elevanaltd/build-philosophy

===SKILL:BUILD_PHILOSOPHY=== META: TYPE::SKILL VERSION::"2.0" PURPOSE::"Comprehensive build philosophy framework preventing accumulative complexity" SOURCE::"Consolidated from ~/.claude/skills/build-execution/*.oct.md"

§1::SYSTEM_AWARENESS_MANDATE CORE_PRINCIPLE::"Code change → System ripple → Understand ripples BEFORE modification"

SYSTEM_THINKING::[ MAP_IMPACT::[ "Trace all imports/uses of changed code", "Follow data flow dependencies", "Identify shared state impacts", "Document ripple paths explicitly" ], LOCAL_CHANGE_SYSTEM_CONTEXT::"Simple edit can break distant components - think globally", LOCAL_OPTIMIZATION_DEGRADES::"Faster function ≠ better system if breaks caching", MINIMAL_CODE_SERVES::"Essential complexity serves users, accumulative serves maintenance burden" ]

MAINTAIN_LIVING_SYSTEM::"Not editing text files - every change affects production"

§2::MINIMAL_INTERVENTION_PRINCIPLE DEFINITION::[ ESSENTIAL::"Code serving measurable user value", ACCUMULATIVE::"Code adding maintenance burden without proportional user value" ]

DECISION::"Could we achieve same outcome with simpler means?"

PROCESS::"Remove components until UX degrades → identify break point → restore last essential → minimal achieved"

ENFORCEMENT::[ JUSTIFICATION::"User problem? Why not extend existing? Simplification test?", EVIDENCE::"What removed? Break point found? Minimal restoration done?", SIGNOFF::"Reviewer verifies minimality credible, no obvious bloat" ]

§3::PHILOSOPHY_FRAMEWORK UNDERSTAND_SHAPE_ACT::[ UNDERSTAND::[ "What is the user problem?", "System connections and dependencies?", "Core assumptions and invariants?", "WARNING: 'just try this', 'probably works', 'not sure how'" ], SHAPE::[ "Simplest solution satisfying requirements", "Obvious to future readers (6mo test)", "Easy test isolation", "Minimal coupling", "PATTERNS: proven>novel, simple>clever, explicit>implicit" ], ACT::[ "TDD: failing test first", "Implement minimal solution", "Refactor for essential simplification only", "Commit atomically", "SCOPE: requested ≠ while_here, one concern per commit" ] ]

WISDOM_PATH::[ BETWEEN::"Complexity labyrinth ← minimal effective → Oversimplification sea", AVOID_LABYRINTH::"Over-abstracted, premature generalization, unjustified patterns", AVOID_OVERSIMPLIFICATION::"Unjustified duplication, skipping necessary abstractions", MINIMAL_EFFECTIVE::[ "Just enough abstraction to prevent duplication", "Just enough flexibility to handle known variations", "Just enough structure to maintain coherence" ] ]

§4::DECISION_GATES BEFORE_CODE::[ "Is this solving a user problem?", "Can we extend existing components?", "Is this feature explicitly requested?", "Are we solving a problem that doesn't exist yet?", "IF accumulative → DON'T ADD" ]

BEFORE_ABSTRACTION::[ "Rule of Three: 1st concrete → 2nd copy → 3rd abstract", "Does it reduce cognitive load?", "Is it understandable without docs?", "Cost if requirements change?", "IF mysterious → KEEP CONCRETE" ]

BEFORE_OPTIMIZATION::[ "Is this a measured bottleneck?", "Have we profiled first?", "Is the gain measured?", "PROFILE FIRST → IF not measured → DON'T OPTIMIZE" ]

BEFORE_TESTS::[ "Does this test user-facing behavior?", "Does it validate component contract?", "Will it catch real bugs?", "Testing behavior not implementation?", "IF not user-facing → RECONSIDER" ]

BEFORE_REFACTOR::[ "Does this improve clarity?", "Does it reduce complexity?", "Are tests still green?", "Will it make future changes easier?", "SAFETY: small steps, test after each, revert if fail", "IF behavior changes → NOT REFACTORING, IT'S A FEATURE" ]

§5::PRACTICAL_EXAMPLES RIPPLE_MAP_EXAMPLE::[ CHANGE::"processUser(id) → processUser(user)", DIRECT::"10 files need to pass user object", INDIRECT::"Tests need fixtures not IDs, API needs hydration, caching changes", FLOW::"DB queries move to callers, N+1 risk emerges", OUTCOME::"Simple signature change → 20 files + performance testing + staged migration" ]

WITH_WITHOUT_PHILOSOPHY::[ REQUEST::"Add PDF export", WITHOUT::"Add library → create service → endpoint → ship = 500 lines untested", WITH::[ "UNDERSTAND: Who? Why? How often? → 1 user, monthly report, using screenshots now", "SHAPE: Screenshot API suffices → 10 lines", "ACT: TEST → IMPLEMENT → TEST → DOCUMENT = 50 lines tested, solves actual need" ] ]

§6::WISDOM CORE_TRUTH::"Code change = system change. Think systemically + Code minimally + Verify rigorously"

QUALITY_HIERARCHY::[ BEST::"Code you don't write", SECOND::"Code that is obvious, testable, and minimal" ]

RIPPLE_AWARENESS::"Between isolated edit (wrong) and system paralysis (wrong) lies systematic local change with global awareness"

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