 primary task. Write it as one sentence.
2. Execute: Close all tabs except what's needed. Minimize context switches.
3. Time-box: Set a 90-min timer. If not done at end, split the task smaller.
4. Checkpoint: Can you demo it? If yes → PR. If no → what's blocking?
5. EOD: Either shipped or has a clear blocker documented.