minimal-code-discipline

# Minimal Code Discipline Use this skill to apply a minimal-code (YAGNI-ladder) discipline while planning and writing code changes. It keeps diffs small and obviously correct without sacrificing the checks that keep users safe. This skill complements `ai-slop-cleaner`: that skill cleans slop after it lands; this one keeps it from being written. ## When to Use Use this skill when: - the user asks for a minimal, lean, YAGNI, or smallest-possible-diff implementation - a plan or in-flight change is growing beyond the stated request - writing new code where scope creep, reinvented helpers, or speculative generality are likely - reviewing a proposed diff for size before implementation ## When Not to Use Do not use this skill when: - the user explicitly asks for a broad, feature-rich, or future-proofed build (their explicit scope wins) - the task is exploratory scaffolding the user has marked as throwaway - minimization pressure would touch protected behavior (see Non-Negotiables) ## The Discipline **Existence first.** Ask whether the change needs to exist at all; skip work that serves only a speculative future need. **Reuse before writing.** Search the codebase for an existing helper, type, or pattern before writing anything new. Never copy a helper that already lives a few files away — reuse it or extract it to one shared location. **Dependency ladder.** Reach for the standard library first, then platform-native capability, then an already-installed dependency. Hand-writ...