// Manual-only skill for minimizing total codebase size. Only activate when explicitly requested by user. Measures success by final code amount, not effort. Bias toward deletion.
| name | reducing-entropy |
| description | Manual-only skill for minimizing total codebase size. Only activate when explicitly requested by user. Measures success by final code amount, not effort. Bias toward deletion. |
More code begets more code. Entropy accumulates. This skill biases toward the smallest possible codebase.
Core question: "What does the codebase look like after?"
Load at least one mindset from references/
Do not proceed until you've done this.
The goal is less total code in the final codebase - not less code to write right now.
Measure the end state, not the effort.
Not "what's the smallest change" - what's the smallest result.
Count lines before and after. If after > before, reject it.
Every change is an opportunity to delete. Ask:
See references/ for philosophical grounding.
To add new mindsets, see adding-reference-mindsets.md.
Bias toward deletion. Measure the end state.
Analyze recent code changes via git history and extract software engineering lessons. Use when the user asks 'what is the lesson here?', 'what can I learn from this?', 'engineering takeaway', 'what did I just learn?', 'reflect on this code', or wants to extract principles from recent work.
Use when writing prose humans will read—documentation, commit messages, error messages, explanations, reports, or UI text. Applies Strunk's timeless rules for clearer, stronger, more professional writing.
Comprehensive guide for creating software diagrams using Mermaid syntax. Use when users need to create, visualize, or document software through diagrams including class diagrams (domain modeling, object-oriented design), sequence diagrams (application flows, API interactions, code execution), flowcharts (processes, algorithms, user journeys), entity relationship diagrams (database schemas), C4 architecture diagrams (system context, containers, components), state diagrams, git graphs, pie charts, gantt charts, or any other diagram type. Triggers include requests to "diagram", "visualize", "model", "map out", "show the flow", or when explaining system architecture, database design, code structure, or user/application flows.
Use when writing or improving README files. Not all READMEs are the same — provides templates and guidance matched to your audience and project type.
Create high-quality git commits: review/stage intended changes, split into logical commits, and write clear commit messages (including Conventional Commits). Use when the user asks to commit, craft a commit message, stage changes, or split work into multiple commits.
Creates detailed, sectionized implementation plans through research, stakeholder interviews, and multi-LLM review. Use when planning features that need thorough pre-implementation analysis.
