principle-laziness-protocol

Apply a laziness protocol that biases toward deletion and the smallest diff that solves the problem. It instructs the agent to prefer removals over additions and to question any new abstraction or layer before introducing it.

Minimize the diff by making the smallest change that solves the problem and preferring deletion over new code. Consolidate repeated decisions behind one source of truth instead of threading new signals through multiple layers.

Avoid new abstractions when answering a question about the code would require tracing through more than 3 files or layers. Also stop when a task asks you to pass a signal through types, schemas, or pipelines and look for a more direct path first.

A flat call hierarchy avoids deep call chains so behavior can be understood without traversing many files. A rich interface hiding substantial work is acceptable, but coordination spread across many thin pass-through layers compounds maintenance cost.

It is less suitable when a problem genuinely requires new structure, such as adding a feature with no existing code path to reuse. The protocol targets refactoring and diff evaluation, not greenfield design where some construction is unavoidable.