incremental-implementation

Break the feature into thin vertical slices where each slice delivers working end-to-end functionality. Implement one slice, run the test suite, verify the build, commit it, then move to the next slice so the project never sits in a broken state.

Vertical slicing builds one complete path through the stack per increment, such as database plus API plus basic UI for a single operation. Each slice is independently testable and committed, unlike horizontal layering where nothing works until all layers finish.

Use feature flags that default to disabled, gating the work-in-progress code behind an environment variable or config check. This lets you merge small increments to the main branch while keeping unfinished functionality invisible until it is ready.

Skip it for single-file, single-function changes where the scope is already minimal. The increment cycle adds overhead that only pays off when a change touches multiple files or feels too large to land safely in one step.

Mixing refactors with feature changes makes both harder to review and debug, since a failure cannot be attributed to one cause. Separate commits keep each change atomic, independently revertable, and easier to bisect when bugs appear.